The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-02-01
A WORD FOR OUR BOYS.
WHY THEY LEAVE HOME so SOON
AND pEsPlSe FARMING.

the Ground and the Grain Harvested the
Little Fellows Are Worked Almost 60
Death Mothers story.
would like 10 say u word in favor Of our
farmer boys. who. as class, are sadly over
worked in the rush Of spring work or through
tho hot days of harvest.
A great many farmers undertake 50 much
that In order 70 get tho crops in In season,
everything must como 20 time, while the
boys. colts and everything else On the place Is
pressed into service for all they are able TODD.
Now, Il tho boys havo 90 work 30 hard, It
seems 20 me they should bc allowed a shorter
day. and not hc compelled 10 so from sun up
% sun down, rs well as the older ones. They
are really 20 be pitied, II ono stops 10 think Of
IL, for If anything Is wanted while getting
ready go 10 the field, IL is Here Tom, run
aud get IL, and step lively, and as soon as
that particular thing is brought. then some
thing else is wanted, and when ready 10 30 10
work Tom has run enough 20 be already tired;
then, Now sec that you keep those horses go
ing as a bit Of parting advice.
Then, after q long days blowing, there
are the COWS 10 be brought from the pasture.
or course, Tom being tho youngest, has that
20 do, too And after supper is over no must
milk, an OF which is well enough II no was
only allowed a shorter day than the others,
and very frequently whilo the others stop
during tho day for rest Tom must 20 FOR
Jug Of water. as boys don't get tired"
believe in their working as they are able, but
have known 80 many boys injured from over
work that | cannot refrain from saying a
few words Ia the hope that they may do
little good Our dear, warm hearted, willing
boys, whose work we can only appreciate
vhen they are i'll or absent, then we SEQ how
much help they have been.
THE PLOws WERE ALL BROKE"
was well acquainted with one boy, who
helped break up all the ground for large
crop lie was only ~ and small Of his age,
aud he worked right along with his father. O
very strong man, until the crops were in, and
tine day they finished planting corn, at sup
per time. / said 20 him, when he came in
"Why. George, what is tho matterT For
as long as live can never forget the tired
detected, dropping little figure as be stood IN
the door "Oh, nothing only tired, with
pathetic little smile ln day or two he was
taken down with fever, and for weeks lay at
deaths door simply from Overwork. The
Grst week of his illness ho raved continually
about bis work and IL was enough 10 break
ones heart 20 hear him urging his team to
their work, or his pillow would break or it
was $50 hard 70 throw the dirt up hill" He
kept this up for q week, never a minutes
rest night or day. and every day bis voice
grew weaker. until one day be opened his
eyes, and looking around the room said, "the
plows are ell broke, and never mentioned
them again. But for weeks DO was not out
Of danger
Now where was anything gained In that
transaction A long illness % be borne,
large doctors bin 60 pay Dig; besides the care and
anxiety such an illness caused his parents.
As ho was slowly recovering, his physician
said: "This illness was caused moro from
oyerwork than anything else; now, SEQ that
10 is never done again
Another case Of boys oyerwork, which ]
know % be true. was where a man set boy
of II years of age to blowing and the only
way be could turn the plough was to put his
head under the cross pieces, between the
handles, letting it rest on the back Of his
neck until he injured bis spine and was taken
sick and lived only a few days In the in
tense heat of harvest is another terrible time
FOR the boys, hard. indeed, for strong men.
MAKES A MOTHERS HEART ACHE
Last summer our own boy, "a stout young
fellow Of lG who had worked from early
spring with scarcely a days intermission, or
without q word Of complaint, side by side
with another man much older than himself,
then through four or five weeks Of harvest
until q day or two before il was over, camo
Into my room u was IN al the time looking
30 sad and worn that IL frightened me, and
said 10 him; "What is the matter, dear, don't
YOU feel well" oh ma, he said, 81 am
lnst nearly dead my head aches SO, just look
az my hands, holding up his hands, perfectly
covered inside with callousgS and blisters,
while his lips quiyered and teafs stood Ia his
dark eyes. something that had not seen for
years. for be is usually too proud 70 complain.
Yesterday my nose blcd until | could hardly
go / do wish father would let mo of this
afternoon, won't you ask him tor How 1t
went 20 my mother heart 70 have to tell bin
th-t father said mo, must try and get
through while the fair weather lasts, only
mother can know, and there was a good deal
Of bitterness in my thoughts that afternoon
as thought Of my boy and his sorrowful
face.
Ills father did not mean TO DO hard, for if
no had been sunstruck or stricken down with
illness he would then have counted his grain
Of very little worth beside the life Of his boy,
but be only thought then of the work on hand
and that the resting could be done some other
time But that is one reason why 50 many
boys leave their homes 30 soon and so thor
odgh despiso farming, when a little good
Judgment, tempered with mercy for them,
would do more good than all the stern com
mands that were eyer uttered
ION, If We could only live tho past fi9o
years over again, said a friend whose only
child, promising boy Of Is, had died Of con.
sumption, "ior know he worked too hard.
He was always 30 willing and 40 never
stopped 20 think that the work might be too
much for him. But now we can SEQ where
we did wrong" What a pity all parents
cannot see, before they meet with some such
trouble, and be really parents at heart In
stead Of thoughtless tassmasters whose pres
ent prosperity is gained IN great measure at
a fearful expense-the broken down cOnsti-