The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-11-18
RUSTIC RU8TLING8.
by BILLY B-AuLowKNFE
HArros, Miss

Il makes me tired with a tire that sxinch tire on lumber wagon
is nothing to be compared with it, to be eveHastingly reading the janles Of
the rhapodsts In relation to the varied Sweets comforts and couyenieucies
Of life on the farm. Their imagnations run wild, and their fancbs con. /,
lure up no other ideas than such a life to be a continual siesta in the shade
listening to the sOngsot the birds hearing the gurle Of meandering brooks
the drone OF the insects aud the bray OF the festive mule all through the
long summer months and days aud when winter comes to sit before the
wood fires cheerful blaze, crack hickory nuts and eat wasted apples AMI
this is very poetical and pretty, but when it comes down to solid facts thel
picture changes most materially. The siesta generally lasts about a half
an-hour at noon, after hard mornings work. the birds have a habito being
very quiet during the heat of the day; the brooks that meander are an dry
in the summer and don't gurgle at ai tue drone Of the insects is tapcred
down to the buzz OF the fly as he aights on the tip Of your nose and indu-
gs in ahornppe thereby driving into the far away hereafter an hopesof
repose, as with an exclamation somewhat stronger than a victorious nuua
YOU strike at him, and miss him, Of course.
There is something pleasant 7 win admit, in the bray Of the mule. as
it is sure to be the echo Of the cheerful toot Of The dinner horn: but a. fell
low has to pillow from sunrise until half past eleven to really appreciate how
much music there IS concealed in the inner depths Ola COW horn o a conchI
she'll No doubt one has "a festive time sitting before the wood fires cheer
full blaze, that is, fhe has nothing else to do but sit, with no thought that
the blaze viii ever die down; when, however, the fading rays Of the smolder.|
ing ember remind the practical dWeler IN the country such thoughts never
entange themselves in the cobweby brain Of the far away, city surrounded
musonst) that no matter how delightful may be the charms by which
nature has surrounded him, there is also a practical side to life, and chat he II
chimney will cease to roar" and the warmth necessary to a full enioymentl
Of the kernels Of the hickory nuts, or to roast the juicy apples, viii be sadly
wanting.
Another most pleasing episode ia life in the country is the lnegnablo
and eyer.recuFriug fact, one OF which no true country wife ever fails to re.
mind her rustic other hall, = fcb that partakes Othe nature III stern can't.
getalOng-wtthout-t Is the gethngo Of stove wood fer culinary purposes
Let the city poets who sing Of the shades Of the forest trees, the warblng
songsters and the "@d oaken bucket tat hangs in the well" to say nothing
Of he that would have the "WoodInan, spare that tree;" let them HE away
to usome secluded nook" and there let the female head Of the house con
front him with the awful alternative, "stovewood or no dinner" Then,
u Il the hEddeu pastlues Of rural lie would reveal Itself to his uncultl.
waited vision, and az he enloYed this hoathgivlng and muscleeEpanding
recreation he would be willing to cohHcide with the feeling OF the dying
suburban who. when asked by his weeping spouse what opnaph he would
have inscribed upon his tombstone, unhesttatingy replied: "Dane cutting
stove wood!"
The missionary satisfaction Of rising at eight O'Clock, lelsurey araylng
ones self in immaculate garb, lolnng Tor an hour over the mornings meal
with the daily paper for an appetizer, Is nothing TO be compared, 50 the city
sylvan essaylsts aver, to hustnag out Of bed when 'chantces ushers 10
dawn tumbnng into a suit OF wen-wOrn garments not destitute Of the
previous days oUr and CRIME, Fastening to attend to the wants of the
various kind OF stock, be it rain or shine, mud or snow, adding more spots
tohs already soned clothes, and wearing the polish from his we'll worn bro
gans. All this while every feathered songster may be warbltng Ills morn
ing hymn of praise" Rustcus needs it not poetry to him is an unread
volume, and he sits down to his early breakfast with the knowledge in pro-
sale fact that another hard days work is before him, and eats with a relish
that the da lily fluctuations in stocks cannot diminish. His mule ridden
bareback. is the cable car that conveys him to his ofce-tue fcdi and is
the silent partner Of his daily labor with whom he sometimes convgses, not
In tae smooth and honeyed tones Of the cttys upper tendon, but in short
and expressive epithes that would jar the tympanums Of the sweet singers
Of pastoral ditties
Giving the poets a rest for a while, 1 will mention another class Of
scmi-annual and uuadrennfl admirers Of mstcity. Ialndc 70 the office
seekers: where, Judging from their unsinted laudauons, could there be
more admiration, or more unqualified friendship for the "horyhmdcd sons
of tonn than dwels in their bosoms? Ii they are to be believed Their
whole life has been one long. long regret that they we're not born and reared
upon alarm. History mentonsthat qutea number Of distinguished jurds
warriors and statesmen sprang from this humble origin, but have signaly
overlooked my books e have ever seen the account Of any statesmen, war
ror jurst or even small politician who, when his hards nd acquired
slight degree Of polish, that ever by gaspitg a pillow, hoe or AK handle had
mttmated 4 desire to return to the horuyhanded condition OF bis previous
years. | shrewdIy suspect that they all have found themselves in the Goa
dtIon Of the distinguished judge who presided over our circuit court not
many years AGO. tie said "that after pracdcing law a while he conclude
togive it up, and went back to the farm upon which he was raised, on tp
principle that any fool could Eel farnern lie tried 1t two years and theI
returned to his practice ION the principal that a fool could be a lawyer bu
ii required brains and muscle to be a farmer" ! DON'T know tnGl agre
with the Judge verbally and literally but | DO know tnt Ie aIcr IS
fool to be guned by any such nonsense Farming is dull nara ana monet
Gus work, and at the presenttine the farmer Is but he slave q 0e trusts
the corporations and tile moneyed institutions, that tne negro w oeoI
the war, to his MASTER this IS q hard saying OC ls T." u
An this recurring eaHer about tile Fno5le sons oil on am w norm
handed heroes is only bait to catch suckers. would Iatner support
man for once VINO would honestly say a want the oaceto keep NY nano
aft ANA white tbant the one WHO, by clptrdD tar, feigned love 1i
which every aet Of his life showed an abhorance 4 majority o mem a
1Ea ID natobo sndtlate obo proclaimed on the hustil g. "that he w
perfectly willing to black the boots Of the dear peope. ~ w '@'