The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-10-16
FAVORED COUNTRY BOYS,

The thorough appreciation of the
genus hey, and Of the advantages
which the country boy has over the
city boy, is shown in a recent edito-
rial in the Memphis Commercial
Appeal. Discussing the tOwn-bred
boy, the editorial says that he sees
so much of life that he sees nothing {;
that his powers of observation 7
blunted, his orbit of vision narrowed,
and his ideas are not permitted to
expand. He may have graces and
easymanners of a gentleman, but not
the rugged, go-aheadativeness nee
essarY for success in life. He is too
precocious, but ripens too soon, be-
comes blase and lacks Individuality,
is quick and dexterOus, but fippant
and superficial, more cunning than
wise, and more snowy than stable.
1t is not surprising, then, that SO
many men successful in cities are
natives of the country. Their train
ing for such success is pictured as
follows:
1.-The country boy is the more ia
vored by fortune. He is not born to
the purple, maybe, but he is born to
pure air, fresh water and whole
some food. He Is not cOddled and
pampered. There are no street cars
to run ever him, and no kidnappers
to carry him away, and he Is given
liberty. His sight is good. When
night comes it means the end of the
day and there are no 1aring electric
lights to defy nature and blind him.
He retires early and sleeps sOundly,
because it is quiet about him and he
is not disturbed. At midnight the
cocks shriII clarion may arouse
him, but only mOmentarily, only
long enough for him to turn over in
his bed and settle himself more com
fortably. His nerves are sound and
normal, and it is only late in life
that he realizes he has nerves Hav-
ing liberty, he does after the man
ner of boys. He makes mud pies
and sand forts, runs after the Cos
lings and is pummeled by the wings
of the old goose for his pains. His di-
versions are limited in number, and
he uncOnsciously cultivates cOncen-
tratiOn and the faculty of seeing all
sides of everything. He is not afraid
of mud or dust, and it is no crime to
wallOw in either, because the hick-
DRY shirt and tow breeches are proof
against injury. He can do as he
pleases, and is therefore natural. He
Is not cramped or fashioned or mod
eled. He is allowed to develop as
nature intended he should. He is a
boy, a divinely dirty boy, but a real
boy. He seorns all headgear, and
welcomes the ~blistering rays of the
sun IN his hair and cheeks. His
bare feet may be adorned with a ore
toe, and for jewelry he may wear a
stOnebruise on his heel, but he can
hunt for his ball in the thistle patch
in spite of these. He is butted by
the billygOat or the RAM, but these
things give him a practical knOwl-
edge Of the law of gravitation and
teach him the difference between
contact and cohesion. He is run
over by calves and is thrown in a
ditch or against a fence when he
tries to ride d yearling. No coun-
try raised boy considers himself we'll
on the road to fame and fortune I'M
til he has knocked off his knee-cap
by being thrown from a colt that he
surreptitiOusly rides, or breaks his
cOllar-bOne by falling out of a swing.
If he can break an arm or a leg bv
falling out of a 'sCaley-bark' tree he
Is fortunate. Climbing trees, riding
horses, rabbit hunting, swimming,
ball-playing and like exercises devel-
OPP his thews and make him hearty
He eats raVenOusly, is full of life
and spirit, has his ups and downs
and c~ultivates individuality. The
country boy uses his voice yodeling
on the hilltOps or in the forest. filling
the atmosphere with a noise like that
of a SteambOat whistle C+roDr+Lo,