The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-02-03
y WrIiton Tor The 81
Deal Not too Strictly.

FARMING communities than that the
boys almost universally grow mp
with distaste for farm pursuits. !
No sooner are they ofage than they
turn Ia seek for more varied if not
less laborious dnties in town OF city
life. Thus agriculture is yearly
robbed of what should be its
strength and hope; and aged par
ents, deserted ut a time when filial
care is most needed. The boys
physical. mental, and intellectual
pcculiarities are seldom taken into
consideration. The father invests
them like so much capital, Oh which
he is to receive II per diem interest
in the improvements of his farm.
The necessities of the family, it is
thought, justify the sacrifice. As
farming has heretofore been con-
sidcrcd Il business that any igno-
ramus might engage in, it has not
been thought necessary to tighten,
or brighten, the labors of the farm
by any rays Of science, or CLEANS
Of intelligence from the world of
thought and action without. Work
was the one thing wanted, from
sunrise till bedtime. Boys OH the
farm, as we'll as in college, have a
future before them, and should be
educated in reference to the place
in that future which their natural
abilities cntitle them to fill. Par
ents who do not act upon this prin-
ciple, but simply drive their boys
like horses OF oxen to tho plough
will find their farm improvements
paid for at Il dear rate, and need
not wonder at finding themselves
deserted and left to lonely old
age. The class of farmers now
coming upon the stage, are begin
ming to learn that they must pro
gress with the times; that they mus
admit science and intellect int,
their fields where they want thci
boys to work, or the boys will sool
grow restless, and long for thei
days of freedom, when they can g
out into the world like other PEG
pie; and they will go, as genera
tons past have found to their sor
row, unless employment is given
to the brains as we'll as to the hands
How obstinatcly the mass of old
time farmers shut their eyes agains
this light. They had their hands
and hoes, and ploughs and oxen
what use had they Tor brains, o
brain work, in books or papers
They closed their doors asains
knowledge. and put up their bar'
and padlocked their gates agains
any threatened limo vations of Sc
ence. 1t was work they wantc
of the boys in the fields. And the
, did work, but they were listcnin
and looking too, and tlinkin,
Listening to the sounds of new Iii
waking in the world without, lool
ing with great longing toward til
a distant and forbidden lights, an
D thinking, not as they should hay
n been taught TO do, how they migl
kindlc new fires on their own hcartl
:, stones; not how they might ope
the gates of prejudice to let
c something of the new life that )
c tempted them from without; b,
II only the day when they should !
II legally free from parental contro
\. and at liberty to turn their bacl
y upon the old homestead, and II
J. monotonous drudgcry of farm Ii
{, together and forever. This is VIII
c thousands of farmers sons ha'
done, and what thousands mo-
=. will do, till farmers as a class a
willing to welcome improvement
- to seek for light, and use it whit
$ they get it. 1t is true, men a,
II boys can dig, and plough, and so
,c and reap. in the oil way, and mai
|o IL living at it; but the further b
hind the times they arc, the mo
. frequent will be the assertions fro
y their ranks ofthc young and stron
Il wl.o bend toward the excitement
&c change and Improvements as YOU
plants bend toward the light Of da
Another way in which Gre
ID wrong has been done the boys,
p through the habit many parents Al
!, sisters have of treating them as
fcriors. 1t is Il habit thoughtlcss
acquired, and thoughtlcssly pr'
&c ticcd, but for all that, none tho ].
l.: unjust and cruel in its results.
j. is a very common thing in farmc
=, families to sec great PARTIAL
~ !" shown the girls in regard to attt
Do tions bestowed upon personal ;
e. pearancc. 1t is not thought Il
Ii. the boys. great rough fellows, vi
nc their large hands and rusty boo
K haze ans need of accomplishment
49, Those boys with their coarse, du'
:! boots, and rough hair, come il
~. tho n,rlo,' M indeed! Nice cha