The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-05-16
JENNIE ACTON ON (WHICH ARE
HAPPIEST, THR IGNORANT OR
THR EDUCATED2"

DEAR AUNT JENNIE:-Have you ever
built air castles only to have them
burst in empty nothingness7 Well, l
have and have sometimes found it
pleasant employment. For when thus
engaged I could walk on the air or
tread with steady steps the waves of
the old ocean. But having been created
TO walk only on terra frmG I of course
am glad that those castles I builded
vanished-as myths always do.
Life ia real, life is earnest''-I real
ize this some times; tor instance, 1 set
a favorite hen, marked the calender
On the day l set her and the day she
should come off with her brood. Then
[ waited and the twenty-five day
came-then | still waited and that hen
did not hatch until the twenty ninth
day.
''Still achieving, still pursuing, learn
to labor and to wait" All of US can
labor but how many of us can wait9 l
find it hard work, A part of this ID,
a little of that job and a beginning
made on another job all in one day-to
keep all the machinery running and I
must be the cog. wheel. I tell you that
it is an easy thing to preach patience
but to practice it is another thing.
see s )me of the circle are discuss,
ing self1shness. It is hateful. I say it
honestly, and know whereof I speak
for the most selfish person I ever saw
was a woman. Sac lived luxuriously
every day but she never knew the
pleasure of giving-no, not even a few
quilt scraps to a poor neighbor. Her
life gave her no pleasure and / am
afraid it gave pleasure to no one else.
She was not an only child, but the
baby. I think it began when they al
lowed her to claim every colt, calf,
goat, duck, goose, and chicken on the
place. From the farm she went into
the house and all the furniture, pic
lures, china, glass, and silverware
were hers. She even claimed certain
fruit trees in the orchard. If a man
can be more selfish than she was l
don't want to know it-but I have seen
some who would compare very favor
ably with her in this respect.
B other says that when I begin to talk
I never know when to stop, but l must
say just a little about (Which are
happiest, the ignorant or the edu
cated2' Can any body be happier
than an old negro woman who has no
knowledge Of the world at large, does
not care to know any thing of it, has
plenty to eat and wear, and just
enough work to keep her busy9 / be,
lieve that the true secret Of happiness
lies in this One word: employment,
either physical or mental. And when
you compare physical with mental
labor most persons, I think, will agree
with me that physical employment,
aft 1rds one more pleasure as constant,
~unceasing labor than mental work.
Have you v observed that
care worn, woe begone expression on
the f8 % of the professors, book keep
ers, accountants, etc., They may have
pleasure, but they have a poor way of
showing it. I do not believe that
Ignorance is bliss" but I know that
too much learning doth make some
mad" AS a man is constituted 8 10 he
is. It he Graves kno Wedge, then in
knowledge is happiness but if he does
not care for knowledge, Ignorance is
bIise," to him. I think this an inter.
esting subject and hope other members
of the Circle will discuss it.
JENNIE ACTON.