The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-07-12
ed entirely too fanciful and luxurious

ed entirely too fancful and luxurious
for plain farmer
The meaning of this is that these
are men of character. who are proud of
their position, and are accustomed to
have their families as we'll qusrtered,
and to bring up their children with as
good advantages, as though they were
prosperous merchants or manufacturers.
| passed some time in the hunting field,
and was struck with the fact that
large number of those who follow the
| hounds well-dressed and well-man-
nered gentlemen-are practicable farm
ers, who consider themselves as much
entitled as their landlords and their
richer neighbors to the enjoyment of
this luxurious and costly sport. In
fact, throughout the country, travelling
on the railways and elsewhere, it was
evident that the farmers consider them
selves generally at least, as good, if
not rather better, in position than man
ufacturers or shop-keepers of the SEINE
| wealth.
l am we'll aware that many American
farmers, and perhaps some of my own
readers, will exclaim, VANITY of vani-
ties, all is vanity" etc, and will think
that this comparative extravaganza of
life, and the devotion of two or three
days week throughout the winter to
galloping across the country after pack
| of fox bounds, is a very unworthy
standard for an agricultural writer to
suggest to his readers With due re-
spect to their prejudices, l do not think
80. l wish there was good deal more
| attention given to field sports in this
| country than there is, but | notice this
only as an example. The main point
| is, that so long as farmer is contented
to drudge away six days of every week,
| and to think of nothing but the making
of money, the improvement of his farm,
and the establishment of his sons in
some position where they may make
money, we need never expect very
high development of what alone is en-
titled to be called civilization among
our agricultural classes. Life is not
made up of hard rules and hard work.
Recreation and q certain amount of
luxury in the household are civilizing
influences to which l am always glad
to see our farmers subject, SO far as
their circumstances allow; and it will
be an encouraging sign W hen those who
are obliged to drudge from years end
to years end set before themselves the
aim and hope of more elegance and
comfort in their living, and more amuse
ment for the entertainment of their I'm
occupied hours.
"All work and no play makes Jack
dull boy" and the greatest preventive
to the advancement of American agri-
culture is that the average American
farmer is such frightfuly dull boy.
Another thing that struck me in Eng
land and which indicated an encourag-
ing frame of mind on the part of Eng
fish women, was the almost uniform
tidiness, comfort and beauty of English
farm-houses 1t is difficult in that eli
mate to have a house, eff whatever
sort, that is not made more or less
picturesque by the luxuriant growth of
ivy and ornamental plants, which come
almost unbidded. The traveller sees
everywhere, in the well-kept vines and
shrubs, even about the old straw-thatch-
ed, low-studbed, diamond-paned farm.
houses that have been brought on from
the last century, and more especially
about the modern farm residences, great
evidence that an exhibition of comfort
and taste is considered very essential
part of the management of the estab-
lishment. English women do not con-
fine themselves to wearing flowers in
their Sunday bonnets-they have them
about them, in their door-yards, and in
their windows and conservatives, as
though they consider them as necessary
to their selfrespect and to proper tidi-
ness of their establishments as any
mere personal decoration.