The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-06-27
TOPICS FOR FARMERS,

The Poetry of the Farm.-S. @.
lent writes in the Rural NeW Yorker:
[ do not mean that kind of jingle
which is put together by people who go
rom towns into the country, and after
, short sojourn of few days, enjoying
the pure air and specially prepared
palatial deicacies, go into rhapsodies
over country life; who frame their nice
for the farmer in words
like these: Chow delicious is country |
lifep "The farmers must be the |
happiest people on the earth!' "I
should be in elysium had l the owner
ship of farm like this!' All this is |
stuff, and is easily conjured up for the |
occasion.
But there is real poetry connected |
with farm life that is indOrssd with both |
rhyme and rhythm, and the production
of it is not due to any chance sojourner
who partakes of the bounties without
the toll. This poetry is made by the
farmer and his own household. There
is less of it written than there might be,
for there is world of latent ability and
the lines are not written upon chance
slips of paper in stolen moments, but
impressed upon human hearts, to be
read there in all the years of lifetime.
Beautiful trees, ornamental flower bor-
ders, taste ul surroundings, all those
beautiful things that give charm to
country home, are the inspiration TO the
poetry of the farm; and if l could i'm
press upon my brethren of the country
the fact that they have great deal of
talent lying dormant for making this
x,oo4rr T chould ho Aniun q hotfar WORK
than in writing columns of the best kind
of dissertation upon the culture OF roots,
wheat, corn, or oats.
"It is all very we'll for newspaper
talk, and sounds very nicely on paper"
saws the farmer friend. "but when you
come to scratch for large family, and
get wherewith to feed their mouths and
cover their bodies with passable clothing,
there is little time to write your poetry
by fussing with flower beds, cutting off
the door-yard grass every week, and all
that sort of thing
making a reply to this, that there is
enough time, labor and ingenuity wasted
upon the farm to render it model of
grace and beauty. There is principle
implanted in our natures that Graves
food as Justify as our stnmachs, and as
many people die from the want of it as
from the need of food to build up their
bodies. I refer to that love of beauty
and beautiful things, which, if gratified,
stimulates to right action, commendable
exertion and living thoughtfulness,
without which we might as well be SO
| many sticks and stones.
Men can live upon potatoes and salt,
with but very little in addition, for a
time; they can be satisfied, under
necessity, to move about in uncomely
| fabrics; but contentment under such
circumstances is out of the question for
any length of time. AS means are
| gathered, it is considered no matter of
extravaganza to have the best Of food in
variety. and to be clothed tastefully in
fine apparel. Time and thought of the
most earnest type are given to these:
Much less, then, ought it to be counted
idle expenditure to attempt to satify a
higher desire of the human heart to
embellish home with tasteful surround
ings that will hold its occupants under
the most tender subjection to the true,
the beautiful, and the good. There is a
molding power in each flower and shrub,
which exhibits its effects in the govern
ment of the family; and in the mellow
nature which results from the position
in which is placed in the heart the
memories of these attributes of the
| childhood's home.
Who can cite happy home, overflow,
ing with general good nature and family
affection, without the accompaniment
of beautiful things in its outward adorn,
ment. The two 90 hand-in-hand. The
outer circle is an index to the
inner one. "We guess the pulp be.
fore we cut the peel" There is q
warmth of soul engendered by the effort
put forth on the embellishment of q
home, which affects the conduct of each
member of the family. In its powers il
is akin to religion.
There is one thought in connectisr
with this adornment of the exterior
home that to me is a grand one. We
are not working for ourselves alone
The crops of grain, the vegetables ano
fruits of the orchard, which we develop
may be entirely to our own benefit; but
the beauties we add to our premises are
the property of the neighborhood, ane
even the stranger without the gates ha:
an interest there safely invested. They
not only bring comfort and happiness t.
others, but material possessions. Ever.
dollar or days work exp nded on trees
flowers, lawn or hedges, is invested fo
j the benefit of the whole country about
More than this, the value is not los
when we leave the treasures, but will
}, all the added increments of the years
they are handed down a possession t.
futurity.
\ Whittier appropriately put the though
in rhyme:
"For he who blesses most is blessed,
And God and man shall own his worth,
Who tolls to leave as his bequest
An added beauty to the earth.o