The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1877-12-20

OF crops and protection OF ste OK DUR
ing the coming winter months, our
rural contemporaries seem to have no
end. AID we ourselves have seen fit
to give our readers various solemn re-
minders of the approaching season
with its consequent duties and cares.
But this does not in the least dimin-
ish the importance of making ample
preparations for home comforts,
amusements and rccrcations. During
the inelement weather now approach
ing, the rural population viii be large
~ confined to their houses after sun
down ayd the long evenings. which
are too often spent in stupid slumber,
or worse still, in idle and frequently
proftless conversation, can be en-
ployed in harmless aud pleasant
amusements and delightful recreation.
Az an example. Some of the best of
our recent works of fiction are now
published in very cheap form, such as
the Lakeside, Seaside and many other
Libraries, selling for ten, fifteen and
twenty cents each and can be OBJ
tanned by mail. Some of these could
be procured and read aloud during
the winter evenings with much profit
and interest. Different members OF
the family could take turns in read
ing and two or three hours could thus
be made to slip away with hardly a
knowledge of its passage. We have
tried this very experiment in the way
recommended and have found ii so
pleasant that il has become an estab-
lished feature in our household.
To some q recommendation to read
fiction may seem just little off color;
but we do it in the same way and for
the same purpose that we should rec
ommend to school-boy good game
of base ball after the long days con-
finement in the school house. The
average farmer and his family in this,
aud in fact every other country, works
too much and plays too little. Our
word for il, after an evening spent in
the manner above described, q nights
sleep will follow which will more
than compensate for all the time lost.
The women of your household, too,
will feel and Zoe better for sharing in
your amusement.
Do not choose for your books heavy
histories or pronouncedly religious
works, both OF which can be read in
due time; but select light and cheer
full literature which will amuse the
mind with requiring any great effort
to follow the thread. "All work and
no play makes jack" ETC., and no.
where is this more apparent than in
the faces, figures and general CONVEX
sation of our farming population to-
day. To be sure, the motives which
prompt this undue general lugubrious-
ness, are of the best and most con-
scientious, but they are mistake.
What we want to see is, not the
knitted brow of the man, whose head |
is always and his body nearly always,
al work. We want to see the frank,
open, genial countenance of the jolly |
farmer who so tempers the ills and |
disabilities of his arduous vocation |
with the good things of life, that a nat
ural, rudy glow of good nature and |
kindness is at all times in possession |
of his face. To such man as this, the
mortgage on the farm appears smaller,
the crops appear heavier, his wife
looks handsomer and his children |
more successful and happy than they
possibly can do TO the one idea man
to whom life is the terrible burden of
an uninterrupted routine of work,
work work! (and very often growl,
growl growl y
In preparing for winter, then, do
not for an instant forget the home
amusements and recreations. You
have no need of theaters or public
places; but can enliven your own lit
tie family circles till, living within
yourselves, you can find ample recre-
alton for all your leisure hours. Do
not exclude any of the children who
are old enough to take part, but in
clude the whole family so far as their
capacities will permit. Let your sons
and daughters grow up with the idea
that the old homestead of their youth
was the most beautiful place on earth
and the jolly and enjoyable influences
there and then acquired viii follow
them through life, saving them from
many pitfall and leading them on to
many good and noble deed. Much
night be said in favor of home amuse-
ments, as preventative of dyspepsia,
the farmers Nemesis; but we are not
q doctor, and do not propose to attack
so immense 4 subject as the stomach
of the rural population. We willrest
satisfied to deal with The head and
heart, being content if we can bring
to the knowledge Of even enc family,
the truth of the song,
fsEorn. bo,ne rvvna. booo