The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-09-24

the schools, still how many house
holds are nearly destitute of these
moral and mental inhu6nces, and
isolated and alone plod along on
the narrow and rugged highway of
prejudice and ignorance, cast up by
their forefathers for them to follow,
life or death!
Among this force of travellers in
the customs of yore, none seemingly
are so joined to their idols of reserve,
of continued plodding, dogged, per-
sistent, grinding toll as the agricul-
tural classes of our land.
Sister Bpwman's pungent re-
marks under the heading of
Grange Light" are worthy of con-
sidcration. How often we see fam
lilies who might be bright and shin
ing lights in the home, the neigh
borhood, the Sabbath-schools, the
Church and the Grange as singers,
as musicians, as readers, as conver-
sationalists, as speakers as CO work
ers generally, and yet in the seclu-
ded orbit of limited household duties
exaggerated, their intellectual and
moral light burns down to the very.
socket of sluggishness and indiffer-
ence and society will scarcely miss
them when it shall be said, some
day, "He was buried yesterday" or
''She died one day last week"
Sister Bowman says: alt is al
most impossible to let Grange light
into such homes" 1t is not almost,
but entirely impossible to let in
Grange light or any other light upon
such benighted heathenism as we
so often find whilst travelling the
thoroughfares of life.
How can you reach them, when
they find time to sleep several hours
per day, even in haying and har-
vesting, and yet have no time to
read when you carry your best pa
pers and books to them; when
they visit their friends on Sunday
instead of attending Sabbath-school
and church; when they can see no
interest in the question of home-im
provemeut, social privileges and CO.
operative measures proposed in the
Grange, but plead their Inability to
pay the inhalation fees and yearly
dues; when they keep up contin
ued complaint over their hardships
and yet are never willing to learn
how to alleviate their woes, and
never attend anything of an edu ca
tional tendency, as they have no
memory? How can we manufac-
ture light for this class, which has
power to penetrate their dull under
standing and cold Indifference even
to the fitting of them to think of
world to come, let alone tightening
up their pathways here for anything
save the monotonous drudgerY of
their house work, erdoing and
getting i'll, then becoming better and
over doing again?
You say to one of them in the
midst of their many times repeated
ills, "Why, my dear woman there is a
higher life for yon on the dear old
farm than that which you are enjoy,
ing; one in which pleasure instead
of pain will be your companion,
and she,will reply with sigh, per-
haps tears:
"Oh, Miss France, your learning
helps you, but for me, | allus gel
my livin' by hard work and allus
expect to. +"
ayes, but because you have al
ways worked is no sign that your
Heavenly Father would have yo'
work so while you live. You coulc
learn to systemic your work; il
fact be mistress Of it. Buy som'
labor~saving machinery
Oh dear me! How do you talk
/ interrupts the poor, weak creature
"Bjer, my man, would buy
wringer for us, but he amt able"
"You would be if you and you
family would do without tea an
coffee two months" / reply, "Why
Mrs. Wiggins, you would saw
enough to buy you wringer, am
be better off in health besides"
. "I couldn't live without my coffee
nor could Bier without his tea!
most energetically and patheticall
, replied Mrs. Wiggins. In tn
, mornin' | am all gone like till | gi
couple of good cups of coffe
down me; then I pick up like an
. feel better for several hours"
: And thus SO many of our farmer
wives are struggling through life
: the old ruts of can't help ft-iS0z, wit
: now and then bre"k in the forr
! of wedding, funeral or parti'
l uiar surprise, in the midst of the
4 mechanical cares, until they sus
i denly, or after few weeks of p,