Smyrna times., 1876-12-06
MS C eIIUn e OWS.
Hard Times Conquered.
BY MRS. HENRY WARD BEECHER.


kindness and cooperation of others foI
happiness or success in whatever is under
taken. But in the present state of finan
cial affairs, whoever looks for the helping
hand in any business pressure is likely to
find lion in the way" which retards OF
entirely prevents the fulfllment of their
hopes. "Hard times" is no imaginary
obstacle. To be sure, the terms may be
sometimes employed too readily as a reason
or excuse for refusing kind deeds, yet nc
one doubts its reality. Its pressure is felt
in every department of business all over the
country.
We can scarcely number the times we
have listened to the piteous poans of
young people whose parents, by heavy
losses, are compelled to reduce their ex-
penses, and call upon their children to aid
them, at least by the exercise of little
seltdenial-children who, like the lilies
of the field" till now were never called
upon "to toll or spin" Their Heavenly
Father, no doubt, "careth for them," but,
unlike the lilies, we think He designed
these children to use the strength and
talent given, to do all they can for them
selves, looking to Him to bless and bring
their efforts to perfection-"o out of seeming
evil still educing good"
About seventy years ago, a physician,
with young family springing up around
him. consulting his wife, as all good hus-
bands find it prudent to do, bought large
farm in one of our New England States
where every farmer truly earns his living
by the sweat of his brow. Both felt that
nowhere could their children be trained
toindustry and frugality SO thoroughly as on
good farm.
Of course the Doctor was obliged to "run
in debt for this property and give mort
gage on the place. The payments were to
be made quarterly, and promptly, or the
whole would be forfeited and revert to the
original owner. In those days physicians
were not likely to become millionaires in a
hurry, and though his practice was large
yet the pay was small: and not always sure.
He therefore looked to the farm to bring
forth the means to release him from the
bondage of debt; and the children, even to
the youngest, were taught to labor for, and
look forward eagerly to the time, "when
we have paid for the farm"
The creditor was the doctors father-in-
law, through his first wife, and while the
good old gentleman lived, if by any mishap
or overprsss of business the quarterly pay
nent had been delayed, it would have been
kindly excused. But for the ten or fifteen
years that he lived after the sale of the
farm, there had not been one delay in pay
ment, though now and then there would
come time when it was very hard work to
secure the needed sum in time, for even in
the olden days "hard times" were often
found prowling about, to the great terror
of our hard working New England farmers.
But little by little the heavy debt was
diminished, and they were looking forward,
hopefully, to the year of Jubilee, when they
could sit under their own vine and fig tree
with none to modest or make them afraid.
At this period the father-in-law died.
He had but two children-daughters The
elder married hard, close, scheming man,
who. knowing that his wife and children
would inherit this property, in case the
payments were not promptly met, lost no
opportunity of remarking that DIR. Mason's
farm would doubtless soon come into his
hands, as with his large family he must fail
by and by.
The financial trouble which the war of
1912 had caused, as all wars are sure to do,
were not yet adjusted. Money was scarce
and payments very difficult. Ten children
now filed the old house with msrriment
aud gladness but they were to be clothed
and educated. - &E
Let us see how successfully they had been |
taught to make their high spirits and re-
solute wills cheerful auxiIiaries in lifting
the burden which, since their grandfather's
death was pressing heavily upon their
parents.
At the time of which we write, among |
other crops, rye was extensively raised. 1t |
was used for food among the farmers
quite as much as wheat, but was also yalua-
Die for other purposes. When full-grown,
but still in the milk, large quantities were
cut to be used for /" "braiding.1 The heads
We're used for fodder; the stalks, after
being soaked in strong, hot soap suds, were
spread on the grass for the sun to whiten.
When sufficiently bleaehed and ready for
use, they were cut at each joint, the husk
stripped off, and the straw thus prepared
aed In pound bundles for sale.
bonnets, then, meant something more
snan small biz of silk or velvet, with
aOWer or feather attached, and the straw
oraid for making them was in great
aenand. Boys and girls were alike taught
% oraid, and the long winter evenings were
"0s spent idly. DIR. Mason raised large
e'Ops OF rye, and each child, almost as soon
: weaned, was taught to braid, and was
:: ION able to do much by it toward clothing
-'A AT six years Of age dollar week
"as easily earned; at eight, three dollars;