The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1869-09-15
Make Farm Life Attractive.

Just now, when the cotton ma
t MIA prevails so extensively. anc
men are not disposed to heec
? Solomon's advice about making
haste to get rich, we publish the
following beautiful and truthful ex'
tract from speech delivered by
, Hon. II. Seymour, at an agricultu
} ral fair last year, with the hope
that it may induce some poor
voyager to pause ere he wanders
; too far from his mooorings.-EDs,
} So. Cult,
1t not unfrequently happens
: tina. a man of fortune who has
given himself up to the love of
4 gain, or who, may live in a magni.
fcent house, we'll filled with cost.
ly articles, after all this r,ay still
he the dweller Of a dreary, un-
furnished world. HIS poorer but
more intelligent neighbor may
see from his porch grea: er beau
ties and objects of deeper interest
than wealth can give.
We can see. then, why country
life is dreary to one and full ofpless-
ure to an otLer. We can see why
we have not put the farmer upon
the highest grounds when we
have merely taught him the skill
of a husbandmsn or the art OF
making money. These do not
meet the demands Of nature when
our vital powers begin to give
way. They do not meet the call
for mental interest when time
shall have laid its hand upon US
and disabled US for physical toll.
To lift up agriculture to it's best
and highest estate, those who
follow it must have a measure of
taste and of education which will
make them happy upon their
farms through all periods of their
lives. # these are wanting men
will abandon the country for the
excitement iof towns. We now
see why tho great men to whom
I alluded sought homes amid
the remote scenes Of nature.
We also see whence springs this
hurtful and unhealthy passion for
city life. BUTT may be said that all
men cannot become learned in the
mysteries Of nature. 1t would in
deed be mockery to tell the man
who begins in the humblest posi-.
tions, without the aid Of early edu.
cation, and who is toiling on to
wiring out support by his farm
labor for himself and family, that
he must become either an astro.
ouomer, or a geologist, or a botan
lst, to be happy in his home. Nor
are those things necessary. The
Almighty has been too kind to
demand of any for their happiness
that which is beyond their reach.
But he does require them, ifthey
would enjoy the beauties of His
world, that they should open their
eyes and look. He does demand.
if they would have habits of
thought and mental pleasures.
that they should cultivate their
powers Of observation and learn
the lessons which He tries to
teach them in every bush or flow
er, in every stone or stream, and
in all animated nature that sur
rounds. them. 1t needs no more
knowledge than every man can
gain who will look and think, to
make rural life full of enjoyments.
He who will not do this cheats
and wrongs himself: In the order
of nature love of the country is a
natural enjoyment in our declining
years. All men should bear in
mind that their tastes outlive their
intellectual power. They should
therefore cultivate those tastes
which can be easily gratiied,
that are not inconsistent with
weakness of aye, which make no
heavy demands upon our powers,
or which we hold by an uncertain
tenure. Objects ofart or wealth
are frequently stripped frommen
when their powers begin to fail,
but he who loves Gods works is
happy in the scenes ofnature, and
has pleasures more certain and
lasting than fortune can give. It's
a good investment to cultivate the
tastes. | care not how humble
they may be. The man is untrue
to himself. amidst the labor of the
farm, when following the plow
or busy at any other work, who
does not teach himself to love
what is beautiful, and who does
not exercise and strengthen his
mind by observing all there is
about him. He lives in the midst
ofGod's great museum of wonders,
and he cannot say he was never
taught, for all the world about
him is teaching, if be will but
learn truths that will make him |
content with his lot, that will
strengthen bis mind, purify his
taste, and lift him up in his
who]a natnra hava sAen and |