The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1914-07-16
OF Interest TO FARMERS
Rural Drama Back to the Farm" to
Be Presented by University Stu
dents Monday Evening.


lessons are taught from the stage. 1t
remained, however, for President Vim
cent to conceive the idea OF spreading
the gospel of better farming in this
way. The result of his inspiration
was the play entitled Back to the
Farm" This three-act, rural drama
was written by Merline Shumway, a
school student in agriculture, who had
previously shown marked dramatic
talent.
The opening act represents an old,
run down farm. In spite of the earn
est efforts of his hardworking wife
Farmer Merrill can never catch up
with his work. His son, Merton, has
begun to rebel under the continuous
grind, with no time for recreation or
outlook toward anything better. This
falls in love with pretty Rose Meade,
the school teacher, and asks her to
marry him. She answers him that
she could never become 9 farmers
wife because Of the lack of convenient
ces, and because of hard work on a
farm. Ashley, young lawyer, drops
in at the farm while hunting, and
Merton tells him of his dissatisfaction
over farm life. Ashley IN turn advises
him to study at some agricultural col
lege and learn new and better meth
DDS of farming. His father, however,
objects to this decision, and gives him
80 seconds to change his mind. When
he declares. that he still intends to
have an agricultural education, Mer-
rill becomes enraged and strikes the
boy. At this the son rebels, and in
spite of the mothers entreaties he
is ordered never to set foot on the
farm again.
Act II shows Merton at the closing
ball of his senior year at College. He
has refused an excellent offer from
the extension department, intending
to start in for himself on some cheap
cut-over land. Ashley is also at the
party with Rose Meade, who has been
taking a course in home economics.
Merton arranges a conversation with
Ashley and learns that his father is
laid up with rheumatism and the
mortgage on the farm about to be for
closed. The young hero agrees to
turn over the few hundred dollars he
has saved for his own start to save
his fathers farm. At this point his
mother comes on the scene, piteous
object among the gayly dressed
dancers, and begs her boy to come
home. He classes the act with the
lines, eyes, mother, I've had enough
OF catacombed tenement houses, con-
gested business centers and overdone
fashions and amusements. Pm going
back to live in Gods country; back to
the farm"
The last act introduces Merton as
a prosperous farmer in an up-to-date
farm office. He has proved to his
father, as well as to the neighbors,
that modern methods of farming pay.
Even Rose Meade has discovered that
a farm home can be the happiest one
in the world, and the play closes with
the love episode between the young
people.
A sparkling vein of humor is intro
duced into the play through the acting
Of Gus, the hired man. This part is
taken by the author, Mr.. Shumway.
Gus is the type Of farm help who is
always going to quit his job. In the
last act, however, we see him conA
vert to scientific methods and trying
to teach his girl, Hulda, how to be-
come an aup-to-date farmers wife,"
This splendid rural comedy will be
presented at the Grand Opera House
Monday evening, July 10th, by the
original company. Seats on sale at
Fiesler's Drug Store.
Ben Allen is the guest Of his par
ante M o,.A Mrc II Al1cr,