The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-04-16

NOAAS AOA SuVSO0S IA AAo OosAAuSS AVA VA"o
9ecuniary profit and Independence
which every man is striving for; be- -.
tides, if he 10 good farmer, he has q .
pride in his farm, and is pleased when
The passer-by turns his attention to his
garden, his homestead, his fences.
fields, and orchard with the affirmative
nod Of appreciation. On the other hand,
be feels meanly when an ill.kept door,
yard, broken gate, and fences all awry
and tottering provoke deprecatory
shake of the head as If one would say,
"This must be a poor farmer, or he
would not have such poor place about
him." And yet we would give every
farmer the credit of believing that he
intends to do the best he can in his cir
cumstances. But every one is not en-
dOwed with common sense, and so
number fail to reach the full measure of
their intentions.
Common sense is simply good judy
ment. 1t is to know precisely what is
expedient. It is an art that may be &C.
quired. A man is not born with it q.
ways. Some persons may be naturally
gifted with faculty for acquiring 1t,
but this faculty may never be de-
veloped if the education and training
have been defective. Careful training
of child or youth, or the self-control OF
q man in his maturer life, may develop
this sense in a person who might other
wise appear to be naturally deficient in
Judgment. The mind must be well bal
anced; it must be trained to deliberate,
to examine both sides of question, and
to decide promptly in emergencies, but
never without understanding results.
Quick apprehension is therefore neces-'
sary. A man who would leap in the
dark has not common sense.
And this leads us to consider the great
fault Of those who profess to teach others
the mysteries and the practices OF agri-
culture. There should be a good deal
of common sense about this business.
There are things that we know, and
some we don't know. Some would not
have any person talk or write of what
he does not really know of his own
knowledge. That petulant old French
writer, Montalgne said, II would have
eyerv one write what he knows, and as
much as he knows, and no more;" but
he did not practice as he preached. II
this were to be the rule we should stop,
because we often find out things by con-
sidering what persons say they think
thew know of them, and this is the very
basis of investigation. But one who
teaches should be careful of assuming
superior wisdom. It is his business to
lead thought and investigation. He may
succeed in doing some things in some
particular ways, and it is his duty to re-
late precisely what he has done and how
he did it, and then leave others who
read of it to act as their own common
sense dictates. But he may, atthe same
time, suggest thoughts for others TO DE-
yelop. Men nowadays like to get thsi1
knowledge done up in packages
sealed and labeled, so tina
, thew may take it ready mad
, without the trouble Of preparing it. Blu
|, this is where they fail to use common
sense. Information is to be digeste'
and assimilated, Just as food is taken in
! 70 the stomach and dissolved ana ~
= tered and made available for the partic
!. Mar requirements Of the vital force, an
!; the waste is cast out, A man vh
. amends his life in some particular pul
. suit, il it is no more than feeding COW
and making butter, and is intelligent
:. and gives bis mind to his pursuit On
. makes it his study, becomes an e1per,
= and agricultural literature IS maze .
- = Of the thoughts and experiences On
. suggestions Of such men. 1t Is, ther'
= fore. simply the exercise OF commo
!. = sense to give due weight to these opil
y IONS and suggestions, and il one fails
" realize oil he expects from them, to Il
i the failure rather to his own want
~ antness than to the mistakes OF the 9
Or pert. -, -, 49,. . oo,,roo
" sanse view Of his business by conslde
:, inc IL a. one Of the most agreeabl
:, ~ hes,tbful, independent, secure and co!
= Portable employments to be chosen.
Win be proud Of it and teach his ca
= dran TO be proud Of it, and not consid
~ ~ the labor involved as drudgery, nor
~ soilinp Of his boots, clothes or hands
ha . dirty business.
~, :, The field first, and then the barn .
he then the house will be considered;
,re the field builds the barn and thes hon
:he and = fine barn and SNOWY house n6,
' H., vet made q field rich. Prepare
~. work without and make it fit for thya
" in the field, and afterward build th1
40. house" y, was the wise mans comm
ys. .anse view of it. But he should by
me means be too careful in this respect,
aod 4 IL = wise economy and common se
air tosmake his house 3 home in every '
yed nlaasant. comfortable and attractl
Ind that he and his children may enjoy
nan good of oil their labor, and encour'
non non q nroper self-respect and self assert
ely in the community. Men are often "a
.ss: ~ their own valuation, and it Is &
!! Pin IN mon sense to value ones seh ss hug
FOR 8 may be consistently maintained.
= ',, :, to avoid going beyond that; tor. ~
ank by. every mans work y tried, ana q
$ judged By it, results.
llsss7. Farmers are very apt to b led -
Ds by exciting, II not untruthful repor'
. sns eTand successes with this or that n
process; this or that new crop; OF
lsed rnndrous accounts Of mythical amin
,ho- The common sense way to look at q
i. Il ehirc, l. 20 wait . little for final d.
-. Thara ara farmers who !
ugA money unproAtably invested In cool
{ u .nnaratns which they were misleo