Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-02-13
RATES OF ADVERTISING,
A WORD FOR THE BOYS.
WHY THEY LEAVE HOME 80 SOON
AND DEsPIsE FARMING.

| HA'E HUME 81 SOON
AND DEsrIsE FARMING.
4 l would like to say word in favor of
our farmer boys, who, as q class, are sadly
over-worked in the rush of spring work or
through the hot days of harvest.
A great many farmers undertake SO much
that, 10 order to get the crops Ia In season.
everything must come to time, while the
boys, colts and everything else on the place
are pressed into serv ce lcr q they are able
20 do. Nov, if Ehe bays have to work so
hard, it seems to me they should be allow
ed shorter day, and not be compelled to
go from sun no to sun down, as we'll as the
older ones. They are really to be pitied, if
one stops to think of it, for if anything is
wanted while getting ready to go to the
field it is, ''Here Tom, run aud get it. and
step lively" aud as soon as that particular
| hing is brought, hen something else is
wanted, and when ready to GO to work Tom
has run enough already TO be tired; then
| Now see that you keep those horses GO
| ing" az ab5 OF parting advice.
| Then, alter long days blowing, there
are the cows TO be brought from the past
ure. OF course, Tom being the youngest.
has that TO do, toe. Aud after supper is
over he must milk, all of which is we'll
enough If be was only allowed a shorter day
| than the others, and very frequently waila
the others stop during the day for rest Tom
must go for a jug of water, as 'boys don't
get tired believe in their working as
they are able, but have known so many
boys injured from over-work that I cannot
refrain from saying few words in the hope
that they may do little good. Our dear,
warm hearted willing boys, whose work we
can only appreciate when they are I'll or ab-
sent; then we see how much help they have
been.
1.-THE PLows WERE ALL BRoKE."
was we'll acquainted with one boy, who
helped break up all the gronnd for large
crop. He was only IA aud small of his age,
and he worked right along with his father,
a very strong man, until this crops were in,
and the day they finished planting corn, at
supper time, l said to him, when he came
in: "Why, George, what Is the matter?'
For as long as live l can never forget that
tired, detected, dropping little figure as he
stood in the door. siOh, nothing. only tir-
ed," with pathetic little smile. Ia day
or two he was taken down with fever, and
for weeks lay at deaths door simply from
overwork. The first week of his illness he
| raved continually about his work, and it
was enough to break ones heart to hear
him urging his team to their work, OF his
| piON WOulu UISdh1 VI III was oO ntIt W
throw the dirt up hill." He kept this up
for week never minutes rest night or
day. and every lay his voice grew weaker.
until one ds7 he opened his eyes, and look
| ing around the room said, ''the plows are
all bloke," and never mentioned them
again. Bat for weeks he was not ont of
| danger.
Now where was anything gained in that
trans .ction. a long illness 20 be borne, a
| large DOCTORS bill to plv; besides the care
and anxiety suoh an illness CAUSED his par
enss. AS he was slowly recovering, his
physician said: "This illness was caused
more from overwork than anything else;
now, see that it is never dlas again"
| Another case of boys overw0rk, which
know to be true, was where man set a
| bog Of IL years of aga to plowing, and the
only way be could turn the plough was to
put his head under the cross pieces, be-
tween the handles. letting it rest on the
back of his neck, until he injured his spine
and was taken sick and lived only few
days. Ia the intanss heat of harvest is an
other terrible time for the boys; hard, in
deed, for stroug man.
MAKES A MOTHERS HEART ACHE.
! Last summer our own boy, q stout young
fellow of 16, who had worked from early
spring with scarcely days intermissirn,
! nr without word OF complaint side bv
,.jds with another man much older than
hims elf, then through four or fiys weeks
Of harvest uus,l a day or two before i5 was
over, cana into my room q was i'll at the
time) looking so sad and worn that it fright
ened me. and l sad to him: What is The
matter, dear, doa't you feel weli?" ''Oh,
na," lie cried, Il au just nearly dead. nv
head aches 50. .jns5 Look al my hands,"
holding up bis hands, perfectly covered in
side wish calouse5 aud blistaTs, while his
| lips quivered and tears stood in his dark
eyes, something that I had not seen for
years, for he is usually too proud to CON-
| plain.
yesterday my nose hled until eould
hardly GO I do wish father would let me
off this afternoon; won't yon ask bin toS"
aow it went to my mothers heart to have
to tell him that father said ''no, must try
aud get through while he fair weather
lasts" ouly mother can know, and there
was a good deal of bitterness in my thought
that afternoon as I thought Of my boy and
his sorro vful face.
| His father did uCt mean TO be hard, for il
he had haeu snustruck or stricken down
| With illness he would have counted his
grain of very little worth beside the life of
his boy, but he only thought then of the
work on hand and that the resting conid be
done some other time. But that is one rea-
son why so many boys leave their homes
SO soon and SO thoroughly despise farming,
when little good Judgement, tempered
with mercy for them, would do more good
| than all tho stern commands that were ey-
er uttered.
'Oh, il We could only live the pact five
years over again." said friend whose only
| child a r,r0mieinO how of 10 had diod 0f
consumption, "for know he worked too
hard He was always so willing and we
never stopped to think that the work
might be too much for him, But now we
can see where We did wrong" What
pity all parents cannot see, before they
meet with some such trouble, and be really
parents at heart instead Of thoughtless
taskmasters whose present prosperity Is
gained in q great measure at a fearful ex-
pense-the broken down constitution of
our boys ys-One Who Loves Them in st.
| T,ouis RannhIic