The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-09-08
Social Leanness Among Farmers.


The American Farmer, in all his
planning, and all his building, has
never made provision for life He
has only considered the means Of
getting alivings Everything outside
of this-eyerythiug relating to socic-
ty and culture--has been steadily
ignored. He gives his children the
advantages Of school, not recQgniz-
ing the fact that these very advanta-
ges. call into life a new set Of social
wants. A bright, well educated fam
lily, in 4 lonely farm house, is very
different material from d family
brought up in ignorance. An Amer
lean farmers children, who have had
q few terms alta neighboring acade-
my, resemble in no degree tile chill
dren ofthe European peasant. They
come home with new ideas and new
wants, and if there is no provision
made for these new wants, and they
find no opportunities for their salts
faction, they will be ready, on reach
ing their majority, to fly the farm
and seek the city.
+ If the American farmer wishes To-
keep his children near him, he must
learn the difference between living
and getting q living; and we mistake
him and his grade of culture alto
gether if he does not stop over this
statement and wonder what We mean
by it.
| To geta living, to make money, to
become ''forellanded" this is the
whole Of life to agricultural multi
1tudes, discouraging in their numbers
to contemplate. To them there IS no
difference between living and getting
| a living. Their whole life consists
BIN getting living; and when their
families come back to them from
their schooling, and find that, really
this is the only pursuit that has any
recognition under the paternal roof
they must 60 away. The boys pasll
to the centre Of the cities,. and the
girls follow them if they can. A
young man or q young woman, raised
to tile point where they apprehend
1.-The difference between living and
getting living, can never be salts
| fed with the latter alone. Either
farmers children must be kept igno-
lrant or a provision must be made for
4 their social wants. Brains and
hearts need food and clothing as we'll
las bodies, and those who have learn
led to recognize brains and hearts as
1.-THE best and most important part Of
! thor personal possessions, will 60
where they can find the ministry they
4 need.
What is the remedy? How shalt
farmers manage to keep their chill
1 drcn near them? How can wd dis
! courage the inaux of unnecessary-
nay burdensome population into tile
} cities? We answer: By making ag-
ricultural society attractive. Fill
the farm houses with periodicals and
J books. Establish central reading
rooms or neighborhood clubs. En-
: courage the social meetings Of the
young. Have concerts, lectures, am
! ateur dramatic associations. Estab-
lish bright, active, social life, that
shall give some significance to labor.
Above all, build as far.as possible in
$ villages. It is better to 60 a mile to
: ones daily labor than to place one
! Iself a mile away from neighbor.
, THE isolation of American farm life
is the great curse Of that life, and it
, falls upon the women with a hard
ship that the men cannot appreciate,
and drives the educated young away.
-[Scribner's Monthly.