The Democrat., 1895-08-01
COUNTRY LIFE.
ITS VARIED PLEASURES.
Natures Lessons.

Elizubeth Bis1and in Home journal.
That a great many people do II,
ENJOY the country is made quite cles
by the modern tendency to crowd int
the towns and cities, and the stranp
reluctance of many to exchange lif
OF suffering and deprivation in the cit
for freer and more comfortable exi,
tence away from 1t.
1t can not be denied that farm ]if
duction of machinery. Then the hand
OF all the young people were needed a
home for the work of the fields and tn,
household, and their gay young spirits
their fun, jokes and love- making kep
the whole countryside alive and aljpht
and provided interest and amusement
Tor their elders as for themselves. Now
the horse rake, the patent mower, reap
er and binder, the improved churn and
butter worker, the nei boring cannerv
and the sewing-machine have super
seded the young fingers and scattered
the farm broOds far and wide to search
for work and make new homes. The
farming districts are less thickly peo-
pied In consequence, and are duller and
4uleter for the lack of the cheerful
young life and the Old-fashioned hearty
fun.
1t Is impossible to put back the hands
ON Times clock and restore phase of
LIE that has vanished, but MANY
woman whose ties and duties bind her
70 lonely country district is fretting
her heart out for lack of Interests and
pleasures outside of her daily round of
labor. She pines for the companion-
ship o! her kind, for the cheerful little |
play OF life and gossip which wou]d |
make her forget for awhile the duu |
succession OF duties that form the sum
OF her existence. These are thev who
need to learn how to en- Joy the country
who need to have their ewes onened
10 the many pleasures and interests
lying to their hand did they choose
to avail themselves OF them-inter-
ests that they shut their ewes to. pleas
CIicy refuse to accept
No'hlng VIII ever be SO valuable to
human beings as the companionsbin
OF other human beings. but lack,no
these why not make companions and
friends OF the lower forms of ljfe9 Most
country people live surrounded bv
horses, cattle. pigeons doos
D'rds and thousand wild things and
creeping insects, and vet not one in
hundred SO surrounded ever opens his
eyes to see all the humble TRAGEDIES a,d
comedies In play about him. and is too
scornful of the minor creatures to coro
TO observe how like they are in charac.
ter and fate to himself too Indifferent
% mind pleasure in winning the love
or entering into the lives of his dailv
~
We no time to be running after
into ants nests !,
Watching the birds bring up their
oung, or stroollng about the country
search of beetles p says one Rut
o time taken from duties Is required
u such knowledge. The only thing
eeded is to keep ones ewes wide omen
men crossing the pasture, to watch tho
edgerows on the way to church 70
ave an occasional eye upon the friend
iittle barn swallows breeding under
= e"'es rs one sits sewing on the
'rch. 1t does not take long. as ono
ems The house for the day some clear
w hiofhlng, to step upon the grass z
an instant and examine the marvel
art OF the bright-eyed spider who
spread all the lawn with ..o1een,s
'le-cloths," that are heavy with the
'isture OF night and lie bleaching in
early sun, ready for u,warv little
and wings. 1t consumes but = ver,
seconds to watch the ants milkino
u 'iny green cows-the small aphi-
mat crowd upon the delicate shoots
he wandering branch of bonevsncr
"iiich one Is twisting back into
e.
nee IN touch with all these hum,la
.affectionately interested in ona
rvant of them-the conntrr :,
II again bare and lone1, NJ goo