The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-03-20
THE TWO PICTURES.

Our people on the farm realize ihlt
the city is the gathering place OF NOV
ing forces. Progress and vision
marshal their hosts here as they cdn
not do In rural communities, wh.t"
our people live on widely separated
tracts Of land; they realize that IL"
city affords choice ~ attractions--it
presents . manysidcd life, winch
strongly appeals to the young AMI the
old city life presents two pictures,
and some of MS see the one and some
see the other.
In the first picture we find great
inducements 10 life of thoughtlu'-
ness aud earnest purpose In the cts
clean life is pressed upon the young
people In most attractive way. II
young person desires a strong. sC!i-
reliant womanhood or manhood they
find the active, wide.awake city a
place tceming with opportunity. note
is the public library. the art gallery.
| opportunities to hear the best lectu~ '3,
| the best sermons and the best music
There are so many chances to stu!.
and enjoy ones self, and the homo
circle In the city has many ha'rltI
and attractive elements.
Then we look at the other picture,
and some of us never tire In iiOlding
up warning lessons to the young peo-
! pla on the furm of the evils and the
wicked temptations of city life. We
get this picture from partila knowl-
edge Of fact fed by the newspapers
daily ecitals of accidents and crimes.
Boston and Philadelphia are centers
OF godly rcpute. and yet some people
of the country speak Of them with
suspicion and dread. We read of the
brutal violence enacted In the quar-
ters where ignorance and poverty
dwell: we find the brutal thug and the
polished rogue. These things are real,
but to people accustomed to them they
lose half their potency. There is the
splendid saloon and other expensive
places Of fashionable idlcrs to dazzle
and docoy.
These twO pictures are true to life.
Some of our young people who leave
the farm and go to the city select one
picture and some select the olncr
Many OF Ms spend much valuable time
aud energy In preaching % our young
people Of the evils of the city, and
waste much energy and time in striv.
ing to get away from the farm to the
bright light of the city.
All this is the greatest pity. The
conditions of living In the country are
more natural and more simple, an I.
they ought also to be that much more /.
conducive to the highest aud most en-.
ioyable living. We must not make /.
600 many crucial sacrifices of beauty .
and of taste. II is not necessary for
MS to wear the clcanest clothing and /,
live with bare floors and walls; II NJ
not necessary that we study so much I.
the art Of rejection as we do that of
selection Simple. natural life In the
country should not consist in learn
ing to do without things, hut in choos. F.
ing things that tend 10 make our life
richer and better. We all love Coun
try simplicity. but that does not mean
country poverty or barbarity.
The mental and social inertia or
many ruarl noighborhoods is an evil
within itself. out Of which many 9th .
crs grrminate and grow. II pitches
the conversation of the family ON !
level of trivial incidents and personal
gossip II fosters n low view Of life .
and human needs Il allows the peo- /.
pie 20 be ruled by weak impulses an ! /.
low curiosity The mind needs up
lifts UT II grovols, Often In our ru.
raj communities the means OF health. /.
ful exercise is withheld and youthful .
dissipation runs its own course aud .
young energies are mislod and de- .
stroyed because the right way is not .
open.
Each nelghborhood should have n
good school, a library and church,
and these should he made the most
Of In exery possible manner. They
are great aids II properly employed,
but the weak, Intellectual way In which