The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-05-29
An Old School Farmer.

Such farmer repairs his barn promptly
when the stills are giving way he does not
hesitate at the purchase of "likely pair
of cattle" at a bargain; he will buy oc-
casional bags of guano, upon proof in his
turnip patch, or ON his winter rye /; but if
sub-soil plow is recommended, he gives
sly twinkle to that gray eye of his, and
complimentary allusion to the old Eagle
No. A." which settles the business.
Such men are in their way money-makers;
but rather by dint of not spending, than by
large profits. These back-country gentle
men have their families educated thanks to
our school SYSTEM; boys, lank at the first,
in short armed coats, and with pinch of
the vowel sounds in their speech but they
do not linger around such homestead !;
they come to the keeping of hotels, or of
wood-yards on the Mississippi; many are
written down in the dead books Of the war.
Our money-saying farmer has his daugh-
ter too, with her Chrysanthe mounds and
striped grass at the door, and her pink
monster of Hydranger. She has her
"Lady's Book" and her LEDGER" and
on such literary food grows apace; but
such reading does not instil healthy
admiration for the dairy or butter-maklng;
rosy-cheek and incarmined arms do not
belong to the heroines of her dreams. do
not think she ever heard of Kit Marloney's
song
"Come live with me, and be my love"
The faint echoes Of the town in fashion
plates and sensation stories, make weird,
intoxicating music-music, in listening to
which in weary bewlderment, she has no ear
for a brisk birds song. No wild flowers from
the wood are domestcated at her door.
| catch no sight of sun-bonnets, or of gar
den trowels. Out of door life is Stunned ;
and hence come sallowneSs, unhealthi-
ness, narrowness-not even the well-de-
veloped physique of the town girl who has
the payements for her marches and counter
marches. hear indeed, in summer wealth
er, the tinkle of piano but 1t rights
away the wrens, and of the two, | must
say / prefer the wrens.
All this units for thorough sympathy
with the every day life of the father, and
when common sympathies do not unite a
family, its career breaks at the death of the
patron. If there be nothing in the country
life which can call out and sustain the
pride of all the members of the country
family, it can never offer thempting career
to the young. From these causes it is
that Dorothy will very likely be weasen.
faced old maid, hopeful Of anything but the
tender longing of Overbury's "Faire Mike
Made" Too instructed to admire the SHARP
roughness of her wiry papa, too liberalized
it may be, by her reading, to bear mildly
his peevish closeness not kindling into
love of the beauties of nature, because
none will sympathize with that love
dreaming over books that carry her to Q
land of mirage, and make her still more
unfit for the every day duties OF life, mo-
recognizing the heroiSm of successful strug
gle with mediocrity and homely, duties
yearning for what is not to be. There sh'
is, the ready victim of illness, agains
which she has neither the yigor nor thu
wish to struggle.
$50 Dorothy is gone! Squire" says tn
country parson "Let us pray to God TO
His blessing"
The darkened parlors are opened now
the fairest daughter is bride, and death !
the groom.