The writer of this book has, unfortunately, to plead to the failings herein “guilty” enumerated of the Bells & Gells; & after half-a century has passed over his head, even yet feels himself to lack what is desirable of foresight, caution, & bold, plodding, self-reliant energy so necessary to contend with the world & its difficulties. The Gells were farmers, as before stated, but of the very worst description. As managers of their crops & stock, they were short-sighted & helpless. They were incapable of turning anything to the best 52x account, & were always in poverty. It was of small moment to them whether the seasons were favourable or adverse whether the crops were good or bad, or – whether the animals horses, cows, calves, pigs, or poultry lived, multiplied, or – – died the position of the Gells never improved. They were always in the slough of – Despond, & could never get out of the rough cart-ruts of their locality. In farming they were slovenly, careless, & without energy. If one of the Methodist local preachers paid them a visit, any of the Gells were at their service, either with a o’ tea” & a fatty cake upon a girdle made of cream, milk, or butter or a “cup – – horse to convey them to some other upon the Wesleyan The “station” “plan.” man who succeeded the Gells upon their farm is doing well. The living at the Gells farm was of rather a queer sort, as well as singular. For instance, they seldom had a bit of decent-made bread hot, tough, water-cakes – were baked every morning to breakfast, with bacon in a brown dish, into wh. every one in” their cake in lieu of butter. Sometimes the bacon was “dipped & of rancid taste, with a smell not unlike ancient brown cod-liver oil, with wh. tanners dress their leather! Sheeps’ heads, scragg-shoulders of mutton, fatty pieces of bony beef or salted junck, along with equally fat bacon, were the substitutes for dinner, with an unlimited quantity of thin broth. When vegetables
The writer of this book has, unfortunately, to plead “guilty” to the failings herein enumerated of the Bells & Gells; & after half-a century has passed over his head, even yet feels himself to lack what is desirable of foresight, caution, & bold, plodding, self-reliant energy so necessary to contend with the world & its difficulties. The Gells were farmers, as before stated, but of the very worst description. As managers of their crops & stock, they were short-sighted & helpless. They were incapable of turning anything to the best 52x account, & were always in poverty. It was of small moment to them whether the seasons were favourable or adverse – whether the crops were good or bad, or whether the animals – horses, cows, calves, pigs, or poultry – lived, multiplied, or died – the position of the Gells never improved. They were always in the slough of Despond, & could never get out of the rough cart-ruts of their locality. In farming they were slovenly, careless, & without energy. If one of the Methodist local preachers paid them a visit, any of the Gells were at their service, either with a “cup o’ tea” & a fatty cake upon a girdle – made of cream, milk, or butter – or a horse to convey them to some other “station” upon the Wesleyan “plan.” The man who succeeded the Gells upon their farm is doing well. The living at the Gells farm was of rather a queer sort, as well as singular. For instance, they seldom had a bit of decent-made bread – hot, tough, water-cakes were baked every morning to breakfast, with bacon in a brown dish, into wh. every one “dipped in” their cake in lieu of butter. Sometimes the bacon was & of rancid taste, with a smell not unlike ancient brown cod-liver oil, with wh. tanners dress their leather! Sheeps’ heads, scragg-shoulders of mutton, fatty pieces of bony beef or salted junck, along with equally fat bacon, were the substitutes for dinner, with an unlimited quantity of thin broth. When vegetables
Bell_manuscript.docx