The Dickinson press., 1902-12-27
FARMER LIFE IDEAL
THE LOT OF THE TiLLER OF THE
SOIL IS TO BE ENvlEO.

Or1d1es In City Shops Know Moth
Ing Of His Independence, and Al
though the Work IL Hard and In
eessant the Reward 10 Sure.
II some Of the farmers who are dis
oouraged because they have not made
4 fortune of their farms and who feel
inclined to envy their brother toilers in
the city, imagining that life in the city
10 more desirable than theirs. easier
and filed with plenty of leisure to en-
Joy all the pleasures with which the
rustic imagination gilds and glorifies
those distant scenes and activities,
they need only try sto find out their
mistake. "Far fields are green and
lose much Of their a~ttractiveness upon
q nearer view.
To the city man Of ordinary means
and opportunities. who. like the ordi-
nary farmer. has no bank account to
fall back upon in case Of emergency,
life is one "demnition grind" and with
out the soothing influences Of nature
that surround the farmer to quiet the
fever and unrest with which the strug-
gle, competition and turmoil around
him keep his nerves ON the raci; day
after day. AS a rule. such men are not
their own masters. but must order
their speech. demeanor and inclInations
to please the powers that have control
over their daily doings In order to keep
bread In the mouths and clothes on the
backs Of both themselves and their
families.
The farmer. If he does not feel well,
can rise In the morning at whatever
hour it pleases him so to do, for an
hour or so or a day o. two does not
make much difference in his affairs,
except at the most critical periods Of
planting and harvesting. He can have
bis own opinions. and voice them, too,
on politics and religion and all the
stirring questions of the day without
fear of a~ntagonizing the powers that
be, who can sack" him If his views
and opinions do not happen to coincide
| with those of his masters or over
lord" (the boss).
That the farmer Is a hard worker no.
body can deny. Tilling the soil is not
easy work. Since God gave the com-
mand to man to learn his bread by the
sweat of his face" the farmers life
has been a life of toll. 1t takes some
strength and effort to dig a living out
bf the ground. 1t is not casy to earn a
living, much less a fortune. without
effort, and the farmer is not the only
one who "sweats." Brain workers
have no sinecure, although some per-
sons imagine that all they have to do
Is to sit at a desk and add up figures
or to twiddle a pen in their fingers. The
life of a salesman behind. the counter
is most wearisome and monotonous.
The beautiful days Of spring go by,
the birds are singing us they build
their nests, the flowers are blooming In
the valleys and on the hillsides, and the
grass is growing greener and greener
in the meadows. vet a glimpse
does he get of the beauty Of the bright
world except when he can take a car
ride Of an evening or on a Sunday Of
holiday.
A, grocer's clerk works more hours
and harder than the average country
boy, who can 60 to the corner" and
pitch quoits and gossip with his cronies
when the city young man Is just get
ting from work, and, as for the man
who delivers milk in the city, he has
even harder. work and longer hours.
At 4 in the morning and even earlier
his wagon Is heard on the streets and
himself racing from top to bottom Of
the high apartment buildings in the
cold and sleet Of a midwinter's mor
Ing or in the %enervating heat Of sum-
mer. At breakneck speed he goes. and
one could almost imagine that his life
depended upon getting through his
rounds in due season. Competition is
30 great that he must neglect nothing
and always be pleasant and obliging
to the most unreasonable of customers
for fear of losing one. There are the
icemen, carrying fifty pounds and often
100 pounds of ice up four flights Of
stairs. which Is no easy task. and as it
ls not skilled labor the pay is probably
not more than it should be, considering
the amount of strength expended.
Hard as the work is and moderate as
is the pay, no man can afford to lose
his job, SO he has to be very careful not
to antagonize his employers.
The man who does business on a
small scale and is his own boss prob
ably finds it no easier to make a living,
for he has to do the greater part OF his
own work, and In the case of a bad or
Improbable season is sometimes not SO
well of as his hireling, who is sure of
his wages at least.
That man who owns his land and
has good health is a poor farmer who
cannot make at least a living for him.
self and family. 1t may not be a stump
tuous living, but it may be a compare
lively comfortable one This cannot
be said of all sorts of occupations.
There is another hope ahead for the
farmer. If he doesn't have good luck
this year, he may the next. There is
always a chance that there will be q
better yield in crops and a better price
In the market. The element of uncer.
tainty adds zest to life which a settled
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