The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-09-11


hoeing and cotton picking had ten
dency to make the girls coarse or in
any way inferior to what they would
have been. We know that it does not
hurt these girls, but to the contrary,
they grow in the sweet graces and in
health. Many; OF them have talked to
us about it and they declare that they
feel go much better in every respect.
They feel proud Of themselves because
they do work. It helps US all to know
that we are doing some good :a .he
world. The most miserable life on
earth is to have nothing to do. Work
makes these girls strong in body and
independent in they feel proud
of themselves and everybody feels
proud Of them, A few families have
held themselves, away from this work,
but these are growing poorer and poor
er every year, till in short while
they will disappear to mingle with the
proud poverty stricken of the towns.
Our observation convinces US that a
man can raise family on the farm
that will have all the sweet graces of
independence and respecsability with
worldly possession that would rank
him with the slums in the towns.
That is, | mean that family need not
be rich to be as good as the best, if
they all work together on the farm.
Considerable argument has been
brought of late against having these
children work, but even The children
themselves have learned that work is
necessary and that it is more respecta-
BILE than being vagabond lcafer. 1
am glad to state that these children
who work now because it is necessary
will be the prosperous people of the
future. There is not an old man or
woman living but what can tell the
ohildren of today that. it has been
their observation that the workers sre
the owners. These old folks could
tell the children Of having seen very
rich families 60 to the dogs just from
false ideas of life and Incidence and
extravaganza. All of US who have
lived long could point out many VIC
Tins TO these false ideas. To the con-
trary, we could point out many who
are the prosperous of today that were
hard prsssed a generation ago. It is
the saddest of things to observe a
family that is fast arriving at that
foolish stage where they think them
selves secAre in their possessions Of
wealth and social position. Perhaps
their very parents or grandparents
were the "pooF folks'' Of fifty Or six
VI years ago, and more than apt fifty
years more will find the same blood
and bone poor again. It strikes me
children should be talked to about
these things. They are reason able
and can be impressed with one idea az
we'll as with another. Common sense
is one Of the great needs Of the times,
and the foundation for common sense
is 60 understand that we must all live
according to our means, that work is
necessary and chat false pride is an
abomination.
But everybody is not going to work,
everybody don't have to work. The
thing 60 understand is that work is
respectable. II people arc able to
live without work, it is all right, but
they are not a bit better by not work
ing. There will always be some fools
who will strive to do as others do, and it
amounts to crime for folks not able to
strive 20 live without work. The cot.
ton fields offer clean and pleasant
work to girls and boys, and it is
credit to them to go about il. How
proud we should all feel Of the good
girls who go out and help at what they
can, and We should let them know that
we are proud or them-tell them.
SARGE PLUNKETT.