The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1877-11-08

that deludes the gaze of the mariner
at sea !: the wasting ldleness, which
is to the intellect and character
what a fatal lung disease is to the
beauty and vitality of the body;
and the effeminate views, feelings
and habits. which grow like de-
stroying parasites upon the soul =
all these things are absent from the
purifying. energizing atmosphere OF
a country life.
No inconsiderable item IN this
important inventory of results Is
the physical development which the
free air and unrestrained liberty of
the hills and plains will impart.
The most powerful constitution Will
wither in the pent up city If 1t never
has rest among the trees and flowers.
Hence the open and beautiful parks,
which are lied the lungs OF great
capitals. he people flow into
them for .reshment and recrea-
ton. and are eve so happy as when
listening TO the rustling leaves Of
the elms and oaks. We sincerely
believe that if the citizens OF Il
towns and villages, like the scholars
and orators Of the old Roman'days,
would take Il greater interest III ag-
riculture that if our professional
men. merchants and mechanics
could arrange to diversity their la
bors by participating in the employ
ments of the farm. we should not
only have fewer men OF contracted
and illiberal minds and principles,
but Il average population would
| enjoy sounder health. and the dura-
ton of human life would be very
| greatly increased. 1t is said that
the finest residence discovered
| among the buried remains of Pom
peii was not III the midst of the
theatres, temples and private houses
Of the city, but was a country man.
sion, supposed to be one Of the
homes of Cicero. And we know
from the accepted annals of that
vanished time. that those wonderful
people used the country not only
for luxury and amusement, but that
they worked the soil scientifically,
and brought forth its best energy in
the productions of the farm.
But the strongest argument, after
an, tor uGfnandIng recruits for az
riculture is, that the highest inte-
rests of the whole nation require it.
The young man who can find
nothing to do in the city, at least,
nothing suited to his talents or IN
clinations, will, nine times out of
ten, improve his circumstances by
going into the country. 1t matters
not how tenderly he has been reared,
he will lose nothing if, like the pure
minded Joseph or the valiant son
Of Jesse, he follows the sheep, or,
like Cincinattus. has to be sum-
moned from the pillow to minister to
the wants of his countrymen. He
may blister his hands, lose the
brightness of his complexion and
the softness of his skin, but he Will
get backbone to his young manhood,
learn the uses OF economy and pa
tience, stiffen up and widen out in
his views of human character and
motive, and put dollars IL his
pocket which will stay there for the
rainy days of the future. We Aaye
said that there is national profit IN
this. We believe it, because we I'M
derstand that whatever constitutes
the prosperity of Il young men is
the prosperity of the nation. A
nation needs its young men, not
simply to fight its battles, or TO go
into training at Charlottesville or
Princeton, for politics or a profess
sional life, but to break up Its fall