The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-08-22

A CaIifornian's Plan for Keeping Boys ON
the 4 arm.


A San Francisco father writes TO the
Alta California: An editorial para
graph in recent issue of the Alta says :
"The best way TO keep girls on the
farm" is TO keep the boys there, and
the girls will stay to keep them COM
pany." The pith of this humor is its
truth. and the rule will work both ways,
for if the girls are kept on the farm the
boys viii not so far away or be long
absent.
If / may be allowed liberal use of
the personal pronoun, and little space
in your paper, would like to give Mt
terance to some reflections nj my own
on "the problem of life" and in the
hope that some one similarly situated
may be helped in this thinking.
l am on the shady side of 90, an ac-
countant by occupation, with a large
and happy family of boys and girls
around me. The boys are the eldest,
and are following in their fathers foot
steps-yiz.. earning wages enough to
support themselves in what is called
responsibility; but their future is nee
essarily an uncertainty. / have not
worried about the boys, however, they
will hold their own. But the girls !!
Shall they enter the whirlpool of wage
workers in this big city and pit their
strength against SO many where only
the fittest survive? or shall they, with
their natural right TO my assistance, be
the founders of their own indepen-
dence? L am endeavoring to solve
this problem in the following fashion:
have bought piece of land in Con-
ira Costa County, and put on such i'm
provements as l can afford. Ny wife
the best half of me-has taken our
three girls, aged, respectively, IL,
ID, and 10 years, and our young
est son, aged II, and has set
tied on the ranch. / remain in the
city at work and visit them every Sat
urday evening, returning early Monday
morning, at cost of - the round trip,
and / may say the pleasure of these
weekly reunions more than compen-
safes me for the enforced absence. /
have planted nine acres in fruit trees
and vines, which | reasonably expect
will be source of income at no distant
day. Thus far we have COW, pig.
and horse; chickens are TO be added,
and after awhile we shall duplicate the
horse, COW, and pig.
The two youngest children attend
good district school, where they can re-
ceive an education equivalent 10 that of
our best grammar schools. The two
eldest will have the assistance-easil
obtained in our older-settled communi-
ties-of some competent teacher, say
once week or so, in advanced studies,
so that they may keep pace with the in
telligence of their times. Already their
new life has set its mark upon them in
the glow of health and strength of limb:
and withal and above all, they have
work TO do, that greatest of all bless.
ings TO humanity Ny eldest sons,
when they visit the little family. envy
them in brotherly fashion their good
fortune, and it is only question of
time when the lesson to them Will bring
forth fruit in due season.
i have written this, thinking perhaps
some man out of this cityful, situated
as | am, might see his way as | do TO
independence for the most helpless
portion of his family, and also provide
pleasant retreat for his own old age;
and if by keeping the girls on the
farm" the "boys should follow" then
another problem is solved.