The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-03-07
THE BOYS AND THE FARM.
why Do They All Tanker After Life
i'm the Rig Cities.

i'm the Iii" Cities.
Dear Howards-I note with sorrow that
that there are but few letters TO the page
that take up the subject Of farming. odd
~ enough. too. it seems shat most OF
these letters are penned by the lady
writer's. from which it appears that they
are more nearly interested in the farmers
cause than are their timid brothers. one
can hardly imagine a more disgusting re
versal in the natural order of things.
There is no good reason why the farm
should be abandoned ana the old folks
left TO mourn the absence of a son. whose
life in the city may be short, ending in
disgrace to himself and sorrow to his
parents. I have never experienced this
sad trial. but I can feel for those who
have and when I do see its picture in
real life. | say TO myself:
Surely. We know not sorrow until our
children begin to part
Still there is TO check in the rush from
farm To city. Right or wrong, there is a
cause for it, Can it be that science has
rendered farming too easy and monoto-
nous TO need only the attention of women
and children?
Here is a sample of what | am trying
to tell you. But maybe YOU have this
kind Of a picture before your own eyes:
out Of twenty farms i'm this county you
will find only eight young men under
Twenty that are doing farm work, and at
least half this number are complaining
ABOUT the dreariness Of farm life. It's
sad. indeed. that we who should stand
first on the roll OF honor have almost
unawares drifted from the harbor that
made life worth living. No Won
der we look scared when we
h.
wonder we snatch gun from the
rack when we see ped1ler coming with
his pack No wonder this eternal chatter
about the haTdShipS of a farmers work
with the everlasting cry for higher
prices for what we sell and lower prices
when we buy. No wonder ones children
prick their ears up and fan themselves
out of n home like this. away to the city.
where excitement and evil temptations
destroy soul and body The home on the
farm should be a quiet one and the head
of the family can do more to make it so
than anyone else. But in most cases
papa takes the cake for high kicking on
the farm. He knows. too. that angry
words never made a Smile-IeVer mended
a broken wheel. or ever made one think
more highly of themselves for doing it,
Yet it goes on-mOre through habit. L
believe than desire to be contrary.
Some people will worry more over kill
ing a hDS IMAM Lincoln dlu over the civil
war. Children are quick to learn by eX-
ample. and the best that we can give is
none too good to induce them to love
home. It's true the farmers are OPP
pressed by unjust laws, which should be
repealed, but | fear they will be disap-
pointed. Yet I believe. excepting the ia
voTed class they have withstood the hard
times better than those of other occupa-
tons. Therefore. the farmers should
not, by example, make home unpleasant
for the young.
Comet" Marie" Winnie West and
Blue Jay" While 1 cannot view the
worlds fair i'm the same light you do.
am glad that you enjoyed yourselves
there. l still think the fair was detri-
mental i'm its bearing to the country
How could ii be called a success when il
received the attention of the whole
mountaineering money from its proper
channels. \ Chicago paper tells us that
the seven thousand saloons took in SIP
000. 900 during the fair. Where did this
come in as a pleasing success? Even