Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-12-21
THE POETRY or EARMTN-c

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70, by Luna spraguo Peck.
/ The poetry of farming
IS the theme assigned to me
30 all that's bright and charming
/ In evidence must be.
And the drudgery of farming
So long and loudly cried
with its buster so alarming
Must tamely step aside
I Tho idea has passed forever
Ihat brainloSs grinding toll,
is the all controlling lever
/ For the tiller of the soil
| Compare our labor on the land
| With a century ago,
| When all the work was done by hano
/ l}y process, hard and slow.
Mans strength was counted little worth
His leisure almost sin,
Subsistence from the root bound earth,
Each struggled hard to win
Machinery Is King to-day
With sovereign aid to lend
And best Of all, has come to stay
The farmers loyal friend
And soon the poor old horse must 60,
His ratious cost too hign
A cheaper power is coming, SO
Good bye, old horse, good bye.
Farmers are narrow" oft one hears
Newspapers sagey cry II,
I've known them well for fifty years
And strongly do deny it.
But if you wish to narrow off
quite to the point OF pity
Just sell your farm. pack up your stuff
And move into the city.
Lay public spirit on the shelf,
You'll never need 1t more.
To love your neighbor as yourself
Becomes forgotten lore.
"Our church." "our set" These social
powers,
A hlamelsss life forget
The milk of human kindness sours
Toward all not in Our set."
IerchanCo a pang for broader past
VIII sometimes grip the heart
But mover mind. you're narrowing fast
The old and new must part
Full oft, Il Is asserted
That tho farmV is i'll bred,
Awkward clumsy, Disconnected,
And his polish lustrc dead.
Well, whoever has insisted
Surface polish to attain,
lie must keep his moustache twisted
crease his pants, and twiri cane?
Leave his hair uncut and parted
In The middle, while beneath
Smoke. from cigarette just started
Curls above, a fitting wreath.
No, the picture is not like him.
Neither unrefined or rude.
BUT wherever you may strike him,
More the man and less the dude.
Ever il, essentials loyal
Shaming high official rout
When he gives "A banquet royal,
Does he smoke the ladies' out"
or at jolly picnic dinner
In the grove or at the hall.
'Gainst the law, for saint or sinner,
Does he furnish ale for all?
word about the farmers wife
Whose patient love and care,
Bring poetry into her life
Which others gladly share.
quick to detect all vain pretmce,
Possessed of frugal mind.
A help-meet in the truest sense.
Her equal hard to find.
The poetry of earth and air
Volumes could not express.
We feel Tho presence everywhere,
Its influence confess.
The teecy clouds light drifting
Wind winged across the blue.
The fo9ming curtains lifting,
The moonlight glancing through
The zephyr softly singing
The pine trees low reply
The note of love undying
In robins plAintive cry.
We know not what the future may
For farmers hold in store.
We only know that for to-day
The skies are bright once more.
The brave old year now passed and gone
May not have brought us wealth.
Better by far and harder won,
Are happiness and health.
We leave the old and greet the new
With farming well consent.
With honest work asd living true,
So shall the year be spent
When from the farmers home shall flee
Encouragement and SiCife.
And high endeaVOr come to lie
The poetry of life