FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116  
117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   >>   >|  
s rhymes Thy friendly guardianship; secure from aught Save lifting winds and porter's curious eye. At second-hand 'tis ten to one thou wert A Jew's possession, got in honest barter; Next, John the ostler's; last of all, past doubt A vagrant's hat; the equitable purchase Of an ill-sung song. Till quite worn out With rain, and wind, and sleet, and other 'ills Thy race is heir to,' the beggar cast thee From his plebeian pate--and here thou liest. _St. Alban's, Vermont._ THE COUNTRY. There is something very pleasant in the country, particularly about Thanksgiving-time, when families gather together from north, south, east and west, around the huge roast turkey, and many pairs of jaws masticate vigorously in gratitude for blessings received. At this season of the year the bird which was fortunate enough to excite the enthusiasm of Brillat-Savarin, and to be the theme of many chapters in his immortal 'Physiologie,' is the emblem of our republic. A bald eagle indeed! Who ever heard of a roast eagle? But a turkey: 'The state of a fat turkey, the decorum He marches in with, all the train and circumstance! 'Tis such a matter, such a glorious matter! And then his sauce with oranges and onions; And he displayed in all parts! for such a dish now, And at my need, I would betray my father.' What native American does not respond _Amen!_ from the depths of his stomach to these appetizing verses of Beamount and Fletcher? But higher far rises the gastronomic phrenzy of the Travelled, who have known the bird, grand in his stuffing of chestnuts, sublime when swelling with the bliss-bringing truffle! And the country is at all seasons a pleasant idea, if properly considered; but beware of the man of one idea, if that one be Country, as you would of the _homo unius libri_. If you cannot distinguish timothy from clover, and beets from carrots; if, agriculturally speaking, you don't 'know beans;' he will annihilate you with his rural wisdom. For his whole existence is in the soil. He worships things under the earth. Dust he is, and to dust he shall return; (the sooner the better!) He prattles of potatoes, talks of turnips, harangues about horse-radish, knows no composition except compost. Speak to him of manners, and he will answer of manures. Like the Egyptians, he worships a bull; and has all the fondness of Pythagoras for beans. His only literature is Liebig's Animal Chemistry; his li
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116  
117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

turkey

 

worships

 

matter

 
pleasant
 
country
 

considered

 
beware
 

chestnuts

 

stuffing

 

swelling


properly
 

truffle

 

bringing

 

seasons

 

sublime

 
appetizing
 

native

 

American

 

respond

 
father

betray

 
displayed
 

depths

 

gastronomic

 

phrenzy

 

Travelled

 

higher

 
Fletcher
 

stomach

 

verses


Beamount

 

composition

 

compost

 

radish

 

potatoes

 

prattles

 

turnips

 

harangues

 

manners

 

answer


literature

 

Liebig

 

Animal

 

Chemistry

 

Pythagoras

 

manures

 
Egyptians
 

fondness

 

sooner

 

clover