The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-04-24
SIGNS or SPRING.
J. q. BeadIe Furnishes a Very Season
able Letter.
Especial Correspondence

y. II. 6cauie furnishes u very SEASON
able Letter.
Especial Correspondence
NEW YoRx. March 3l-It is the fash
ion to say that il the sweet springtime
the advantage is all on the side of the
countryman. / merely rise 10 remark
that it is tie city man who generally
says il.
In the spring, says the most artificial
of all English poets, the young mans
fancy lightly turns TO thoughts of love.
l viii bet you it doesn't if he Is a
young count-ynan. It turns heavily
to thoughts Of grubbing out fence cor
ners, and cleaning up the wood lot, and
hauling on. manure, and tending to-
the lately born lambs, calves, pigs and
colts. and opening drains and rushing
things generallyto get ready for pillow
ing.
But on Sundays? Oh. yes, if the day
is fine, and be isn't too tired, he does take
a sort of animal comfort in stretching
out and doing nothing. No, the verdict
of the working farmer was made up
when Horace Greeley was a kid, and
he puts it thus: Late in the fail and win
ter the farmer has his fun. Spring and
summer are for hard work. The coun-
try boy would enjoy the beautiful spring
if they would let him. But they won't
In one hour on this city's streets l Will
find you hundred business men who
dream of going back TO the lovely coun-
try to live, but not one who dreams Of
going back to the work he did there when
a boy.
When was a farmer boy in the Wa
bash valley there was local idea that !
had it easier than the average. From
April to Nov. 1 only had to work
from sunrise till II a. In. and from p
m. till dark ID even in May and June
this rarely :ceeded thirteen hours
day. The average was perhaps eleven.
And whenever two or three neighbors
met the old fellows always told US how
much harder they worked when they
were boys-a diaphanous stateIne
mer have been repeating ever
Ham made fun of Noah. Ny
coined drives" with an old Vii
neighbor, as together they had 4J$
enough to run machine" Az
got old enough to think would ] tel
to their daily plant that lone boy then
done as much as three do now" and
after they got out Of earshot l would re-
mark, There go two of the grandest
old liars in the state Of Indiana"
When l walk the streets of Brooklyn
now and feel laundering for rural
scenes, think of those boyhood days
and am immediately reconciled. The
city is indeed beautiful as the foliage
comes out, and as ] ride along the ele-
waited road and note from day to day
how rapidly the magnificent trees which
line the streets are hiding the houses
and know that in a few days more it
viii be just ike riding through a con
tinuous park, | am even more reconciled.
Nevertheless, if had plenty of money
and nothing at all to do, should pass
the spring and summer in the old IDdi-
ana neighborhood. "a perfectly idle
man it is indeed delightful, and it adds
nightly to the pleasure to walk about
and see other people hard at work. Even
now can shut my eyes and recall the
daily panorama on one OF the old farms
The past rises before me ike dream
as Pagan Boo says. It is a perfect day
in June, and as the rosy light of dawn
steals through the eastern woods the
rich corn bread co1tralto voice of the
old farmer goes up the stairway with,
"Sa-ay, now, yen young rascals, are you
going to sleep al da-ay:"
They rise. They feed, curry, gear up
eat hastily and are OF to toll. The glo-
rious sun mounts high in the heavens
the birds sing. the lambs gambol and
the biggest boy swear5 under his breath
as his plow strikes 4 root. The poetic
tourist from the city sits in the pasture
leaning against stump, the pastoral
sheep Craze around him. and the ant of
Holy Writ considers the ways Of the
sluggard and c-avis up under his trou-
sers. Ia! ne starts up. He leans for
ward and slaps his leg. The patriarchal
ram accepts the apparent challenge and
plants him one" where it will do the
most good. Oh, give me the country
for poetical scenes J. II. BEADLE-