His country life is just what it should be, devoted to rural pursuits and filled up with plans of home improvements. You only feel the presence of his inventive genius by its active operation on the material world around. Not a word is heard of "chloroform" or "ether" at Etherton Cottage; but various contrivances for obviating all defects or difficulties in bringing his domain into the perfect order he has planned, meet you at every turning, and all sorts of odd combinations appear, which, when understood, are found to contribute to the beauty or utility of the whole. In short, everything useful is made ornamental, and the ornamental is made useful.
Then the Doctor has a passion for surrounding himself with domestic animals. This we like; it makes a country home more cheerful when dumb dependents on human care share the abundance of God's blessings. So after dinner we went to the barn to see the "pigs and poultry." This barn, fronting north, was quite a model structure, built on the side of the sloping ground, combining, in its arrangements, rooms for the gardener (an Englishman) and his family, and the barn proper, where the horse and cow had what a young lady called "splendid accommodations." There was also a coach-house and tool-room, a steam-engine room where fodder was cut up, and food—that is, grain of several kinds—ground for the swine and poultry; also a furnace where potatoes were steamed. The water was brought by hydraulic machinery from a brook at the bottom of the grounds for use in the barn, and everything was managed with scientific skill and order.
The arrangements for the poultry were very elaborate. Their rooms were the first floor at the back or southern front of the barn; of course, half underground. This lower story had a lattice-work front, and within Mrs. Biddy had every accommodation hen life could desire. Into these apartments the troop were allowed to enter at evening through a wicket opening in this southern front; but in the morning the poultry all passed out into the north-eastern portion of the grounds allotted them, where was a pool of water for the water-fowl, and a fine range for all. Still, the green field at the south, the running brook, and the eventide meal made them all eager to rush in whenever the gate between the two portions of their range was opened. It was this rush we went to witness.
We stood in the main floor, near the southern or back door of the barn, which overlooked the green field: the little gate opened, and such a screaming, crowing, gabbling ensued, and such a flutter of wings, that for a few minutes it was nearly deafening. A pair of Chinese geese led the way of this feathered community. These geese, a present from the late statesman, Daniel Webster, to Dr. Morton, who prized them accordingly, were entirely brown, of large size, carrying their heads very high, and walking nearly upright; they sent forth shouts that made the air ring. They seemed to consider themselves the Celestials, and all beside inferiors. Next, came a pair of wild geese; one wing cut, and thus obliged to remain in the yard, they had become quite tame; but still, their trumpet-call seemed to tell their love of freedom. These, too, were brown, with black heads, and long lithe necks, that undulated like the motions of a snake, with every movement. Very unlike these were the next pair of snow-white Bremen geese, stout, fat, contented-looking creatures, only making the usual gabbling of geese which are well to do in the world. Among the varieties of the duck genus were several of the Poland species; snowy white, except the vermilion-colored spots on the head, that look like red sealingwax plasters round the eyes. These ducks made a terrible quackery. But the domestic fowl was the multitude: there appeared to be all kinds and species, from the tall Shanghais, that seemed to stalk on stilts, to the little boatlike creepers that move as if on castors. It was a queer sight, such an army of hens and chickens, rushing hither and thither, to pick up the grain scattered for their supper. And then the pride of the old peacock; he just entered with the rest, then spread his heavy wings and flew up to the ridge-pole of the barn, where he sat alone in his glory. It was, altogether, a pleasant sight.
But within the barn was a lovelier spectacle. From the centre beam hung a large rope, its lower end passing through a circular board, about the size of a round tea-table; four smaller ropes passed through holes near the edge of this round board, at equal distances, and were united with the large rope several yards above, thus forming four compartments, with the centre rope for a resting-place. In these snug spaces were seated the four beautiful children, like birds in a nest, swinging every way in turn as the little feet that first touched the floor gave impulse.
It was a lovely picture of childhood made happy by parental care for the amusements of infancy. The father's genius had designed that swing to give pleasure, as it had discovered the elixir for pain, by taking thought for others. With both Dr. Morton and his amiable wife, the training of their little ones seemed the great subject of interest. The children were well governed, this was easy to see, and thus a very important point in their instruction was made sure. They were also made happy by every innocent and healthful recreation. Their future destiny seemed the engrossing object of their parents' minds; to bring up these little ones in the fear and love of the Lord, their most earnest desire.
During the evening, the topic of education was the chief one discussed, and we parted from this interesting family fully assured that the good old Puritan mode of uniting faith in God with human endeavor was there understood and acted on. Miss Bremer might find, at Etherton Cottage, a charming illustration of her "love-warmed homes in America."
The Wives of England.—We are glad to see that attention has at length been called to the sufferings and injuries of that unfortunate class, the women of the lower orders in England. The recent murder of a woman by her husband, habitually given to beating her in the most cruel manner, with other flagrant instances of similar brutality, have called forth several warm remonstrances from the London press. During a recent session of Parliament, a bill was passed, making such offences punishable by lengthened imprisonment, but the law has been found inadequate. A late writer in the "Morning Chronicle" calls loudly for corporeal punishment, and says: "We have brutes, not men to deal with; the appeal must be made to the only sense they possess, the sense of physical pain. The law can and must lay on the lash heavily; the terror of the torture will soon restrain those on whom all other means have failed."
"The Times," in an indignant article on the same subject, dwells upon the indifference and supineness of neighbors and bystanders, during these scenes of violence, and ironically calls upon the draymen and carters of London, whose outraged virtue led them to apply the lash to General Haynau for whipping women in far-off Hungary, to stand by their own countrywomen. "If Lynch law is to prevail in England," says the "Times," "let it not exclude the defence of Englishwomen."