Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-07-25
RURAL cosssauMv,es

RURAL coasssuMvses
In view Of the general discussion in 10
gard to the religious condition In rural
commusities and the importance Of such
communities In directing the sff,irs Of
the world the following from the pen OF
DIR. Hiliis Of Plymouth church, Brook
lyn, will be IL general interest:
The leaders Of the city are country
born. In our land the country feeds
the town. A recent canvass OF one OF our
large eastern cities showed that "a per
cent OF Its leading citizens were brought
op on the farm. An examination OF 100
Of the commercial and professional men
OF Chicsgo showed that So per cent were
raised In the country and rural villages.
Seventeen ofour tweuty-three presidents
came from the farm. The census of the
students Of four colleges and seminsries
showed th-t the rural district aud village
is furnishing 50 per cent OF our college
students. The brain and nerve centres
are not more dependent upon the sound
ness of the related tissues than the city
upon the rural districts. A generation
In the city is short. Life forces burn out
rtridly. The leaders are quickly sue
ceeded by men from the country. They
always have been; they always will be.
For this there are two reasons. One
is that the country air, food, exercise Is
essential TO eompscted sDd healthy brain.
Raddy cheeks, strong digestion, large
veins In which blood may run, have
free course and be glorihed in strong
thinking, are closely related TO the herds,
fields and forests There IL a msthemAt-
ical relstion between q fine physique and
. arm, iuteilecfuai tread. Good think
ing stands with one foot on fine fibre.
offices are being filled with boys from
the country. Theirs are health aud en-
dersnce. The inheritance shall be theirs,
for the fittest survive.
IL IL well that our mountains are ex-
alted above the Alps, that our lskes con-
tain half the fresh water OF the planet,
that our forests are uuequslied, that our
hills are crowded with waiting ore. But
Whist matters IL II we have richer soil,
larger fields, more luxurisnt grass than
the lands Of the PurhSns N we can only
produce Oxen and horses, where New
England produced great men and splen-
did womens Colleges are more than
poets surpsss pumpkins, his
torisns are OF more value than horses. IL
ought 10 be OF small moment 10 us as q
paI,on that we have greater forests and
fields than our fathers, IL our youth
are TO lose our fathers courage and
moral worth which they had from Gods
word.
In yiew Of these millions Of untsught
youth, these thousands Of goddess VII
lGges and country districts, there are
reasons for believing that we are passing
crisis In our history. Our
met their crisis hour, and
founded their institutions on Gods
word. That Was . noble and grand
work. Our fathers, during the late war,
sought 10 lsy anew the old foundations,
broader and deeper and mlghtier for the
world. That Was q grsnder aud nooler
work. To preserve and strengthen the
our fathers laid, 10 bring
our institutions to the point OF highest
efficiency, 20 solve the intricate and per-
picking problems OF this age; this-and
nothing less than this-is the sublime
task OF our generstion.-Mirror and
Farmer.