Brook Farm | Page 5

Farm,
West Roxbury, nine miles from Boston, Mass. Mr. Ripley selected it.
He and his wife had boarded there the former summer. It was retired
and pretty. Mr. Ellis owned it; Mr. Parker, Mr. Russell and Mr. Shaw
lived not far away, and a small amount of cash paid down would secure
the place for an immediate commencement of the effort. The party who
went earliest to settle at Brook Farm consisted of Mr. George Ripley;
Sophia Willard Ripley, his wife; Miss Marianne Ripley, his elder sister;
Mr. George P. Bradford, Mr. Warren Burton, Mrs. Minot Pratt with
three children, Mr. Nathaniel Hawthorne and several others. Mr.
William Allen acted as head farmer. There were in all about twenty
persons. Doubtless there were blisters on the palms and aching bones,
in the first raw days of labor, and the poetry of life was often lost in the
fatigue of the body.
Of the men of the Transcendental Club only Hawthorne and Dwight
joined what was called "Mr. Ripley's community"; and though Mr.
Emerson talked favorably of it he finally declined to join when asked to
do so by Mr. Ripley.
The farmhouse, the only dwelling there was on the place, must have
resounded with remarkable echoes as the pioneers of the new social
order alighted on its threshold. They were of cultivated families, and
were nearly all from the city and neighborhood of Boston. Their hearts
were open to the tender influence of buds and blossoms, the fresh
springing grass and the bubbling brook. They watched the birds of
various plumage; the oriole, who hung his basket nest from the pendant
branches of the elm, the robin redbreast who built close in the thick
branches of the firs, and the sparrow who was contented with a less

prominent nest, as he picked up hairs from the stable or from
underneath the windows.
They were fond of cows, pigs and poultry. There was a flower garden
to work in. There was a plenty of wild flowers in the fields and in the
woods near by. There was delightful solitude and delightful society,
and there was a wonderful novelty in all. There were contrasts of
character, deep, strong natures to reason with, cheerful hearts to talk
with, and great hopes everywhere. What wonder that they laughed,
frolicked and sang, and got up little parties and masquerades to
entertain the wonderful, wonderstruck and remarkable visitors who
came to see them? The place was a "milk farm" when the
"Transcendentalists," as they were often called, entered on it. The
surroundings were picturesque. Some one of the party started at an
early hour in the morning with the milk for Boston, nine miles away.
All was new and had to be done by many for the first time. There was
much hard work for the women, as it was not a well-proportioned
family; pupils and visitors added to the labor, but poetry and
enthusiasm changed plain names into elegance, as Deborah into "Ora,"
and beautified the laundry and kitchen with hopes and glories.
Immediately the school was set in operation. There were some
promising pupils. The young and talented Dwight, whose heart was too
full to preach what he might better practise in this ideal society, soon
left his pastorate in Northampton, Mass., and joined as instructor, and
was shortly followed by the capable Dana, who gained power for
himself as well as gave it to the Association.
The following persons were nominated for positions in the Brook Farm
School, fall term, 1842:--
George Ripley, Instructor in Intellectual and Natural Philosophy and
Mathematics. George P. Bradford, Instructor in Belles Lettres. John S.
Dwight, Instructor in Latin and Music. Charles A. Dana, Instructor in
Greek and German. John S. Brown, Instructor in Theosophical and
Practical Agriculture. Sophia W. Ripley, Instructor in History and
Modern Languages. Marianne Ripley, Teacher of Primary School.

Abigail Morton, Teacher of Infant School. Georgiana Bruce, Teacher
of Infant School. Hannah B. Ripley, Instructor in Drawing.
The infant school was for children under six years of age; the primary
school, for children under ten; the preparatory school for pupils over
ten years of age, intending to pursue the higher branches of study in the
institution.
A six years' course prepared a young man to enter college. A three
years' course in theoretical and practical agriculture was also laid out.
The studies were elective, and pupils could enter any department for
which they were qualified.
There were various other details, the most striking of which was that
every pupil was expected to spend from one to two hours daily in
manual labor.
Before the Association started from Boston, a constitution was drawn
up. The following is a copy of the original:--
_Articles of Agreement and Association between the members of the
Institute for Agriculture and Education._