Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-10-03
TAKE lT EASIER.

ZANE W eAoteN.
Most articles In agricultural paper'
point out something that the farmer
should do In the way Of active work
Many Of them propose improved ways
Of performing the labor, but they ars
nearlv all concerned with some phase
Of toll.
In the age Of steam and electricity, Oi
wonderful intellectual expansion aud
equally remarkable material develop
meut, there IL q constant aud an almost
universal tendency To 0verdo. The pe0-
pie Of the present day are living too fast.
Their ambitions are great and they are
la altogether too much haste to accom-
plish their purpose. There is an almost
ceaseless rush and scramble. There u
also q general, and an almost Unsuitable,
desire To grasp more than We have-per-
haps more than II would be ~ell for us
To have. We live great deal faster
than our fathers did. Much of the work
that they were Obliged to do by hand We
do With machines. We do q great deal
more than they were able To accomplish,
but we are no better satisfied than they
were. We have MANY luxuries OF ~hich
they never dreamed, but whether we are
really happier than they were may De
considered an open question. III may
also be questioned whether, With all the
great privileges We have which they
never knew, We are forming better
characters than theirs, or are doing the
real work Of life any better than it MAS
done by them. =,
To a certain extent ambition Is n good
thing. To try to do well In any llne OF
honest work IL l,udahle. To strive To
be really efficient workers is commends-
BILE. tia we'll that we should try tn
develop all lines of our business and
make them profitable. But st the pres
ent time there L. strong tendency To
Oyerio along all our lines OF work ana
interest. Many Of our horses are Injured
by hard driving and not Ia few OF our
other animals are injured by forced
feeding. Thousands Of farmers are
made premsturely old by excessive and
long continued toll. Many of the boys
and girls on our farms who are growing
rapidly, and whose powers of endurance
are much less than are those OF mature
people, are being injured for life by
oyerwork. Aud vast number OF
farmers wives are great aud constant
sufferers from various lila which are
both caused and aggravated by the con-
fining, exactiug aud almost unremitting
labor which they perform.
IL Ia worse than useless to work SO
hard and so constantly ss to become
prematurely worn out anj he unable tn
take pleasure In life at the time when We
should be In the fullness of cur powers
and at the height Of enjo, ment. Yet
this L. Just what multitude. of people In
our farming communities are doing.
They are injuring themselves and their
by excessive deviation to their
daily toll. Their finer natures are neg
lected aud the noblest purposes OF lie
are very largely lost sight OF In the
struggle for material IT, netits. We
ought To "slow mp" tax" things more
quietly, look beyond I'll. lay With Its
cares and anxieties and give more time
To the cultivation Of the characters which
will remain with US when our present
burdens will be things Of the far away
past.
II l. well to take care Of the farm and
Df the cattle, but IL Is very far from well
10 give so much attention and Interest to
Inc land aud the stock as to leave the
Dwner no opportunity to develop his
higher nature and provide for the intel |
Iectual and moral cultivation OF his
family. This development and eultiva-
Ion IL essential to the highest useful- |
ness Of all who are concerned, aud is
also absolutely required to make the
home life cheerful aud happy.-Ameri- |
,an Farmer. i