Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1877-04-20

TOT mere tue onnuren ana the lamlly epenu
their euenings and leisure hours, and the
impressions the children will have Of their
home depends very much upon this room.
Musical instruments should also be provided
for the daughters, and games and other
amusements for the younger children at
proper times. Home should be made the
dearest aud most attractive place above all
others to the children, so they will prefer
TO stay there while under parental care.
Houses should be kept and furnished for
use, not show. remember the square
room, as it was called, in my fathers old
farm house, which was thrown open only to
visitors on particular occasions, but into
which the children we're seldom allowed to
enter. This was the only pleasant or we'll
furnished room in the house and when l
visited my relations in town aud was enter
tanned at their pleasant homes, l became
dissatisfied with mino, aud hoped at some
time to be able to get clerkship in one Of
eno NhlaBo seOheo " 40 W itNo IN tOWu my
self | at last got clerkship while lad,
with salary of two dollars per month and
board; and was envied my good fortune by
all other boys in the neighbOrhood.
The amount of work required Of farmers
wives is another great source Of the discon.
tentment and unhappiness of their families.
used TO know farmers wives who, in ad-
ditiOn to bringing up from six to ten chill.
dren, did all the cooxing, washing and iron
ing, and made and mended all the clothes for
their families with the needle there we're
no sewing machines then. These same wo.
men also made all the butter aud cheese
from large dairies aud assisted the men folks
in milking. IL would take regiment of
Bridgets to do so the same amount of work
done by one of these poor women. Their
husbands treated them more like slaves than
wives. If perchancc they ever asked for o
dollar in money to buy some deicaey for the
table, or needed article of clothing, great
fuss was made, and it was denied them.
They became prematurely old, fretful and
peevish and lost the attractiveness Of their
sex at very early age. 1t could not be
expected that these women would make
their homes pleasant and attractive. 1t was
impossible; but the fault was not theirs; it
was their husbands, who had not the least
appreciation Of what ought to be expected
of wife and mother.
But am pleased to see change for the
better in this respect. The sewing machine
aud cheese factory have done very much to
tighten the labor Of farmers wives, as a
class, although there is yet chance for i'm
provemeHt.
Remember, my farmer friend the vow
made by you when you led your wife and
the mother Of your children to the altar
She was young and beautiful then that she
is now prematurely old is your fault. Light
en- her burden. 1t may be too late for hel
red cheeks to return, but perhaps it is not
too late for her to make your home pleasant
and attractive and such as will cause your
children to be satisfied to remain there and
follow the calling of their father.
Every farmers house should also hav,
within it, at least small, well-seected IL
brary, costing, perhaps, a hundred dollars OF
more, containing the best standard works o.
English aud American literature, and tn,
best works upon agriculture, horticulture
etc., which directly interest the farmer
aud the children should be encouraged I,
form early in life the habit Of reading use
ful books; and, while they should also b.
taught and required to do various kinds o
manual labor necessary to be done upon th
farm and made to properly appreciate its i'm
portauce and to justly estimate aud eschev
kid glove farming, they should also be laugh
and made TO believe that mental culture i
also to them of equal Importance, and tina
: the one is not incompatible with the other.
You may perhaps think differently, but
: know of no class of people in any busines
: who have more leisure for study aud menta
culture than farmers, If they only kne'
how TO husband aud improve their time.
. l am aware by experience, that after hav
: ing toied all day in the open air and comm
= into the house OF night fatigued and sleepy
. one is disinclined to read or study, but thi
disincinatiOn can be overcome; and, beside
with the present appliances for doing farr
q work, there is not now the necessity for ths
!. incessant toll toll and drudgery upon Ii
= part Of farmers that there formerly wa
r and they have much more time for readiu
and study.
g Bright, active, thoughtful boys will nc
be satisfied to be simply farm laborers-
"a "howers of wood and drawers of water
10 God has implanted in them a desire f
d something higher and nobler; aud, il Il
W means Of gratifying this desire is doni'
4. them upon the farm they will leave it f
other pursuits, which they hope, will supp
Dr. this want. 1t is this lack Of books, this la,
ID of the means of mental culture, and gra
s. flying the highest aspirations Of their natuI
p. that causes many Of your boys to becor
Of dissatisfied with the farm and leave it.
u The education Of farmers children shou
be thorough and adapted to their avOCatic
Id The minister studies divinity, the dOct
IT. medicine, the lawyer law, aud the engine
lis and skilled mechanic engineering and n
ut chanicsi aud he who should attempt to pra
1t. tice either profession without this prepal
ly tiOn Of study, would justly be regarded a
Id LraaIah as a nralandar and nhnrlnian w