The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-12-23
A Farmers Dinner At Home And
Abroad.

A western farmer, surrounded by hap
py family, sat down few weeks ago to
the usual Sunday dinner. There were at
table the father and mother, two grown
sons and two daughters nearly grown. Inc
principal meat consisted of a large-Very
large-plate of spring chicken fried as 1t
oniy can be fried or ever is fried in the
country. The day before, the farmer had
killed a fat Southdown wether, which he
divided with neighbor, and choice roast
of this, garnished with current jelly, sent
its savory odor over the diningroom The
list Of vegetables on the table, all fresh
from a we'll kept garden, included mashed
and sweet potatoes, sweet corn, turnlps,
beets, Lima beans, string beans with
bacon, egg plant, tomatoes, lettuce, cab
base. carrots and onions. There were also
three kinds of pie and two of preserves.
During the meal the family discussed a
contemplated trip to relatives in the east
and few days afterwards found them
selves in New York, where they prepared
to spend some time viewing the sights of
the great metropolis When the noon hour
arrived, the farmer looked for select res
taurant at which to obtain dinner and as
he had plenty of money, was out for time
and was indulgent with his family, the
best New York afforded was none too good
for him. Finding an acceptable place they
were all soon seated around finely fur
nished table in vast and stylishly appoint
ed diningroom Liking things at home,
it was decided to duplicate the dinner they
had enjoyed before leaving the farm. This
required six separate orders, consisting Of
fried chicken, mutton, several vegetables,
bread and butter, baked apples and pie all
around. Many of the home dishes we're
left out as superfuities and it was well this
was done, as turned out in the sequel.
When the bill was brought in it was
found that "milk fed chicken cost 81. so
new Lima beans so cents, baked apples 20
cents, young beets 80 cents, and so on.
The chicken and mutton were distinctly
inferior to the article they had at home,
not near so well cooked and inferior in fla
yor All the vegetables lacked freshness
and were hence deficient in appetizing quail
tiles. When it was all added up, the farm
er found that his dinner had cost him 81
apiece for each one, or S24 for the six.
He was heard to murmur something like
"Geewhillikins, and mother was noticed
to be rolling up her eyes in establishment,
while the boys wondered what the man
would charge for his whole restaurant at
the same rate. But the farmer was brave,
things had been coming his way this sea-
son and he concluded he could stand it
once in a while, but altogether decided
that the sooner they got along to the house
of their relative the better it would be for
his bank account
This story is enlarged upon for the pur-
pose of impressing the lesson that every
farmer is able to live much better at home
than he can in the finest hotel or cafe of
the cities. He not only gets all that one
can wish, but in much better form and
quality. The average prosperous farmer
can live like a prince without knowing it..
The things he has on his table cannot be
duplicated at the Waldorf Astoria or the
Grand Palaces, where they want from four
to ten dollars day for board. If farmers
could sell the articles which composed the
Sunday dinner above described at half
or even a fourth of the prices asked at the
swell restaurant, all of them would soon
be millionaires. The moral, which sug-
gests itself, is of course, contentment with
ones condition, arising from knowledge Of
the comforts enjoyed, and this will lead to
the further conclusion that every reasona-
bly, prosperous farmer can live far better
at home than he can at any of the most
stylish places abroad.