News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-02-02
WHAT TO DO WINTER EVENINGS.
A Few Hints About Farm Life in the
Winter.
From the Weekly New York SUM-


A Few Hints About Farm Life in tn
ID, Winter
III
\ from the Weekly New York Sun
ID The truth of the old saying that sal
l. work and no play makes Jack dul
v bow" has never been disputed, and it i
t. we'll. when practicable, dnat the worl
,r and play should be SO regulated ant
adjusted that at no time should ther
% be too much or too little of either
/, Hence it is that we bave always ap
Ii proved the observance of all legal holi
70 days and the making of as many more
IL that the laws do not recognize, as pos
n sible. But the farmers work must be
d done in its proper time, il it would be
d we'll done. "If you dSn,a drive youl
work, your work will ryou," and
o there ave times whea ess of tae
n labor of one day on urn cannot be
g made up in g. week. Not only must
g hay be made while the sun shines, but
;. all other departments of farm labor must
4 receive attention when it is demanded,
: or loss will result. With few excep-
i tions, from early spring until the SHOWS
and frosts of winter make their appear
t ance, there is no time for real leisure or
? relaxation for the farmer. He must
work from daylight till dark, and is too
\ weary to enjoy what of evening there is.
But in winter it is different. He has
his labors and duties then, to be sure,
, but they are not so many or so arduous
as in the summer; and when the long
! evenings come the question, 'What
shall we do tonight p is asked in many
home circle.
Man is a social animal, and he who
does not associate with his neighbors
omits duty he owes both to them and
to himself Without society no one is
mentally or morally full grown. We
gain from others by our intercourse
with them, and they gain from us in re-
turn.
The religiouss societies found in al
most every neighborhood furnish to
certain extent opportunities for the ex-
change of social courtesies. Besides
the stated services on Sunday, there are
the usual weekly meetings, where the
neighbors gather with kindly feelings;
aud although we would not class such
meetings with social gatherings, there
can be no doubt that the coming of men
in kindly contact with each other is of
real benefit to all.
But besides these, there should be in
every rural district other gatherings of
the people. There should be Farmers
Club regularly organized and holding
stated meetings for discussion of ques-
tions previously agreed upon, as well
as of such as may arise at the time.
These meetings should be as free from
stiffness and fornnality as possible. We |
know how difficult it is for many who |
are unaccustomed to it to put their
thoughts into words. Others cannot |
speak whom stardi 49, - ~ ss.szfs osc. |
The sound of their voices seems to
drive away the power Of thought.
Others, good conversationalists, make
entire failures when attempting any
thing like speech or an address. But
there are few who cannot say some
thing, if permitted to do it in their own
way, that will be of interest to others.
There should be, other neighborhood
meetings of an entirely social charac-
ter, where young and old can meet to-
gether, and all be young again so far as
concerns the throwing off the cares that
growing years must bring. There are
games and sports in which, for the
hour, all may join, with not only free
dom from harm, but with decided bene-
fit to all.
AS we write. we wonder if in all our
broad land there is a place where any
thing like the New England spelling
schools of forty years ago has an exist
ence. We see now in memory the old
school house, with its long benches
around the sides, hacked and cut with
the ever-busy knife of the traditional
Yankee boy, with its dim light from
tallow dips set in potato holders; with
its antagonistic rows of boys and girls
spelling book, showing spirit of de-
termination worthy of the cause, and
with interested parents proud of the
photographed attainments of their
children. Those spelling schools are
worthy of resuscitation, and some of
the winter evenings can be spent in no
better way.
But neighborhood gatherings are only
occasional, and there is winter even
ing at the close of every winter day.
Blessed is that home where the family
is sufficiently large to make social
circle in itself. What opportunities are
afforded for mental culture Reading
is always in order, and no member of
any family should be excused from
taking his or her turn in reading aloud,
not only for the pleasure or instruction
of others, but for his own benefit.
There are. but few goeaSesSsrs in the
community-not one where there might
be and ought to be hundred. Music,
too, ought to be cultivated in every
home circle. All cannot sing well, but
there are few who have not the gift to
an extent sufficient to take part with
others of the family. We believe there
is nothing more powerful in preserving
unison and cementing affections than
music, both vocal and instrumental.
There are many games that should
be encouraged. One of the first en-
deavors of the head of family should
be to make home pleasant. Many young
men have been allowed, if not driven
to seek amusements in other places that
they should have found at home, and in
places where the company was such as
to lead to their final downfall and
destruction. Offer, then, all the in
ducements in your power to your boys
to help you make home pleasant for
them and the whole family. There are
innumerable games fitted for winters
evening. Chess and checkers, although
they may not be classed with the social
games, rank among the highest, if we
consider their connection with the in
tellect. The game of authors, of history,
of biography, and hundred others,
furnish amusement for the house, and,
if we'll played, are Of real benefit to the
players. Cards are, in many places, in
terdicted from conscientious motives,