American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-01-15
Winter Evenings on the Farm.

principally in their hands; they also 100
often forget that childhood is full of
life and Joy, and naturally seeks for
amusement, and that any effort 10 crush
out these natural desires in children
only tends to drive them beyond the
reach of the restraining hand, Were
they can indulge, without restraint, and
directed only by those who look ony to
the JOYS of the moment. There ar. bat
few places where the mind of the boy
can be more easily turned in the light
direction than on the farm; for hep all
through the growing season lie is
brought in direct contact with the Won
derful powers of nature. and a very lit
tie instruction will teach him to, in a
measure, realize her beauty, purity
and perfection, and at the same time
create in him desire to better I'M
derstand her teachings. When once
the bow becomes interested in, ard
really loves to gaze on, the beauty Of
nature the mind is lifted up to that
position where it begins to realize that
right action is the groundwork of hu-
man happiness, and when the long
winter evenings come he VIII be glad
to spend a poIrlon of them in reading
books, that explain in detail the laws
relating 10 animal and vegetable life;
but to make the evenings pass pleas
antr as well as probably requires the
xnited efforts of both parents. All
| proper means should be used to inter-
mingle with instruction various inno-
cent amusements, to keep the evenings
| from becoming tiresome; reading from
interesting and instructive books should
be followed by conversation upon the
subject read. \ good microscope should
always be at hand to assist the eye, in
Investigating the wonderful productions
of nature, and especially the beauty
and finish of the flowers of pot plants,
which should be found on every hand.
| No home is complete without at least
4 half dozen Towering pot plants; they
form a central attraction which draws
together all of the members of the
household; and aside from their attrac-
tons and beauty, they offer lessons of
instruction relating to plant growth,
that will do much to prepare the boys
so they will be better prepared to work
successfully among the plants of the
| field.
If farmers would take more pains to
make home attractive there would be
less desire on the part of the boys to
leave the farm to enter some other
| field of industry. There are but few if
any occupations that offer such oppor-
tunities for home instruction and home
amusement rs that of 4 farmer; his
evenings are comparatively free from
business cares; he can spend them at
his own fireside. surrounded by the
members of his own household, or he
can exchange visits with his intelligent
neighbors, aud to enlarge the sphere of
his usefulness he should not forget to
attend the weekly meetings of the
/ 1rl, 70 vol
on subjects relating to the various
operations of the farm, and to gather
up ideas to assist him in the instruction
of his children at home. But the farm
er, while visiting his neighbors. or at
! tending meetings of the Farmers Club,
must not forget his children at home;
he should not overlook the fact that
they are naturally social beings, enjoy
ing in the highest degree the company
of those of their own age, and that if he
does not take the pains to select their
associates they will associate themselves
with the first that offer, without stop
ping to select. Some parents, forget
ting their own youthful days, think their
! children need no associates outside of
their homes, and SO debar them OF the
privilege of giving or attending parties;
/ but children so treated soon feel their
|
the first opportunity to break forth and
mingle with the first that offer compan.
ionship, who too often prove to be but
the lowest dregs of society. Many a
noble boy has been wrecked in life be-
cause his parents have neglected to
| provide him with instruction, amuse-
ments and young companions during
the long winter evenings. The charac-
ter of boys who are provided with in
structive home amusement and permit
ted to mingle with young associates
selected by their parents is SO much
above that of boys whose homes are
destitute of instructive amusements,
and who have to choose their associates
in the streets, that at first thought it
seems impossible that any intelligent
| parent should neglect SO important q
duty; but if we look about US we shall
find too many homes so devoid of sum
shine that the boys who eat and sleep
in them prefer to spend their leisure
hours in the streets, even on q cold
winter evening.
1t is not possible that parents make
their homes unattractive Intentionally;
| it must be because they fail to realize
| its condition as seen by the children;
and perhaps have become so accus-
toned to shed all of their smiles
abroad and their frowns at home that
it has become q second nature to them,
SO that they wonder why everything
| goes wrong the moment they step into
| the house.
Every farmer who finds that his Win
ter evenings are not SO full of sunshine
for his children as they should be
should carefully search himself and see
if any shadows come of his casting, and
| il SO to cast them where they will not
overshadow his home.
The winter evenings afford to the
farmer a good opportunity TO review the
labors of the past season, note the sue
cesses and the failures; also to look for
ward to another season, lay out his
plans for each field and decide what
will be the best method of treating each
crop; in doing this he should always
consult his boys, and thus interest them
in the future operations of the farm;
and he should not fail to give his boys
an opportunity to plan for themselves
the crops that can be grown to the best
advantage, on land assigned for their
especial use. -NusSachusetts Ploxghn1dn.
Curious Features OF 1851.