The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1880-12-08
DECEMBER.
OUR CALLING.

It is a well-establlshed pEnclp1e
of human nature that those are apt
to be respected who respect them
selves. Unfortunately the reverse is
also true, and he who looks upon his
occupation as drudgery will almost
certainly be regarded as drudge.
If farming and farmers are to as
sumo position commensurate with
their rimportance, the tillers OF the
soil must take 8 broad and compre-
hensive view OF their occupation and
its relation to other industries. We
must respect our calling and our
selves. We must realize and make
others realize that prosperity to
the farmer means prosperity to
all the busy forms of industry, and
that a failure of crops brings in its
train depression and ruin, even to
apparently unconnected occupa-
tions; just as the topping OF some
huge cliff into the sea may, by the
waves thrown up in its fall, over
whelm frail crafts floating quietly
in distant waters. The illustrious
men of past times have considered
agriculture as the foundation-sto
of all prosperity, and a country
life as tending to the increase OF
virtue and content. Horace and
Virgil have sung it's praises. Ora
tors and statesmen have acquired
new powers to serve their fellow
men by communing with nature IN
their rural homes. It is an IL
stinct against which we strive IN
yain) to acquire land, however
small the quantity, and a sense OF
manhood never felt before comes
over every one who stands for the
first time under his own vine and
fg-tree. Until people becomes
fixed by the occupation Of perma-
nent homes and the duties per
tanning to the cultivation and Sc
curing of crops, no growth as a
State is possible. The secret of
the prosperity of France and her
wonderful recuperation from the
ra7ages of desolating wars may be
found in the fact that the land is
held in small quantities by a great
number of her people, and that
the government fosters agriculture
and brings science and organized
skill to it's aid. England is begin
ming to realized that commerce and
manufactures alone cannot keep up
her prosperity, and her best men
are endea7oring to solve the diff
cult problem OF agricultural de-
preston and unrest as now mani
tested within her borders. The
day has passed when we can mere
ly 'sdrift along" Intellectual force
of the highest character is needed
to grapple with the great questions
Of production and distribution.
The farmer of today has need for
skill, intelligence and farming in
dustry. It is true that men OF
small ability and little energy may
drag out an existence and avoid
starvation, for mother earth is very
kind to her children and rewards
iberally every small effort. But
the excuse sometimes offered that
an intelligent man must seek the
city for the full development of bis
faculties need no longer be given.
When this is realized we will re
tain in, as well as bring to, the
country young men who feel with
in themselves q capacity for work,
both physical and mental, and who
will enjoy to the fnll the ezhilara'
ton of outdoor life; Of being in
the fields under the broad canopy
of heaven.
tits the fashion now, even among
some who should be educators of
the people, to belittle farming and
farmers. They speak of :'our rus
tic friend" or ''our rural neighbor,
or give would be witty sketches OF
"a countryman done for" Now it
it is true that We cannot expect in
the busy laboring man all the
graces of s Chesterfield or the su-
per6cial polish of city drawing
room. But under the home-spun
we may find a manly courageous
heart, true native politeness, and
an integrity and honor quite equal
to the denizen Of a city. Human
nature is very much the same
everywhere, but the finer polish of
the city is sometimes at the ex-
pense of unselishness. In fact,
city and country are equally i'm