The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1906-12-27

two live alone at the old farm home
stead. Here they have resided since
their marriage fifty-three years ago,
and here they have loved and labor.
ed all through the years. Here their
five children were born and from its
sacred precincts each started out to
face the sterner duties that must
come to those who assume individual
| responsibility. AS the children
reached the proper age they were
sent away to school and when the
youngest became of age all five of
them had been given an equal chance
as far as educational equipment was
concerned. But in sending the chill
dren away to school the fond pa
rents little dreamed of what ir
meant. They had presumed all the
time that at least a part of them
would return and take up the work
on the old home farm, but in this
they were disappointed. One of the
boys became a doctor, another a
lawyer, and third civil engineer,
while one of the daughters married a
minister, and the other is stenogra-
pher in the Office of prominent law
firm in a big city.
The failure of any of the children
to follow in the footsteps of the aged
father and take up his burdens as he
was ready to lay them down was to
the parents serious blow. The in
firmities of age warned them that
they must desist from the toll and
exposure that was imposed by the
cares of the farm, and so the tillingI
of the soil was turned over to strang-
ers. The old couple still occupy the
farm home with all of its sacred
memories. Neighbors have entreated
them to move to town and spend their
declining years in leisure, but they
prefer to stay by the old place, and
here amidst the shade and shelter of
the stately trees that have stood like
silent sentinels all these years - in
the old farm house in which their
children were born and reared, where
sacred memories cling with passion
ate fondness and pathetic tender
ness, to them the dearest spot in all
the universe-here they have resolv.
ed to spend the remainder of their
days.
Occasionally some of the children
will return for a short visit, old
neighbors drop in to cheer and sus.
tain, the kindly face of the ministes
greets them in their home ever and
anon and strangers sometimes stop to
make inquiry about the neighbor-
hood. Perchance lonely beggar
presents himself at the kitchen door
and he is invited to partake of a
bounteous meal, because no one was
ever turned empty away.
Happy and serene the old couple
are slowly watching the frightening
shadows as they fall across their
pathway and it will not be many 4
years until they shall have been
borne by tender hands to the sacred,
silent city of the dead, and then the
old homestead will be given over to
strangers and the tragedy of this one
farm scene will have been complete.
What is true of this farm is being
repeated over and over again here in
grand old Iowa. The boys and girls
are leaving the rural communities |
for the towns and cities. 1t is to bel
regretted that this is so. No calling
on earth oners more inducements for
remunerative compensation or for
more Independent action than does
the farm. 1t is right and proper 20
give the boys and girls the advan.
tages of a good education, but this
ought not to drive them into the pro.
fessions, but, instead, ought to bet
ter equip them for the splendid pos
sibilities that are available on the
fertile farms of this great state.
Young men, young women, stay on
the farm!