The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-06-30

wish I could see every old parlor re
hung with the family pictures, and
the weeds and the grass cleared away
from the graves of those who slept
under the trees in the garden. Oh, I
wish [ could see this country built up
again, and built up by those who love
it most.
Many a timeI have walked from field
to field on my old farm, my ears filed
with the drowsy hum of bees, cattle
browsing lazily on the green grass, the
spring-branch gurgling down the
meadow-while from some tall pine a
hooking bird would send rapturous
melody through the summer woods,
and 1 would say to myself: "There
can be no better land than this. In
earth and sky and water is life and
light and fr~uitfulness. To redeem this
heritage were a holy work"
A great pity swells within me for the
toilworn faces I see in these country
lanes and rugged ields-many of them
poor old veterans who fought with
Lee, and who never knew how cruel
man could be to man till they came
and began the battle with poverty.
Legislator! Study the condition of
this people, and out of your mercy
grant them justice!
Messrs. Editors! You who lead pub
lie opinion! Go out among these peo-
pie and count the wounded, the dying
and the dead, right on the field where
they fell, and you will go back to your
sanctum instructed and chastened, and
never again will you mete out to them
or their u your doubts, your scorn
or your abuse.
Patriots Of Georgia! Help us redeem
the old farm life of Georgia. Hear us
now while there is yet hope that it
may be done! Give to u grievances
patient investigation. Study our con-
dition with a willingness to learn the
truth. Do it now. Do it thoroughly
and when you have done so, if you
lovethe land that gave you birth. Your
manly heart will warm to a people who
have labored so much, endured so much
and lost so much.
Young gentlemen, don't all of you
come lawyers, doctors, preachers or
politicians; the country can spare some
of you to make farmers, mechanics,
school teachers.
ITOr0IroI 1O xrOn1~ n vvO14C ~, Oool
of these callings.
Wherever dnty calls you, go. Cheer
ish lofty aims, but remember that the
loftiest aim is to do we'll that work
which God allotted to you. If you
feel that you can best develope your
usefulness in a school room, go there;
if in a court room, go there. If you
feel that you can lead the people to a
better state of things through the pulpit,
go there; if from the hustings or con-
vention hall, go there. If duty calls
you to touch into renewed fruitfulness
some barren farm, go there.
Choose well-life is too short to re-
trieve fundamental mistakes.
Yesterday is not yours-nor to-mor-
row. They are Gods. To-day is yours;
He gave it to you. Fill it with high
purposes and manly words.
Fill it with hopes and the results of
hopeful effort.
Fill it with Fearless devotion to right
as you believe it.
Fear no man.. Fear no set of men.
Be no mans tool. Scorn ~hypocracy,
meanness and cowardice.
Love mercy, candor, generosity, JUS
tice and truth!
Be proud in the sense of having it in
your power to be as good as any other
man whatsoever-no matter how he
looks, what he wears, or where he
came from.
Be humble in the sense of being an
infinitely small atom in the immensely
of Gods great universe.
Be a man of this kind to-day. When
tomorrow comes, mo matter whether
it finds you here or elsewhere, your
feet will be on the eternal rocks. I
say it. and I believe it; the creeds all
say it; human reason says it; human
hopes say it:-Your feet On the rocks
and the sunlight, radiant and eternal,
upon your heads!
Some traveller of the future may
kstrike this coast and find it a morass,
as Rider Hagard found Africa. He
may land at Undiscovered wharves,
make painful way up forgotten canals,
penetrate to interiors where Jul civil
zation exists in vague traditions-may
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