, 1876-06-02
The Poetry of the Farm.
BY S. Q. LENT.


I don't mean the kind of a Jingle
which is put together by people who go
from towns out in the country and So
journ for few days, partaking of the
enjoyment of pure air and palatal deli
cacies who frame their nice compli-
ments for the farmer in such words as
these How beautiful is country
life !" "The farmers must be the hap
piest people living?" q should be in
Elysium had 1 nice farm like this |"
All this is stuff, and is easy enough put
together. But there is real poetry con-
nected with farm life, that has both
rhyme and rythm, and the production of
it is not due to any chance sojourner in
the country. 1t is made by the farmer
and his family; there is less of it writ
ten than there might be, for a world of
talent is latent, and this poetry is not
penciled upon chance slips of paper but
upon human hearts.
Beautiful trees, ornamental flower
borders, tasteful surroundings, all these
are the inspiration, and if could i'm
press upon the people of the farm
very little of the real power of this
poetry, l know there would be more
lasting good done than were I to write
the best dissertations upon the culture
of roots, wheat, oats or corn.
" 1t is all we'll enough for newspaper
talk, and sounds very nicely upon paper"
says my farmer friend, "but when you
come to the support of a large family,
you will find there is very little nutri-
tion in poetry, and when the necessities
are supplied there is little time for fuss
ing with flowers and the like" But 1
do not hesitate one moment in replying
that there is enough time, ingenuity and
labor wasted upon the farm to render it
model of grace and beauty. There is
principal planted in our natures that
requires nutrition and Graves food as
truly as our stomachs. 1t is that love
of beauty, which, if gratifed, stimu-
lates to exertion, and without which we
might as we'll be sticks and stones.
Men can live upon potatoes and salt,
with little addition, can move in the
most uncomely fabrics. But we are
not satisfied TO remain under these con-
ditions long. 1t is considered no mat
ter Of extravaganza to have the best of
food in variety, and to be clothed taste
fully in fine clothing. Time and
thought of the most earnest type are
given to these. Much less, then, ought
it to be counted idle expenditure to at
tempt TO satisfy higher want in the
embellishment Of q tasty home with
surroundings that will hold its occu-
pants under the most tender subjection
to the true, beautiful and good. There
is q moulding power in each flower and
shrub which exhibits itself in the fam
lily government and in the mellowed ma
ture which results from the position in
which we place the memories of these
attributes of our early home. Who can
site q happy home, overhowing with
genial good nature and family affection,
without the accompaniment Of beautiful
Aings in its outward embellishment
The two go hand in hand. The outer
circle is an index TO the inner one.
There is a warmth Of soul engendered
by the efforts put forth in the adornment
of home which affects the conduct of
each member in the family. In its
power it is akin to religion. There is
one thought in relation to this adorn-
ment Of the exterior home, which to me
ID u BAhhu SN1Cs Wo bEO AOb WOEkluK lOT
ourselves alone. The crops of grain,
vegetables and fruits which we produce
may be entirely to our own benefit !;
but the beauties we add to our prem
ises are the property Of the neighbor-
hood, and even the stranger without the
gates has an interest in them. They not
only bring comfort and happiness to
others, but possessions. Every dollar
or days work expended in trees, flow
ers, lawn or hedges, is invested for the
whole country about. More than this,
the value is not lost when we leave
them, but with all the added incum-
bents of the years of our developments
are handed down to futurity. Whittier
most appropriately puts the value Of
this entail into rhyme:
"For he who blesses most Is blest;
And God and man shall own his worth
Who tolls to leave - his bequest,
An sdded beauty TO the earth"