The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-06-12
From the Rural World.
The Model Hired MAN Indoors

In my last article | made some remarks
in reference to the outdoors duties Of a
model hired man. In this, my last one
on the subject, your indulgence, editors
and readers, is desired while | have my
say about the indoor duties of this i'm
portant parsonage. The writer having
been a hired man, may therefore reason
ably be expected to be able to tell what
he actually knows about the subject, and
perhaps be able to make some sugges-
tions that will be worth considering.
There is great disposition among
those who work for a living, to find fault
with their occupation and to be continu-
ally longing for social position beyoad
their immediate reach, forgetting, rs too
many young men do, that merit, tact,
skill and industry are never at discount.
If the same anxiety and energy to fill
some coveted position in society, that is
manifested by this class of fault finders
were expended in making more thor
ough preparation for the position they
covet, their ambition in this respect
would not long remain unsatistied. Bet
ter, by far, actual merit and ability than
than the influence Of wealthy relatives
or a superabundance of cheek.
Many of the complaints of our work
ing men are as uni lust as others are lust
and proper. The hired man who is
boorish in his habits, and who has no
sympathetic regard for his social sur
roundings, has no right to expect the
same courtesy and attention that would
otherwise properly belong to him. He
often complains because he is not admit
ted into the family circle Of his employer.
He has not the slightest idea that his
personal habits have anything to do with
the matter; on the contrary, he attri-
butes it to aristrOcratic tendencies of the
family. The writer of this is firm be-
lever in the influence of association, and
is therefore strongly in favor of taking
the young laborer into the family circle
"a custom which has long prevailed in
variably in nearly all the States 1t is
better for the laborer, for by the time he
will have acquired sufficient property to
buy farm of his own, he will, by reason
of his social surroundings, in the major
ity of cases, possess sufficient culture and
refinement to fit him for almost any posi-
ton in our American social structure.
1t must be remembered, however, that
many things now common in every we'll
regulated farm house, would, before the
introduction of railroads, have been de-
nounced as savoring of the aristocratic
order of things. As our general ciyiIi-
cation advances, new wants arise, and
with them a certain degree of contempt
of many old habits and customs. Habits
of uncleanliness, which were once per-
mitted, now offend The hired man who
is an inveterate tobacco chewer and ex-
pectOrator, or one who marches directly
from the stable to the table having on
his 1irt-covered coat or uncleaned boots,
should not be at all surprised at the APP
parent GOODNESS of the reception he
meets, which is to be mainly attributed
to the carelessness which has rendered his
person odorous Attached to every farm
house there should be an outer kitchen
or wash-room, where the overshirt worn
in the stable could be put off and a pair
of slippers substituted while breakfasting.
The laborer to be valuable must be in
telligent If intelligent, he is sensitive,
and feels that he is the equal of his en-
ployer and his family; and any act on
their part that tends to make him feel
that he is sighted, induces him to III Ike
a change in the hope of lettering his So
cial condition, and the thrifty, well-to-do
farmer loses the services of just such a
man as he needs the most.
1t must be admitted that very many
hired men are careless in regard to their
clothing and personal cleanliness; this Is
also too often true of the employer him.
self, who, while working his way up from
the position of hired man, has no doubt
acquired some habits that his cultured
children-who have had the advantage
of more refined society-regret. Among
these may be mentioned one of frescoing
the butter with various kinds of food
which adhere to his unwiped table
knife, which, in the inexcusable absence
of butter knife, should be cleaned upon
piece of bread before being thrust into
the butter, salt or other dish. Others
have q habit, while eating liquid food
from spoon, of making such noise
that YOU are reminded of one made by
leaky suction pump. The habit of using
the tooth brush daily would be duly APP
preciated by all with whom one comes in
contact. The neglect of this precaution
may account for the apparent inattentive-
ness of your listener, who, with averted
face, gazes into space while you vocifer-
ously press your argument.
These reflections are not thrown out
because of disposition to find fault, but
rather to correct some such habits as can
be easily remedied with little care. and
which, IF needed, would be gratefully ap-
a larger number of persons |
han any casual observer would at first
suppose. LIVINGSTON. |
Chlllicothe, Mo.