The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1857-10-21
THE HOUSE And FARM.
,E,s,e Farmer and His Home.

to us that tie farmer should care SO bite
for himself, the members OF bis lamiiy'
and his home-that he should hold taste
full and beautiful things in contemplating
he can abide nothing which is not useful
according to his idea OF usefulness, and
that he should sacrifice comfort evermore
to cash. The large majority of farmers
have but two tests by which to try men
and things: can they works are they
useful! They bring up their boys and
girls with the idea that work is the great
dillingham; the more work boy or a
girl can do, the higher they rise in the
scale of excellence. When they marry,
they must marry a girl who can work.
If she is ''very smart" she is considered
prize. The prevalent fancy is particu-
larly pleased if she has been known to lift
g fve-pail kettle from the fire, and get
out a large washing before breakfast. 1t
is all work, work nothing but work.
She commences her life ambitiously, de-
termincd to be as smart as her nc ghbors,
docs everything about the house herself,
bears children, takes care of them, and
actually wears out her life with work, and
after death lives in the memory of her
friends as woman who was " mighty
smart at work" in her day.
But work is not all. The mode Of life
adopted by very large class of farmers
of those, too, who have not the slight
est excuse for its one which naturally
tends to degrade them. They live in
their work room, in the midst OF steam,
and the multtu linous odors of cooking,
boiling potatoes for the hogs, trying out
lard, dirty boots, and the sitting stove
heat, and all the atmosphere pecu iarities
Of h farmers kitchen. There they eat
their food-there they spend thcir even
ings. In three cases out of four, there is
no excuse for this. Nearly all our farm
ers have wood enough to heat, with an
| open fire, q good room, where they can
| eat and sit and receive their calls of an
evening, and keep their books and papers !;
where life may take on something Of the
dignity that belongs to it, and where
higher than work. A family that has all
its associations with work, as an end, and
not as o means Of enjoyment, must dete-
riorate. If there is a young man or wo-
man in it whose ideas Of life are formed
in more liberal mould, he or she will
flee from that home upon the first oppor-
tunity. One great reason why thu farm
is not more attractive to young men, is
that it hes always been associated in their
minds With a low style of life that humil-
lated them to the condition Of beasts o.
burden.
The farmers home is rarely beautiful
and tasteful in its externa's. So almost
universally is this the case, that when an
instance is found, it is the theme of un-
wonted delight, and the cause of special
remark. The barn very likely fronts the
house across the street. Carts and wag-
ons stand upon ground which should be
occupied with shade trees. There is no
door-yard. There are no flowers. E, c.
rything IS for use : everything sugg ,sts
work, and work only. There is no md
cation OF a life above this work-noth;ng
to show the existence of want above
eating and drinking. The soul necessa
rily grows small under the dull pressure
CT life ike tins. 1t is life contempti-
bic and unworthy, in every respect in
which it may be regarded. If this III
inindfulness of comfort and the polite s
menities of LIFE wero the result of a simple
indifference, the case would be more hop :
ful; but there largely prevails degrt e
Of contempt for these things, which pro1> S
that perverted notions have become in
buei and well nigh irradicable. Many a
farmer whom we know, holds in the ut
most scorn all show Of pelit, life. The
man who talks bluntly, and helps himself
at table without show Of refinement, ard
holds the parlor in contempt and turns
up.his nose at flowers, and rejoices in the
thickness Of the skin upon his hands, and
isn't ''stuck up" is the popular m;n.-
What wonder is it that boy, brought up
in this way, who actually gets SIGHT dur
| ing absence at school, or on q visit, Of a
different and more exalted life, should
leave the farm for other pursuits and pla-
ces as soon as possible?
We love the life of true man who is
a true farmer. His lot is the nobest and
sweetest--the most free from sickness and
care, that fails to the lot OF mortas. But
this stercotyped talk ABOUT the desirable
ness Of the farmers life, as it prevails in
most ocalties, is the merest CANNON ev-
er uttered. The farmer should be gen-
tlemen. Some of them-nay, many in
the aggregate, are gentemen-anl they
make the noblest article of the kind we
have. There is nothing in the farmers
profession that should make him awk-
ward and boorish in the least. We trust
that the young men now coming upon
the stage VIII be something more than
drudges-men who will take position n
sec.ety--men who will delight to make
| their homes beautiful and comfortable.
and who will do their share to throw
around the farmers life that which be-
longs to lt-contort convenience, beauty.
taste,-the charm which shall make the
life attractive to those who are bred in if.
and which shall secure for it the talent
which now seeks q mtre con eaiai atmc-
sphere in other fields. - Springfield R.
publican.
TO BE Thought About,
Can q farmer find any better invest
nent for his money, over and above what