Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-04-02
poetrp.
THE .IDEAE FARMER AND HIS
WEE

THE following are extracts from poem read
by Professor II. w. Parker, at the Inauguration
services OF the Iowa State Agricultural College,
March II;
The American Farmer, son OF the Suni
Bronzcd with glow frcm its glory won;
As free as the air tits heaven to inhale,
And strong rs the steeds Of the prairie gale:
Lord OF his castle and broad domain,
The herd his vassals, the flock his train,
And rich in the coin his granarics hoard,
He sits at the head Of his bountiful BOARD,
And laughs at the crowded world afar,
BuEaing with ceaseless commercial war
Behold him at morn l-his polished pillow
Traces dark lines with his silver prov,
Writing the verse in alluyial mould
The summer shall print in letters oi golo,
And set TO the trill OF the orioles tune.
Behold him at rest in the langnid noon, r
Stretched on the grass and cooled by the breeze
His kingly pavilion the glistening trees.
Behold him at eve the evening his own,
Home Joys are his that 20 few are known;
The russell is brought from his last years store
His frulty-faced children play on the floor,
And his wife, her cheek like orchard bloom,
Is the crown, the queen OF the cheerful room.
That mine of riches-that farmers wife
How ousy and happy and proud her life -.
And her eggs are all nest-eggs of wealth uutoldi
1t tries not her patience totry out her lard,
And her lot like her bread, Is never hard;
She knits her stockings, but never her brows-
Gives the fowls dressing, but not her spouse,
oh, busy and happy and proud the Ire
Isthe picture too fair, too rosy its glow
Tell us, thou husbaudman, Jonn or Joe
What are thy musings the liyelong day.
Or home returned in the twilight grayy
What honest pride, what bliss OF health
OF peace, content, what conscious wealth.
What converse with Nature what hidden lore,
Wiser than books, is it thine to explore
What science untaught, IN schools unheard,
or soil and plant, or of beast and birdy
John-who is one of the rarer kind,
In haor and inn nfu min
Replies in few words All, well do know
Life's flowers and briers commingling grow,
And man may pluck, If he so desires,
The flowers alone, or only the briers.
One thorn there isl feel it in truth ....
The lack of a studous habit in youth"
Thus worthy John. Is he right-is 1t SOY
Come, give us thy mind, thou frequent doe.
"Wall, now, guess" Joe answering says,
g A ruther hard time ont the farmers hes;
There's nuthin to think on but work and eat,
And arter his chores a man is dead beat;
An there's oilers bad luck feller frets,
High price an low price, notes an debts,
An breachy critters an losin' hoss,
An somehow the gains no more'n the loss.
/ was down with the rheumatic May an June,
An the seed wa mt sown the right o. the moor.
The sleeps got footrot an market is down,
An wheat kept, hopin prices come 'roun
An wife she is Kind O. droopin' Jest now.
An the children took sick, l can't tell how;
I'm sartin we gin 'em plenty o. pills,
But bilious fever brings doctors bills,
Wal, honest folks-they must oilers work
It's only your village sharpers can shirk.
Thus Joe discourses alas how the real
Kicks over the pail of the creamy IDEAL
If Joe were honest there still would be
Some milk remaining for poetry's tea.
But he keeps, tits said the strippings apart
When he vends his milk by the pint or quart;
There's tallow-faced hue in his butter ana
And his four-foot wood is cut-fy the yard.
Is it then bat a dream-this son of the soil,
Noble and wise in his primitive toilI
Hail, these fair halls I've teachers, hail
hall loo forth No al fara nal
Brooding fine words, end those of an age
That has reached the hydrosulphuric stage
A diction not freshened by daily resort
Direct to the seaside Of Nature and Art.
None shall go hence, who, when they are
Through"
At loss what the Lord has formed them to do,
Save longer to paddle in learning's pool,
Must enter perforce professional school.
But hither shall come and hence shall go
Youth who their earnest work shall know
The artisans son and the farmers boy,
Whose fathers calling is honor and JOY.
In mind and muscle strong and skilled,
BY them our ideal shall grad duaily be hlled-
The woodman's name be name Of pride,
BY knowledge and character glorihed'
Would there were time the life to trace
OF one, complete, who leaves this place
To SOW his knowledge with his seed,
And reap far more than mortal need.
What If his corn be not increased?
He Is mind-a man-at least
Not machine like that he rides,
Not like the plodding horse he guides.
He reads in plant and soil and sun
Wonders undreamed by Solomon.
Or might we track his after course
Who ponders here the laws Of Force
He sees in every breath OF steam
Shot from yon mill, cloudy steam,
A mammoth power dissolved in air,
He builds a township laundry there,
And frees the word-its hapess wife
From bondage to the plague of life.
But who the happy change may guess
When woman takes her proud b. S.*
Smile not She Is in natures plan
Chemist and doctor to every man.
Shall she, through scientific lack
Shall she-the duck-be but a quack
Doubt noti O'er all her daily toll
Science shall pour its wine and OIL
The skill that emo oothes her weary way,
The light of thoughts perpetual play;
This and religion are the wine
Shall make her lowly life divine.
*BS S. Bachelor of Science.