Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1911-01-20

"ASNI NoLnes, ne can not sit
uoWn by the fire and crack Jokes
win mother and sisters. Town
doors do not swing open as easily
nor on as noiseless hinges As those
of the country.
Possibly he gets a position in A
bank or an office, He is told there
Is always room at the top; but finds
that the top is hard to reach. There
are so many other fellows ahead of
MIN, and the fellow whose dad" has
money gets the position. He finds
mat the work is frequently doing the
same thing over and over day after
day until it becomes mechanical. He
hnds that the lot of the boy, whether
IN city or country, is to work. work
hard and work continuously. Per-
maps he gets posi- with a street
car company as motorman or conduc-
tor. This appeals to him at first
looks like an easy Job; but he learns
wisdom and finds that there is
nothing quite so easy as it looks;
finds, in fact, that any kind of work
continued right along day after day
becomes irksome unless it furnishes
brain enjoyment as well as hand en-
ployment.
In almost any town work he finds
that there is a limit beyond which
he can not go. II he is in the street
car service, he finds that the best he
can do, even after many years Of
steady work, is to make a bare liv-
ing for himself and family.
When the country boy gets to
town he finds that saving it not half
as easy as it was in the country
There are too many temptations to
spend money With no companion
ship in the home, he is likely to get
in doubtful company, to go to the
dance hall or loaf on the streets. The
saloon door is open and offers COM
paniOnship. So he goes on working
from month to month, spends his
money, gets nothing ahead, finds
promotion slow, and often impos-
sible.
The town boy, when he gets out
in the country, finds that it is not all
the song of birds and blooming of
flowers and golden sunshine and
fishing and hunting. He thought
that anybody could farm, and finds
that he is mistaken, that efficient
farm labor is skilled labor, and that
skill in any department of life comes
slowly and with years.
The town boy who goes to the
farm, however, has this advantage:
Every kind of farm labor, to be eff
ficient, requires the exercising of the
mind; more than that, it invites this
exercise. He finds that it is pos
sible, if he goes at it in the right
way, to take the drudgery out of
farm life. He finds that there is a
variety in it not to be found in any
occupation in the city, or at least in
very few. In the shop until he has
made very considerable advance
ment, he must do one thing, exercise
one set Of muscles or one particular
portion of his brain until the doing
becomes automatic, and the work
almost does itself, The boy on the
farm has a wonderful diversity of
occupations in any one Of which he
can find occasion for mental activity.
Now, it is true that some country
boys, when hey go to town, make
wonderful progress; not at first, but
at the last With the stock Of health
and habits Of economy, and espec-
tally if they have the right sort of
moral Training, they have the ad-
vantage over the boy brought up in
the town. They win the confidence
Of their employers, come to be
known as men to be trusted; but this
is The result of years Of training and
hard work as well.
The country boy must not for a
moment be deluded with the idea
that anyone can succeed in town
without the hardest Of hard work.
The town boy, if he is to succeed in
the country, must make up his mind
that there is no progress and no skill
that does not come through hard la
Dor The boy whether in town or
country, who has good blood in
him, who has formed right habits, Is
not afraid to work, is always looking
for a bigger job, eats up work as
hungry animal eats up feed-that
boy will succeed. The boy who
watches the sun, if in the country;
or the clock, if in town; who wants
to get along with the minimum of
work and the MAXIMUM of pleasure;
l.