The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-04-01
1T>octru.
4 IiIE IDEJL FARMER IND HIS
IFIFE


The following are extracts from poem read
by Professor H. W. Parker. at the Inauguration
services of the Iowa State Agricultural College,
March IL
The American Farmer, son OF the Sun!
Bronzed with glow from its glory won;
As free as the air il is heaven to inhale,
And strong "a 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 granaries hoard,
lie sits at the head of his bountiful board,
And laughs at the crowded world afar.
Buzzing with ceaseess commercial war.
; Traces dark lines with his silver PROV,
Writing the verse in alluvial mould
The summer shall print in letters OF gold,
And set TO the trill of the oriole tune
Behold him at rest IN the lanSni I moon,
Stretched on the grass and cooled ny the Drccze,
His kingly pavilion the glistenine trees.
Behold him at the evening his own,
Home Joys are his that to few are known:
The russet is brought from his last years store;
His fruity 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
From her pans She pans out y her rolls OF gold
And her eggs are all nest-eggs of wealth untold;
Ittries not her patience to try out her lard
And her lot, ike 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 life
Inc llNcc. anu "A-S.
Is the picture too fair. too rosy its glow:
Tell US thou husbandrnan. John or Joe
What are thy musings the livelonG day.
Or home returned in the twilight gray!
What honest pride what bliss of health
what converse with Nature? what hidden lore,
Wiser than books. is it thine to explore!
What science untaught. in schools unheard,
OF soil and plant, or of beast and bird!
John-who is one of the rarer kind,
sunny in heart and searching of mind,
Replies in few words: - All. well do know
Iife'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 il in truth
The lack of a studious habit in youth
Thus worthy John. Is he rights 1t so:
Come, give Us thy mind, thou frequent Joc
Wall. ROW, guess Joe answering says,
= ruther hard time ont the farmers hez;
There's nuthin to think on but work and eat,
And arter his chores 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
1 was down with the rheumatic May an June,
An the seed wan sown the right o the moon.
The sleeps got foot-rot an market is down,
An wheat kept, hopin prices come rouh
An wife she is kind o. drOopin' jest now.
An the children took sick. can't tell how,
I'm sartin we gin EN- plenty o pills
But bilious fever brings doctors bllis.
Wal honest fOlks-they must oilers wolk;
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
1 e milk a mai i9f 6 1yypnsa 5sa apart
WheI he vends his milk by the pint or quart;
There's a tallow-faced hue in his butter and
lard.
And his four-foot wood is cut-by the yard.
Is it then but dream-this son OF the soil,
Noble and wise in his primitive toilg
Hail. these fair halls l-ye teachers, hail
Hence shall go forth no si:ters pale-
BrOOding fine words. and those OF an age
That has reached the hydro- ulphuric stage
\ diction not freshened by daily resort
Direct to the seaside Of Nature and Art
None shall 90 hence, who, when they are
Ata loss what the Lord has formed them to do,
Save longer to paddle in learnlngs 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 gradually be nile alled-
The woodlands name be name or 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!
lie is a mnd-a man-at least
Not a machine like that re rides,
Not like the plOdding hOrse he guides.
He reads in plant and soil ana sun
Wonders undTeamed by Solomon.
or might we track his after course
Who pOnders here the laws of Force
He sees in every breath of eream
Shot from yOn mill, cloudy steam,
4 mammoth power dissolved in air,
He builds a township laundry there.
And frees the world-its haplcss wife
From bondage to the plague OF life.
But who the happy change may guess
When woman takes her proud Ii. 81
Smile not She Is in natures plan
Chemist and doctor to every man.
Shall she, through scientific lack
Shall she-the duck-be but quack
DOubt not O'er all her daily toll
Science shall pour it's wine and oil
The skill that smoOthes her weary way,
The light of thoughts perpetual play;
This and religion the wine
Shall make her lowly life divine.
*B. :. Bachelor of Science.