THE MILL. (SEE ENGRAVING.) THIS is a lively scene. The "mill" is truly an "agrarian" symbol, and interesting to every class. In all the ages of civilization its institution has been an object of the first consideration, as of the first necessity. In the early patriarchal days there were some inventions of the sort; for they "ground their corn," though without the facile constructions of the present time, when articles of mechanism are brought so nearly to perfection.

How little notice do we take of those matters, even of positive utility, which are readily supplied to us! The artist works, and the luxurious are gratified by his labors, only affording the millionth dividend in money as the compensation for that which shall originally have cost an incalculable amount of contrivance and pains in the construction. The boons of art, like the free gifts of nature, are subjects of unthankfulness and disregard. When we are necessitated to earn, then shall we learn to be grateful.

This scene is redolent of life and purpose. The same stream that turns the mill, is, a little further down, made subservient to the laundress and the fisherman, whilst the elemental beauty of the surroundings seems to impart an air of enjoyment to their labors.

It is a good thing to be employed. There is also a certain economy to be attained in almost every employment-a way of making work somewhat easy and agreeable. But it is a way which the avaricious and the requiring know not of. Nature, whilst she requires a constant exercise and exertion of all her agencies, yet overtasks none. There is no hurry, no waste of exhaustion in her code. But the greedy man "makes haste to be rich," and overreaches himself. In one way or another, he overreaches himself. If all work well for the present-if all his methods succeed-all his machines attain their object, perhaps he loses in the sequel-his own soul. Avarice is a hard-hearted vice, no less selfish and sordid than it is immoral and unjust. If the extortioner could view himself-as may-be he does-in his succeeding generations, he would not only blush, VOL. VI.-17

but bitterly deplore the exactions, the exorbitant requirings, and relentless tasking of his business course. "Bread," particularly, is the right of all; for {where justice could not claim it, mercy is required to supply it. Let, therefore, no man abuse the prerogative of the "mill."

Of all the abominable monopolies which trade allows, the monopoly of breadstuffs is surely the most abominable. The "nether millstone" has been made the symbol of that man's heart who does it; and a terrible denouncement stands against him. It is said, too, that people in high places do these things; yet that which is essentially base, the practice of the whole world cannot render fair or respectable.

Neither the scale nor the bounds of our picture allow of an extended view of its neighborhood. This mill is probably situated in a village, or a "settlement;" and though rural and rustic, its tenants need not therefore to be revoltingly coarse and untutored, as the specimens warrant us in saying.

She who has read history enough, will know that, in some days of the world, even princesses were employed in "washing linen for the household." And whether or not it be now the custom for delicatelybred girls to be so employed, should be put entirely out of the question—a thing which the proprieties of necessity alone should regulate.

How queer it seems to some of us, that a person can find amusement in angling! Yet that there are such, the sedulous devotion to the "gentle art" certifies. How "gentle" the art is, in all respects, we doubt. To die is the lot of every thing that lives. But to be put out of one's "element," to linger painfully, is an infliction which the humane would not willingly impose.

It is now, we think, the leafy month of June. And mark you, young "Isaac," the salmon have all emigrated above the falls. And by the same token, we surmise that your diligent fixing of that hook is only a clever device to get a glance at your handsome vis-a-vis on the other side of the stream. If never more guileful, you shall be let off this time. As for the young lady, she is not looking at any body "in particular," but only listening to her

mamma.

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WESTERN STYLE OF LIVING.

BY BISHOP MORRIS.

I HAVE been carefully observing the mode of living among the people of the western states for a period of forty years. Great changes have appeared during that time. Of the fifty-two years of my life, thirty have been spent in the employment of an itinerant preacher, affording me the best practical means of information. Moreover, I am the son of a western pioneer, who was in the celebrated battle at Point Pleasant in 1774, and subsequently identified with the Indian wars, till Wayne's treaty of 1795. Of course it is matter of much interest with me to note the changes in the society of the far-famed west; and it may be of some little interest to the readers of the Repository to see some of those changes briefly pointed out. I shall limit myself chiefly to a few items pertaining to the style of living, which may serve to remind us that, while the real wants of man are comparatively few and simple, the imaginary ones scarcely have any bounds. I shall, however, not take into the account the wealthy aristocrat, with his costly mansion, Turkey carpets, silver plate, and thousand dollar carriage; nor the extremely poor man, who lives in a wretched hovel, on a floor of earth, and sleeps on his bundle of straw. They are both exceptions to the general rule. My few observations shall have reference to the great mass of western population.

What is now considered an ordinary outfit for housekeeping? A domicil with parlors, hall, chambers, sitting-room, dining-room, kitchen, and cellar. To furnish these apartments, there must be Scotch or Brussels carpets, hearth-rugs, brass-mounted andirons, window-blinds, ornamented or cushioned chairs, rocking-chairs, sofas, sideboards, bureaus, wardrobes, cloak-racks, wash-stands, elegant bedsteads, with testers or canopies, dressed with curtains and valance, dressing-tables and mirrors, breakfast-tables and dinner-tables, with their tea sets and dinner sets of China and Britannia, and silver spoons, beside cooking stoves, &c. Now this may answer for a commencement, as far as it goes; but who would ever think of keeping house without a centre-table, richly covered, on which to lay the nice little volumes done up in gilt and morocco? which, however, being intended as mere ornaments, are fortunately seldom or never read. Or who could endure to see a parlor so naked, and out of all fashion, as not to have some mantle ornaments, such as artificial flowers, with glass covers, or some specimens of conchology and geological formations? Beside, the walls must not only be papered, but beautified with portraits, landscapes, &c. These commonplace notions amount to quite a clever sum, though they are as few and economical as western people of this day, who make any pretension to being stylish, can

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well get along with. Indeed, they form only a part of the numerous and indispensable fixtures of modern housekeeping. Again, to procure the viands, such as are in keeping with this array of furniture, and maintain a force requisite to serve up and hand them round, and keep all the affairs of the household in order, will cost another round sum-to say nothing of parties and extras.

With this modern style I shall take the liberty of briefly contrasting the early style of living in the western country. When a young married couple commenced housekeeping, from thirty to forty years ago, a very small outfit sufficed, not only to render them comfortable, but to place them on an equality with their friends and neighbors. They needed a log cabin, covered with clapboards, and floored with wooden slabs, in western parlance called puncheons, and the openings between the logs closed with billets of wood and crammed with mortar, to keep all warm and dry-all which a man could erect himself, without any mechanical training, with one day's assistance from his neighbors to raise the logs. Usually, one room answered for parlor, sitting-room, diningroom, kitchen, and dormitory, while the potato hole under the puncheons, formed, of course, by excava{ting the earth for mortar, was a good substitute for a cellar. As to furniture, they needed a stationary corner cupboard, formed of upright and transverse pieces of boards, arranged so as to contain upper, lower, and middle shelf, to hold the table ware and eatables. In order to comfort and convenience, it was requisite, also, to have the following articles: one poplar slab table, two poplar or oak rail bedsteads, supplied with suitable bedding, and covered with cross-barred counterpanes of homemade, one of which was for the accommodation of visitors; six split-bottomed chairs, one long bench, and a few three legged stools were amply sufficient for themselves and friends; a half a dozen pewter plates, as many knives and forks, tin cups, and pewter spoons for ordinary use, and the same number of delf plates, cups, and saucers for special occasions; also, one dish, large enough to hold a piece of pork, bear meat, or venison, with the turneps, hommony, or stewed pumpkin. All this table ware was kept in the corner cupboard, and so adjusted as to show off to the best advantage, and indicated that the family were well fixed for comfortable living. When the weather was too cold to leave the door or the window open, sufficient light to answer the purpose came down the broad chimney, and saved the expense of glass lights; and as for andirons, two large stones served as a good substitute. The whole being kept clean and sweet, presented an air of comfort to the contented and happy inmates. It is true the cooking was usually done in presence of the family, but was soon dispatched, when the Dutch oven and skillet were nicely cleaned and stowed under the cupboard, and the long handled frying-pan hung upon a

nail or peg on one side of the door, while the water pail was situated on the other, and the neat water gourd hanging by it. For mantle ornaments they had the tin grater, used in grating off the new corn for mush before it was hard enough to grind, and the corn-splitter, being a piece of deer's horn, very useful in parting large ears of Indian corn for the cattle. The parlor walls were sufficiently beautified by the surplus garments and Sunday clothes hung all round on wooden pins, the sure tokens of industry and prosperity.

In regard to property, if a man owned an axe, wedge, hoe, plough, and a pony to pull it, and a bit of ground to cultivate, or a few mechanics' tools, he asked no more; and if his wife had a spinningwheel, a pair of cards, a loom, and plenty of the raw material of flax, cotton, and wool, she was content. In those days keeping her own house was a small part of a woman's work-it was only needful recreation from her steady employment; for she carded, spun, colored, wove, cut and made clothes for all the family. Ladies of the first respectability then vied in honorable competition, to manufacture the finest and most tasty dresses for themselves, and the most handsome suits for their husbands, sons, and brothers, in which they all appeared abroad with more exquisite pleasure than people now do in imported satin and broadcloth, and with far more credit to themselves and honor to their country. For coloring materials they used the bark of walnut, hickory, maple, and sycamore trees, together with copperas, indigo, sumach, paint-stone, &c.; and in carding for a fancy suit of mixed, they worked in scraps of colored flannel and silk to variegate the texture. Those were the days of pure republicanism, true patriotism, and real independence. All the money a man needed was enough to pay his tax and buy his salt and iron. When he needed marketing, he gathered fruit from his orchard, vegetables from his garden, and took a pig from the pen, or a lamb from the fold; or if he had neither, he took his gun and brought in wild meat from the woods. He raised his own breadstuff, and ground it on the hand-mill, or pounded it in a mortar with a sweep and pestle, and relished it the better for his toil in preparing it. Coffee was not then used, except as a luxury on particular occasions, by a few of the wealthy. Milk was considered far preferable. For tea they had sage, spicewood, mountain birch, and sassafras, which they regarded then, and which I still regard as altogether preferable to black tea, young hyson, or imperial, both for health and the pleasure of taste. Supplies of saccharine were easily obtained from the sugar tree or bee-gum, and those who had neither, gathered wild honey from the bee tree.

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went barefooted and bareheaded. It was no uncommon thing to see small boys trapping for birds or hunting rabbits in the snow without shoes or hats, and small girls playing about the yard in the same condition-all the very pictures of health. Reared under that system, young men were able to endure the toils of a frontier life, or brave the perils of a hard campaign in the service of their country. Young ladies needed no paint, the rosy cheek being supplied by the flush of perfect health. In those days I never heard of dyspepsy, bronchitis, or any of the fashionable diseases of this generation. Doctors were then scarce amongst us, and had but little to do. If a man was afflicted with pain or catarrh, and felt chilly, he drank herb tea, wrapped himself in a blanket, and slept with his feet before the fire. If he was sick, he abstained from food. If he had a slight fever, he drank tea of snakeroot, mountain ditney, or other sudorifics, till he started the perspiration. Or if he had a severe attack of settled fever, after exhausting his simple remedies, he laid himself in a cool place, drank abundance of cold water, his wife or sister fanned him with the wing or tail of a turkey, and he committed himself to the keeping of a kind Providence, without being plied with blisters or dosed with poison. Calomel, the Samson of fashionable remedies, was scarcely known here in those days, and people usually retained their teeth and jaw bones unimpaired, even to old age, or while they lived.

Many people, such as would be thought Solomons of this day, assume that their fathers and mothers were deplorably ignorant, but without any sufficient proof or satisfactory reason. People possessed at least as much common sense forty years ago as their posterity do at present. If they had fewer opportunities for improvement, they made better use of them: if fewer books, they were better ones, or better read; so that, while our fathers and mothers knew less of newspapers, novels, and annuals, they understood more of the Bible, useful history, and practical life. One fact is palpable, and should not be overlooked nor forgotten, that is, the present generation, with all its rage for education and improvement, cannot show any more eloquent preachers, learned jurists, able statesmen, or successful generals, than those which lived in the days of our fathWhat improvement there is in morals, if any, is attributable to the Gospel. That the "age of improvement" has produced vast changes in the manners and usages of society, is admitted; but whether for the better or worse, is another question, and one which would admit of much argument on both sides. While the modern style of living affords more luxury and elegance than the former style, it is attended with more expense and trouble, and exerts a more

ers.

little use for it. Children were not then annoyed with shoes and boots, or hats and bonnets-they

ness, vanity, crime, and wretchedness. The pleasure of social intercourse is, I believe, not increased,

but diminished. One example on this item must suffice. Call on a friend at her own house, and she is locked up. You must first apply at the pull of the door-bell, or the knocker; then wait a long time for the servant; and if not repulsed at once by the fashionable cant, "Too much engaged," or the fashionable falsehood, "Not at home," you must next send your name and request for an interview; and after waiting from a quarter to half hour longer, you may obtain an audience at last, though dearly bought with loss of time and sacrifice of feeling. Whereas, under the usage of former days, so soon as you knocked on the door, you heard the familiar response, "Come in;" then, by pulling the string which hung outside, you raised the wooden latch, stepped into the family circle, met with a welcome reception, received a hearty shake of the warm hand of friendship, and, being seated, felt perfectly at home as long as you chose to remain. Such were the days of simple-hearted, honest friendship, when social life was unembarrassed by the affected and heartless etiquet of modern times.

PARENTAL DUTIES.

BY REV. J. M'D. MATHEWS.

THE apostle Paul, in his first epistle to Timothy, says, "If any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."

The provision which parents should make for their children, relates both to the present life and that which is to come-to their physical, intellectual, and moral being.

To provide for the temporal wants of children, every parent should have some honest calling or business, which he industriously pursues. It is as much a duty to be "diligent in business," as "fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." A lazy drone should make no pretensions to religion. The prejudice that labor is degrading is fast passing away. Every honest, useful occupation should be considered honorable. God has ordained that in the sweat of his brow man shall eat his bread. But men are ever trying to evade this law. They love ease, and luxury, and extravagance, and they want some ready method of being gratified. The good old way of patient, persevering industry is too slow for them. They must marry a fortune, or make some vast speculation, so as to be rich in a day. Those who "will be rich" in these ways, usually "pierce themselves through with many sorrows." How much more happiness must the man enjoy who, by persevering industry and honest gains, provides for his household! As his children grow up around him, it must afford him sincere pleasure to be able to feed and clothe them, and provide something to assist

them when they shall begin the world for themselves.

But many labor industriously to procure wealth for their children, who pay very little attention to their minds. God has made man capable of acquiring knowledge, and it is certainly the duty of parents to bestow education on their children-education the most extensive which they have the means of bestowing. To give only so much education as is necessary for business, is to provide merely for the wants of the body. Business habits and a knowledge of business should, of course, be taught to every child. None should be brought up in idleness, however rich. But you fear that extensive education will spoil your child. It is true that many evil influences prevail in schools that may spoil him; but these are not education. The acquisition of knowledge has no tendency to produce idle habits, or otherwise to spoil. If in any case education spoils children, it is because it is uncommon. Let it become general, and a young man would no more think of being spoiled, or wishing to live idly, because he had a college education, than he now would, because he understands arithmetic. God did not bestow such intellectual capacities as man possesses, to be buried. "That the soul be without knowledge is not good," says the Bible. The gratification of our natural curiosity in the acquisition of knowledge is, moreover, a source of happiness, and parents should not withhold such gratification from either their sons or daughters. The daughters should come in for an equal share with the sons, except so much as may be given to qualify a son for a profession. Why not? Are they inferior to their brothers in intellect? No one who has made the experiment in teaching will say so. They will succeed as well in algebra or geometry, and will, perhaps, surpass their brothers in the acquisition of languages. They will be as much gratified to know the facts in geology, or chemistry, or botany; and why will you withhold from them the gratification? You do not see, you say, the use of girls learning so much. But why has God given them the capacity? Will you impeach his wisdom? But how can you say there is no use, when these daughters may soon be the heads of families, and have the charge of the early education of young immortals? It is universally admitted that the mother's influence chiefly forms the character of the child. If such be the responsible position your daughter may occupy, there is no danger of giving her too much education. The most extensive course of our best female seminaries will be none too much. It is not always, however, in the power of parents to send their children either to the college or seminary. In this case you should purchase books, form a library, and try to form in your children a taste {for reading. Much valuable knowledge may be acquired without going to school at all. How many volumes did young Franklin read while he labored

all day as an apprentice! But there are many persons in good circumstances, in whose houses you will scarcely find a book. They have made, perhaps, a hundred or a thousand dollars this year; but a little more land must be purchased, or some improvement must be made, and nothing can be spared to buy a few books for their children. What difference does such a parent make between his cattle and his children? He provides food and shelter for the former, and for the latter little more, though God has kindled up in their bosoms those intellectual fires which elevate them above the brutes, and make them kindred to angels. Will such parents once more listen to the apostle, while he says, "If any provide not for his own, especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel?"

But the religious education of children is still more important than all that has been mentioned. To provide for their wants, and cultivate their minds, are important duties; but they refer, more especially, to the present life. By proper religious training you may promote the future happiness of your child, or you may endanger his salvation by the neglect of it. "Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." These are divine commands.

In the first place, parental authority should be well established. Children should be taught implicit obedience. If, when the parent speaks, the child does not obey, the most disastrous consequences may follow. He will soon set at defiance all law and all authority, and travel the highway to ruin. But those children that are properly trained in the nursery, will, most probably, make law-abiding and useful citizens when they grow up. Obedience may often be procured by gentle means; but such is the depravity of human nature that the use of the rod will sometimes be indispensable. The rod, however, should never be used when the parent is angry or greatly excited. The child readily sees that he is only gratifying his own vindictive feelings; and such punishment will do more harm than good. Take the child by himself. Talk to him dispassionately, and convince him that you love him, but that you are obliged to punish him for his good. Then, if you will pray with him, you will win his heart, procure his obedience and love, and, perhaps, save him from ruin. Appeal to his moral feelings, and show him that God requires him to obey you, and you to punish him for disobedience. When a child is once taught to obey, the greatest difficulty in education is overcome. Then make him familiar with the great truths of the Bible, and endeavor to lead him to the Savior, the friend of sinners.

Remember your child is immortal, and God has committed him to your charge to bring up for him. How great the charge! How awful the

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responsibility! The Sunday school will aid you in this great work. See that your children attend regularly. Assist them in learning their lessons. Read over their little books, and talk to them about their contents. Thus you will water the good seed which the Sunday school teacher sows. But you must not leave all to the Sunday school. Teach your children their catechism at home. Take them on your knee, and tell them the stories of the patriarchs and prophets, and of the miracles and death of Christ. And, above all, have your family altar, where you will pray with and for your children, night and morning. Then in your private prayers entreat the blessing of God on all your efforts, and they will not be in vain.

As your children grow up, you should provide for them suitable religious reading. Besides what they will find at the Sabbath school, there are many valuable religious books which you should have in your own library. If you have taught them to "remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy," they will find many hours on that day to devote to such reading.

When they go from home to attend school, or to engage in business, follow them by your prayers, and by many a kind letter, to warn them against the snares that everywhere beset the path of youth.

Where are the parents that thus labor for the salvation of their children? How can they reconcile it to their consciences not to do so? Will they toil to provide for them a living, or even to bestow education, and care nothing for their immortal interests? Let them listen once more to our motto, "If any provide not for his own, especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." Can it be their duty to provide for the body, and care nothing for the undying spirit? How absurd!

Let every parent, then, awake to the fact that it is his bounden duty to bring up his children in "the nurture and admonition of the Lord"-to instruct them in God's word-to teach them the sanctity of God's day, and to lead them to the blessed Savior of sinners. What account will those parents render who "care for none of these things?" who allow their children to be "vile, and restrain them not?" Surely their blood will be required at the parents' hand.

In all family government, as well as in religious training, both parents must of course harmonize their efforts. If there be any clashing or strife between the father and mother, any interference of one with the plans or authority of the other, all government will soon be at an end, and all good destroyed. Surely the love they bear their offspring should unite their hearts to promote their best and highest interests. It must not be overlooked, however, that in the religious training of children, the mother acts the most important part. She watches the first dawnings of intellect, and makes the first moral