Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1882-08-04
THE IDEAL AND THE REAL.
By BESSIE VIcToR.

lights Of quiet country home for the
wearying pleasures of the busy city :"
The above sentiment quote from
the columns Of one OF our most popu-
lar fashion magazines. The sentiment
is beautiful, hut alas for the reality.
The mantle of summer is beautiful, as
all-even the busiest workers-will be
willing to acknowledge; but the writer
of that article appears to think that all
that country people have to do on a
beautiful. dew-gemmed, fower-scented
summer morning, is to lie in bed and
listen to the song of the robin, the gen.
tie "cush-a doo-doo doc" of the turtle
dove, and the busy hum of the indus
trious bee; or else to arise very early,
and clad in the statuesque folds of a
loose white wrapper, to take walk
through the dew, and the sunshine, and
the balmy zephyrs, and the swaying
grass. under the cool, green branches
of grand old trees, and finally to sit on
a log and skip white pebbles into the
the glittering waters of the noisy, rush
ing brook. This must all be done be-
fore breakfast, and in the nt antime;
who will get the breakfast? Does it
IN some mysterious manner come on
the table all ready for masticatlon 2
This seems to be the generally accept
ed notion entertained by sentimental
writer's, concerning life in the coun-
try, for women The men seem to he
left out il the cold, and seldom appear;
but when they do, they are clad in an
immaculate suit Of snowy linen, that
is never mussed, or rumpled. or limp,
no matter how melting the weather,
and they lie IN hammock all day long
under the shade of the naples, drink
ing ice water and reading novels. 1t is
somewhat unsatisfactory to the average
American housekeeper tc read one Of
these high-fown. sentimental articles
rhapsodizing country life, when the
mercury IS way up am ong the nineties
and the dinner must be cooked over a
red hot stove for lot of hungry men,
who are sweating and grumbling out in
the harvest field. The imaginative
reader pictures to himself the people Of
the country as living on milk and hon.
ey, nectar and ambrosia, moonshine
and music. Nothing so vulgar and COM
mon place as pork and beans and corn
bread has ever suggested itself to their
minds; and the thought that woman
must get out of bed at four o'clsck in
the morning, perhaps kindle the fire In
the cook stove, feed chickens, milk the
COWS, churn, bake. wash dishes, feed
the calves, etc. etc. has never been
suggested to them; and if informed
that the men hardly took time to eat,
but just swallowed their food almost
whole and left the poor, defenceless
stomach to de the rest, and then rushed
off to the field, where dirty and sweaty,
and cross they toiled until noon, when
they we're called to dinner. they would
sink clear out OF sight in sea of hor-
ror and incredulty. Nevertheless, to
those who ike it, and who feel them
selves equal to the labor, and the wear
and the worry, that must be performed
BY country people. the country is real
ly nice place to 1--we, provided per-
son Is tolerably ''forehanded." A poor
farmer and poor mechanic are about
on par as far as comfortable living is
concerned. Neither of them in their
race for living have the time to take
walks before breakfast or to lie in a
hammock and read novels. The reali-
nc. Of life are just as stern and exact.
ing IN the country as in the city, and
those Who neglect to attend to the Ia.
Dor which necessity demands of them
will not find easy times anywhere.