The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1901-09-28

ABOUT THE FARM GIRL.
r Yew Timely words On . sublset
i that 10 Usually sadly Neg
lected.

/ The farm boy--why, he 10 the sub
ject of hundreds Of articles by those
who think they know just how ne
ought to be treated by his father ana
mother. His room is carefully de-
acrfbed, and we are told how we ought
to try to interest him in farm mat
tiers, so that he viii not want to run
away to the city; but the girl, VINO
thinks or cares for herr
! But it is . serious matter we nave
to deal with when we come to tnink
about the farm girl. She viii be the
FARMERS wife of tomorrow II some
city or town chap does not come IN
and carry her away to grace his home'
which 1 do not blame him for doing;
It is the most sensible thing he could
possibly do. Still would far rather
see her stay among the birds and the
flowers and the sweet scenes OF the
country than to know that we nave
lost her, even to make our city youth
happy.
But where are the girls OF the farm
to-day? 1 do not know. Do you? AL
most every week some one calls AZ
Cloycr-leaf farm and asks: DO you
know where can find good girl 70
work for me? My wife is sick, and
we need some one to help us for Few
weeks" And do not know where to
send him. try to think of the girls
that used to be in the neighborhood.
One Of them il teaching school .
grand and noble occupation. Another
Is fitting herself for the same calling.
We are proud of the reports which
come to us from her. Still another
Is 'doing dressmaking" in town. SO !
no on, and come back just where !
started. I do not know of single
girl that could be had for love or
money.
Now. can not say that ! blame the
young women for wanting to do just
as well as they possibly can. 1t IS all
right to reach out for the very best
that II within touch. Teaching, type
writing, sewing, working in the fac
tory. serving as clerk in the store
these are all honorable professions.
But SO is farming. wonder II 1t can
be that it is because our girls really
prefer to be shut up in the factory
or bend over the sewing-table from
morning until night, that they 60
away from the farms? I do not quite
think SO. What then?
believe it il because the girls ar
dissatisfied with the life on the farm
It is not simply because they can carr
alittle more money in town than the,
can ON the farm, although, no doubt
some do leave us on that account; bu
the prime motive, so far as my obser
yatiou Qoes, is lack of real love for tn
country home. A feeling of sadness
.came over me when wrote that Las
sentence, for 1 do not like to thinl
that any of our boys and girls shoul'
ever cease to love the scenes OF tn
country. And I do not believe the
would il their home surrounding
were lust what they should be. Tia
nav hurt some fond father or mothe
who has helped Mollie pack her trun
&c go away to town. I think can fe<
something of the sorrow which az
companied her going away. But le
me ask that mother whether or nc
she has not by herself talking Sigh
inRly of the farm and its work, by tn
wav in which ehe has educated he
daughter during the early years
her childhood, helped to brinGon tn
feeling that the country IS not jul
The place for . live girl or boy. 1t
not exciting enough. Nothing evs
happens in the country. Life II du
here. Is not this the common trer
Of the conversation?
Well, IL that be true, what shall Y
do to keep our girls with us? Ever
farmer father and mother must o
swer that for himself or herself !
YOU think If the home were as bea
tiful as it should and might be wit
the outlay of little care and. not
great deal Of money; If the girls Ii
were full of bright. CHEEKY and hei
full things, a. every farmer girls y
might be; il all that is said and dol
IN the home should be such ss to dee
en- the girls love for the country a
the country home; II, in short, 4
farm were allowed toweave its mys
spell around the farm girl, that .
would be SO anxious to get away fro
II all and shut herself up in the b
dusty, lonely city, ! do not
And feel ell the more sorry TO
our girls go away when I think OF
time to come-and it surely viii col
when she viii long to get back hol