South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-02-21


beth Award aud read az q recent meeting
~ the St Joseph Valley Grange.-Edit0r's
Note)
BY Mary Elizabeth Award.
1t was with extreme reluctance that
i moved to my present home in the
country.
Prior to that time and several
years before-we had lived for "a short
time on a farm and it proved to be a
disastrous failure. or tragedy. and 1
remember extracting promise that
j might never be urged TO 20 farming
again.
The promise was readily given.
Time passed very smoothly for a
few years and then / noticed that the
Ieaven was again working. We did
not seem to have anything else to eat
AT meal time but farm and crops. I
believe / could have set cold potatoes
with their Jackets on before my hus-
Band and he would not notice the diff
ference between that and "a we'll
cooked meal.
Born and brought up in the city, L
felt that L did not belong to the soil
and that / had nothing in common
away from the paved streets. electric
lights and the satisfaction OF being on
the visiting list of some highly cul-
tured people-and welcome guest TO
parties and pink teas
Besides, my husband had recently
been elected 10 a public office and the
arduoUs duties o. Homework could
now be turned over to a servant.
That / could then have some pretty
clothes and look like somebody and
take life easy.
But there seemed to be no other
topic for George to talk about but a
farm, and he thought the battle half
won. when our boys joined him, so,
after repeatedly saying, II won't
just WON'T gave my consent only
10 spend the summers there.
We locked up the house in town
leaving most of the furniture and /
promised myself ] would often return.
our farm was a most dilapidated
looking place. and there was every
thing To be done-buildings to be
moved. some torn down-some new
ones built. Some were worthless and
were burned in order TO get rid of
germs and vermin. Old fences had
To be replaced with new ones, trees
90 be trimmed and new ones set out
and worst of ALL an old smelly
house that had to be cleaned and
scrubbed and scrubbed
Some days we had as many as 10
men working for us. My husband
had tO be in town and when the men
them. my son. When they asked him,
he told them / was So l was con-
tinually called upon to decide many
things / missed the butcher and
grocery man coming 10 get my daily
order / missed the bakery-an the
food must be prepared by my own
hands We always had a great many
callers who came to see how we look
ed on the farm and TO partake OF
some refreshments.
So the weeks passed, without any
Thought OF the pleasures of country
life.
However. a change was stealing
over me and I found myself wonder
ing how certain pieces of furniture
would look in certain places. At last
7 told husband ] thought L would be
perfectly contented if we had all our
furniture moved out.
Ten years have passed since then
and / have never seen the day that
wanted TO move back to town. In
deed. ] would consider it a great cal
amity if that should be my fate.
never go So far away but that I am
anxious 10 return. 7 never go foE 50
short a time but that I am glad tC
gct back. 1t has given me all my
greatest pleasures and my keenest
JOYS 10 is true, that the city has very
many attractions 90 offer that are de-
MED 10 one living in the country.
love grand opera and concerts
love To mingle with the people and
acquire some Of their manners and
polish. I love TO attend lectures 10y
noted men or women. / love 10 visit
art galleries, and gaze on the work OF
the masters hand. i love the hurry
and hustle and activity of the city. al
of which is within my reach, but cir
cumstances on the farm, very otter
caused me to change all my pre-
arranged plans
In doing this I am not always quiet
and submissive and the joys OF cOun'
try life are forgotten for while
But nothing makes me angrier thar
To have the men of the family say
oh YOU ought to live in town. NoJ
don't belong IN the country
Our worthy lecturer tells us tina
10 live in the country and enjoy al
It's blessings, we should love tn,
country and SO I think that il all de
ponds upon how much JOY We hav,
i'm our hearts. How we are filleC
with inspiration in the early dawn o
"A summer day, and as we watch TIT
first beams of the sun. we are brOugh
into a fuller and higher conscious
ness of the real meaning Of life. an,
il is then that we realize that IL w
do lack IN some OF the refinement
OF civilization we have that which 4
more 20 be desired peace with on
own souls
The pleasures OF country life ar
manifold and varied. We find then
all the way from the down OF a littl
chick TO the beautiful perfection
of full-grown horse that wa
born and raised on the farm an,
which we love more than we cOul,
possibly love an automobile
We are so very glad 10 have on
friends visit us.-even peddlers ar
not treated with disdain The ride q
town and back Is a pleasure. We sc
better views OF the glorious sunset
and the long shadows are not broker
ov smoke and tall buildings.
And then the trees are not jus
trees and the birds merely birds. bU
they are my birds and my trees an,
7 never treat them with indifference
I look up into the branches OF tn
trees around the house and pay silen
homage 20 them for the beautiful
-t.f. chez olive ~ mo an hot davs