The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1889-02-27
A WORD FOR OUR BOYS.
Why THEY LEAVE HOME so SOON
AND DEsPlsE FARMING.

In the Mad Chase TO Get tho Seed Into
the Ground and tho Grain Harvested the
Little Fellows Arc Worked Almost to
Death-A Mothers Story.
would like to say a word In favor of our
farmer boys, who as class, arc sadly over
worked in the rush of spring work or through
the hot days of harvest.
A great many farmers undertake so much
that in order to get the crops in in season,
Eeverything must come to time, while the
boys, colts and everything else on the place is
pressed into service for all they are able to do.
Now. IL the boys hayo to work SO hard it
seems to mo they should be allowed shorter
day, and not be compelled to so from sun up
to sun down, as well as tho older ones. They
arc really to be pitied if one stops to think of
1t, for IL anything is wanted while getting
ready to go to the field, it is, Hero Tom, run
and get it, and step lively, and as soon as
that particular thing is brought, then some
thing else is wanted, and when ready to go to
work Tom has run enough to be already tired ;
then, Nov see that you keep those horses go
ingn as bit of parting advice
Then, after q long days blowing, there
y
OF course Tom being the youngest, has that
to do, too. And after supper Is over he must
milk, all of which is well enough If he was
only allowed shorter day than the Others
and very frequently while the others stop
during tho day for rest Tom must go for
jug Of water, as .boys don't get tired.n
believe in their working as they are able, but
have known SO many boys injured from over
work that cannot refrain from saying a
few words hi the hope that they may do a
littlo good Our dear, warm hearted, willing
boys, whose work we can only appreciate
when they arc Ill or absent; then We SEQ how
much help they have been.
1.-THE PLows WERE ALL DRoKEn
Twas well acquainted with one boy, who
helped break up all the ground for large
crop. He was only ii and small of his age,
and he worked right along with his father, a
very strong man, until the crops were in, and
the day they finished planting corn, at sup
per time, said 10 him, when he came I'M
sWhy, George, what is the matterf' For
as long as live can never forget tho tired,
detected, dropping little figure as ho stood in
the door. tOh, nothing only tired, y with a
pathetic littlo smile. In n day or two he was
taken down with fever, and for weeks lay at
deaths door simply from oyerwork. 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, or his plow. WOULD break, or IL
ass -. - iaais AZ,
kept this up for n week, never minutes
rest night or day, and every day his voice
grew weaker, until one day he opened his
eyes, and looking around the room said, ''the
plows are oil broke,n and never mentioned
them again But for weeks he was not out
Of danger
Now where was anything gained in that
transaction A long illness TO DO borne, a
large doctor'sb bill to pay; besides the caro- and
anxiety such an illness caused his parents
As he was slowly recovering, his physician
said; "This illness was caused moro from
overworlz than anything else; now, soe that
tits never done again.
Another case OF boys oyerworli, which
know TO BIO true, was where man set boy
of II years of ago TO blowing, and the only
way ho could turn the plough was TO put his
head under the cross pieces, between the
handles, letting 1T rest ON tho back of his
neck, until he injured his spine and was taken
sick and lived only q few days. In tho in
tense heat of harvest ishnother terrible time
for tho boys; hard, indeed, for strong men.
Last summer our own boy, stout young
fellow Of 10, who had worked from early
spring with scarcely days iIltermission, or
without word of complaint, sido by side
with another man much older than himself
then through four or five weeks Of harvest
until a day or two before 1t was over, came
into my room Il was i'll at the time) looking
SO sad and worn that 1t frightened me, and
said to him: "What is tho matter, dear, don't
you feel wellf rOh, ma he said, II am
just nearly dead, my head aches 80, Just look
at my hands, holding up his hands, perfectly
covered inside with callouses and blisters,
while his lips quivered and tears stood in his
dark eyes, something that had not seen for
years, for he Is usually too proud to complain.
Yesterday my nose bled until could hardly
60 / do wish father would let me off this
afternoon; won't you ask him tor How 1t
went TO my mother heart to have to tell him
that father said mo, must try and get
through while the fair weather lasts" only q
mother can know, and there was good deal
Of bitterness in my thoughts that afternoon
as thought Of my boy and his sorrowful
face.
Ills father did not mean to be hard, for u
he 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 he only thought then of the work on hand
and that the resting could be done some other
| time. But that Is ono reason why so many
| boys leave their homes SO soon and 90 thor
ough despise farming, whom o little good
Judgment, tempered with mercy for them
would do more good than ell tho stern com
mands that were ever uttered
sob, IL we could only live tho past fivC
years over again, said friend whose only
child, promising boy Of is, had died of con
sumption, ''for know he worked too hard
/ He was always SO willing and we never
stopped to think that the work might be toe
much for him. But now we can see where
we did wrong" What a pity all parents
cannot see, before they meet with some sicf
trouble, and DO really parents at heart In
stead Of thoughtless tasllmasters whose pres
emit prosperity is gained In great measure al
| q fearful expense-tho broken down consti
buttons Of their boys. Ono Who Loves Then
! in St. Louis Republic.