The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1876-04-12
Farmers Children.

or tho discomfort which exists
AMONG the young people in regarC
to agricultural life, the great cause
is What Il writer in ,Scribner's Month
" SO aptly terms the "social lean
ness or rcinl starvatiolr of Amori
can agricultural life
The Amcricalt farmer, in ~, his
pA ming and all his' building, has
never made any provisions for life!
lie has only considered the means
OF gcttinga Living. Everything out
side of tbis--cvcrything relating
to society and cult,uc--:hos been
ste" lily ignored. He gives tho chill
drca I,c advantages Of SCHOOLS, not
recognizing the fact that these very
advantages call into being a new
set of social ants A bright, we'll
ctdcatcd family in u lonely firm
house is very different material from,
family brought up in Ignorance.
An American farmers children who
have had Il few terms ut the neigh
boring academy resemble in no de-
gree the children of the European
peasant. They come homo with iiew
lcas and new wants. and If they find
no opportunities for their sntisfac
ton. they will De ready. on reaching
Their majority to flee tho farm and
seek the city.
" the Alncrirah farmer wishes to
Eecp his children near him, he must
learn tlIa difference cf living and
getting living and we mistake
hi and his grade Of culture r'to
grthcr if he docs pot stop over this
statrnent and wonder what wo
pecan by it. L" get II Lying, to
-nakc money, to l'ccono "forehanu
rl--this lis the whole of Ii G to ng
ricuitural mu'fitudcs, Encouraging
i'll their numbers to rortcmplate.
10 thcm there is no difference be
tween living and getting living.
9 Their Who]A life consists in getting
II living and when their families
come back to Them from schooling,
,Nld find that really, this is the only
p 'sriL that has any recognition
- der the parental roof, they must
20 away. The boys push to the
centre of cities, anil the girls follow
them if they can. 4 Young man or
II young woman raiAcd to the point
where they arrrchcl'l the difference
between living and getting II living,
can evcr be satisfied with the latter
alone: Either the farmers children
must he kept iGnornit9 or provision
must be made frr their social warts.
, + :iiis and hearts nccd fo and
lo1hing III we'll as bd les and
those who have learned to recognize
, brains and hearts as the best end
most Important Of their personal
pos%cssiors will go where they can
find the ministry.
What is the rrm"'lv' I,o" rlall
turner's lho g - Keep their ,iIilr
dre1i near them ? How can we dis
courage the inf X of unnecessary
my, burdensomc-popnlntion into
cities We answer: by making
agricultural society attractive. Fill
the fal III houacs with books and
period calls. Establish zen al read
ing rooms, or ncighborhood clubs.
Encourage the social meetings Of
the 20 ing. Have CONCERTS, lectures,
Improvement associations. EStnb
lish Il bright, activc,' and social life,
that :,l!all give some signilicalfco to
la&Sr. Above all, build Ms far as
possible in villaGHs: II is better tn
goa mile to nc'% daily labor, than
f., riatr 'i'o's self Il miln away from
Il n"ighbur. The isolation OF A,ncri
call firm life is the great cursc Of
that life: md it falls upon the
womcli With II hardship that the
men cnniiot niprcciatc, and drives
The educated young away