Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1904-02-18
The Country Boy
in City Life

Poets and freak writer's VINO
usually live In the cities) are much
given to admopishing the country
boys not 10 leave the farms. 1t
would be a stupendious task to
estimate the amount Of brain fag
that has been interested In dissem-
mating such gratuitous advice
The poet writes bis verselets about
the henlets and buckets and geese.
lets, and assures the denIzens Of
the rural districts that 1t Is only In
be country that man can breathe
he pure air of God and walk hand
N hand with Nature. In tact the
dea seems to have been impressed
quite consids rably that the calam
ny of the times occurs when the
COUNTRY boy breaks away from the
arm and takes a plunge into the
world.
This view of the case Is about as
near right as the poets and freak
writer's on the delights of rural ex
istance are expected to get things
Generally their lines are inspired
by the run of an hour into the
county OF a pretty day, when the
environments. are all at their best
and when the discouraging features
of farm life are not paraded tor the
benefit of the city visitor.
As a practical matter of fact 1t Is
not to be expected that all the chill
dren of a farmer should Inherit
taste or love for the calling of their
| father. If a successful farmer with
half dozen boys gets one OF the
number to fit into his shoes 1t
ought TO be sufficient to satisfy
those who are so interest d In the
propagation of agricultural inter-
ests. We certainly do not expect
every son of a physician to be a
physician, or every son of minis
ter to become a preacher. 1t Is
not the son of q banker who usual
" succeeds his father In that bust
ness, nor do the entire family of the
professional musician aspire to lead
N the music of the town In which
they were reared No more have
we right to expect that all, or any
great proportion, of the Sol of a
farmer should remain In the coun
TRY and till the soil for the balance
of their lives.
The fact that a boy Is born on a
farm should not, and does not, rob
him of Legitimate ambitions to fill
any of the spheres of usefulness
that are open to the young men OF
this country. II he Is fitted, by In
cliuation, to run the farm, he can
! find no more worthy means of
earning living. Should his de-
sires, however, carry him into
any OF the professions or trades, 1t
ought not to give the poets such
pangs when he bids his parents
fond farewell and embarks for the
city where he may obtain the ad'
vantages OF technical education.
Not ali the country bows can be
held by the poets log cabin, lowing
herds and sweet scented new mown
hay. Some of them crave the plat,
form of the orator. the counting
room of the banker, the pulpit Of
the clergyman and the shop OF the
skilled mechanic, and the super
human efforts to divert them from
these natural tendencies cannot but
work harm In the end. In every
city can be found boys, now grown
to manhood, who have made con-
spicuous successes In various
walks of life, and yet we have OBJ
served that they usually reverence
the old home on the farm, although
not possessing the desire to live
there themselves.
The fact Is, there are country
boys who ought to get into the cit
es and assist In the improvement
of the general tone of society. On
the other hand, it will not be ques-
toned, we are sure, that many pro
fessional men now In the cities
would shine with greater brilliancy
behind pillow handles.
No amount of poetry, generallza-
ton or fine spun theories will
change the existing conditions In
this respect. Men naturally try to
fit themselves into the places where
they may perform their best work
to their own greatest satisfaction
aud philosopher will say that