The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-08-04
SHOULD THE FARMER TOO OLD:
TO WORK MOVE TO TOWN?

man himself, discusses In Wailace,s
Farmer the question as to whether
farmer too old to work should move
to town. He thinks not but suggests
a different plan which we believe will
make for the happiness for old folks
past their point of active work. Says
DR.. Wallace:
eff the good wife should take kind
ly to that suggestion, it would notSbe
surprising. She has had rather a
hard time of it all these years. You
could get help on the farm, but she !
could get none in the house, and the
more help you had, the more work it
made for her. She would naturally
feel that a good, long rest would be
a nice thing for her, and suggests
that the rent of a quarter section
should easily keep you in comfort in
town. You think so, too. Don'trbe
too sure about that. Living out. of
the grocery and meat marketi is a far
different matter from living out OF
the garden, the poultry yard, the
barnyard.
otherwise she can get along in
town; for she has her household du-
ties to keep her busy; she has her
church and its minor societies. But
you will find that you are not so tired
as you thought you were, Man5get-
ting-lazy. After you get your house
fixed, the garden made and the yard
fixed up, you will want somthing to
do; but, alas, there. are enough old
fellows in town already to do all old
mems work.
"You will not take nearly so kind
ly to town folks as you thought you
would from your meetings with them
before you moved to town! In fact,
they may not take very kindly to-
you. They will not welcome you to
their stores if you have nothing toT
cell or buy, nor to their Offices, if you
have no bushes to transact. Yon
will lose the political influence you
had on the farm. Your tenant Will in
all probability be a bigger man politr
ically than you are, because he lives
on the farm and9can get votes forsthe
ofice-seker, if he wants to.
"You will find yourself longing for
Saturday to come, when you expect
your old neighbors to come to town
to trade, and you can get in momen-
tary touch with the old life. If YOU
have rented for cash, you will proba-
bly, quit thinking about farming, will
read local news and ~telegraphic dis
patches instead of editorials. This
will age you nightly, and that will
react on your health. You may even
fail to renew for Wallace's Farmer
on the advice of your neighbor, who
may tell you that if you keep on TAX
ing it, it will make you homesick for
the farm. In fact, men nave told me
that they have received just that adj
vice from other retired farmers.
$50 you will do well if you think
over carefully this matter of moving
to town. I don't say you should not.
There are circumstances under which
it would be well to do so. In case
60. - .gH
you should drop off suddenly, it is
quite likely that your widow would
De better OFF in town; but you are not
likely to drop off, nearly so soon If
you stay on the farm. Before de-
Gliding to o. to town, however, I
would suggest that. you consider the !
alternative. 1t is no new advice I
am giving you. I have spoken Of this
often I speak of it with more con-
fidence, because men and women who
have taken my advice in this have
written me, and sometimes come in to
tell me how happy they were that
they did not move to town.
"What is that alternative? Rent
your farm to the best man that you
can find, a man who will take care Of
it and maintain fertility, a man whose
character is such that you can rea-
sonably expect him to stay on it as
long as you live, no matter what the
time of the lease you give. Build you
a house of your own on say ten
acres, or five, a house suitable for
yourself and wife. and what unmar-
ried children are at home. Don't build
it too big, but be sure and have one
room in it for your visiting children
Or grandchildren. Keep a cow; a
horse or two, if you like to drive. If
you are able to afford an automobile,
get one in addition to the horse or
two. Help your wife to grow some
fine chickens. Grow improved seed