The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-05-07
Contenfmeni on the Farm

In these days when every man ia "mak.
ing haste TO be rich" and the old meth.
DDS Of earning livelihood are condemn
ed as too slow and tedious, such advice
"a that given by the New Eugland Home
stead is worthy OF careful consideration.
Ifsometimes the farmer feels that his lot
ia hard one, and longs for the larger
opportunities Of gaining wealth which
some other callipgs offer, there are other
occasions, and by no means rare ones,
when be is led to reflect upon the situa.
ton and be glad that he is free from the
entanglements and temptations Of mer.
camille or manufacturing life. While the
farmer whose house is burdened with
heavy mortgage, finds it no easy matter
to sell of surplus product to meet the
demands for interest money made upon
him, he Is no worse of in this respect than
thousands of working men in the cities
and villages, while his source OF income
Ia aItogether more fixed and certain than
theirs. II the season IL uniavorable TO
certain crops, there are others which can
take their place, while by careful and in.
telligent attention TO his business he can
overcome many difficulties, and reap re-
wards which seem unattainable to the liz.
norant and careless.
II be avails himself Of the ordinary
laws OF health, the farmer is pretty Ger.
taid to enjoy life better in this respect
than most Others. He has, as the imme-
diate result Of his own efforts, the fresh.
est and beat OF the productions OF the
soil, the shambles and the dairy. That
he is long way from living up 10 his
privileges in this respect ia too often true,
though that mistake Is being remedied.
Physical labor, too, though frequently
prosecuted In farm work beyond what it
should be, Is far less exhaustive than the
mental worry aud toll which undermine
the health and shorten the lives Of so
many business men.
There are Lessons, too, full Of meaning
TO those disseminated with country life,
In such financial and moral ruin as has
Just fallen upon one Of our Massachu.
setts manufacturing cities. We do not
allude alone to the suffering which
must come TO so many Of the employees
Of the Fall River mills through the EN-.
barrassments caused by the deialcation
Of Hathaway and Chace, but the career
Of these men, with that Of Pond, Of Wor-
cester, and Winslow, Of Newton, and
multitude more, are constant reminder
that all men are but human, and that
when assailed at their weakest points
by some great and peculiar temptation
they generally fall. And especially in
these times Of wide spread disaster, fol-
lowing period Of feyerish and unnatural
prosperity, the moral sense Of men weak.
ems and they are guilty OF acts which, I'm.
der different circumstances, they would
be in no danger Of committing. Few men
had more 10 lose through course Of dis
honesty than Chace and Pond. Honored
members OF Christian Churches, esteemed
and trusted In social life, In the ranks Of
business and the halls Of legislation, with
regulations extending throughout the
Commonwealth and beyond It, 1t would
seem that the restraining influences would
have held them back from crime. We do
uUt yet kuuW buo ui1hOAy VI hhe ran
River deiaulters in the first stages Of
their guilt, but we do know that with the
opportunity came the temptation and dis.
honor and ruin were the result. And with
the consciousness Of guilt and the GER
tainty that exposure must come at no
very distant day, II may reasonably be
doubted whether Hathaway and Chace
have been much happier for the past four
or five yeAra than they are to-day.
In the light Of these things, the prayer,
"Give me neither poverty nor riches"
has depth Of meaning which is not Of. |
ten attached to It. The man who tills
the soil, owning free Of debt farm enough |
tosupport him and his family comforts
bly,, training up his children to lives Of |
unselfshness, usefulness and duty, fitting
them, so far as be can, for the work be- |
fore them, Ia more to be enSied than the |
merchant Of supposed wealth, whom dis.
aIter after disaster threatens with bank
ruptcy, or the manufacturer who stands
like tho criminal on the scaffold, await
ing The dread moment when wealth and
good name, and esteem Of friends, are TO
30 awept from under him, or yet the cap.
italist whose Life is 90 occupied In pro-
tscting his possessions, that he haS no
time to spare for their enjoyment.