Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-03-26
THE DIGNITY or LABOR.
A short Chapter FOR Young Men with
sun-Burned Faces.

A well-dressed young man, who lives
some miles from the city, called at gro
Gerry store the other day with pair of
saddle-bags on his arm and calling the
merchant aside, told him that be had six
pounds Of butter on his arm, which be
wished to leave for sale. He conversed
in low. hurried tone, and seemed
abashed at being in such small business
as selling butter. The merchant did not
want to buy the batter himself, but prom
ised to dispose of it at the highest market
price. When the young man left, the
butter was examined and found to be Of
the very best quality-ricb, yellow and
hard-such as is never seen at any hotel
or restaurant, or common boarding
house. better worth dollar per pound
than the common lard, -four and chalk
mixture, yclept butter, is worth ten cents,
and far superior to any of your Goshen
or Western butter. Yet that young man
was ashamed to be seen selling the but
ter which, probably, his good mother
had churned, while he was build
ing fences or chopping wood, and
repining at his lot We have seen
hundreds Of such young men, and
look upon them as the nobility of the
land, the pride and hope of the nation.
But many of them are mistaken sadly in
their ideas of responsibility and true
manliness. 1t is better far to work at
the yeriest drudgery and be out of debt,
than to strut ia fine clothes, as many do
in the crowded cities, and be in debt for
board and washing, and everything else.
The sooner the young mes of the South
break the trammels Of custom and folly
and accept the means Of working ont
their owa glorious destiny the better for
them and all around them. Following
the pillow is as honorable as any of the
learned professions. This is practical
age when men have to make their mark
by welding material forces, and nothing
ensures more satisfactory return than
welding a pair of horses hitched to a
big turning pillow. 1t also gives health
and appetite, firm muscles and sound
sleep.
Young man, bringing to market the
products of your honest toll is as honora-
Bile in the eyes of all sensible people as
standing behind the counter, and all the
day long taking down aud putting back
calicoes, silks and corsets for every
peevish visitor who chooses to worry you.
Perhaps you envy the young men of the
city their white hands, small boots and
fashionably cut clothing2 There you
are wrong You are as good as they are,
and have more common, hard sense, and
nine chances to one have read more good
books. You take the PUBLIC LEDGER,
and find in it, in condensed fern, all
tuC iOUui dhu sCuciHi hCUb VI tuC Cit1s
You take a magazine--the GALAXY or
Round Td6le-and find therein the
views of the most learned men and brill
liant thinkers of the century, which you
can ponder over at your leisure. You
are a thinker necessarily, and your
ideas are clear and practical.
Your calling is as noble as
any secular business on earth. Away
with your fastidious ideas and dread of
sun-burned brow, for that is the insignia
of royal manhood; Be contented with
your lot, and make 1t an enviable one by
improving the soil aud your mind at the
same time. Build up home and make
1t cheerful place, where king might be
glad to find refuge and drink fresh
buttermilk. And never again shrink
from the gaze of the beauty or dandy when
you come to town to sell six pounds of
yellow butter. Yours is the glorious
mission to rebuild the fortunes of the
country.