Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-07-29
: 4arm ann houstbolO.
Growing Farmers.

Farmers may not know II. generally
but il j., a fact. that most commerce ial men
who deal drectylwith them. speak of them
habitualy as parcel of chronic GROWERS
aud grumblers. We wonder why: Certain
~ there is no good reason why the farmer
should live in the darkness when his pros
perity i born OF the brightness of sun
shine. the beneflcent showers aud the mel
loN aud fruitful earth. Ii Is easy tn ac-
qlire 4 habit OF finding fault with bless
Iug>. no matter in what guise they come;
but it does no one good, and is positive
harm and perncous habit in its influence
upon the individual grumbler as well as
upon those who surround him and with
whom he comes in contact.
An old farmer once said to US that he
would not have hired man on his farm
who did not habitually whistle. Said he
never knew whi>tling laborer to find FAULT
with his food. his bed. or complain of any
little extra work he was asked to perform.
such a man was generally kind to children
and TO animals in his care. He would
whistle a chilled lamb into warmth and
life. and would bring in his hat full of eggs
from the Darn without breaking one of
them. He found such man more careful
about closing gates. putting up bars and
seeing that the nuts on his plow were all
properly frightened before he took it into
the field. He never knew a whistling hired
man TO kick or beat COW. or drive her on
the run into stable. He had noticed that
the sheep he fed in the yard and shed gath
cred around him as he whistled, without
fear. He never had employed a whistler
who WAS not thoughtful and econom ical
That this farmers rule has exceptions
there can be no doubt; but that his philos-
ophy is generally correct il equ ally true. A
cheerful. hopeful. buoyant man is sure to
yet through this life more smoothly and
with less friction thar one Of those chaps
with acute angles and rasp-like sides to
their characters. A cheerful family on a
farm is far more likely to be prosperous
one than one that is composed Of glum an d
growing individuals, who are forever Sid.
ing fault and turning even prosperity and
success into a complaint. An analysis OF
the character of those who succeed as far
mers and whose homes are places of rest
and retreshment. will show that the dark
side of life is always subOrdinated to the
bright side-that cheerfulness is the pre-
vailing characteristic and gives temper and
tone. 1t is certainly worth while. as mat
ter of dollars and cents. that the farmer
should cultivate cheerfulness and hopeful
ness. 1t divests labor of two-thirds of its
friction. 1t makes the boys and girls con-
tented on the farm. 1t relieves the self
sacrificing wife of large proportion of the
load of care, which becomes double
weighted if there is no brightness and
cbeerfulness in the habitual demeanOr Of
the farmer.
Men and women who are employed to
assist in farm labor will work cheaper and
more zealousiy with family who cultivate
a cheerful spirit. enjoy innocent fun and
wake the echoes all over the farm and in
the house, morning to night, with jollity
and good cheer. The merchant will sell
cheaper and deal more literally with
keen. wide.awake. Jolly farmer than with
long and sour-faced grumbler. This is no
trivial matter. 1t enters into business as
an integer, Just as sunshine makes crops.
-TRural New Yorker.