The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-06-21
Uncommon
Sense y John e,...
ID. nell syndicate.-wNU servIce.

SNOW DuHCu VI HlChS'
1t will do you town
folks bit Of good to get out into the
country about this time Of year and
take look at 1t.
You will discover that your bread
does not get Its start at the bakers,
or even at some flour mill in Mime
sofa, but in the ground, the red or
black ground that you have looked at
while passing in train and thought
was just so much mud.
Go see the farms and get acquainted
with the farmers.
Find out something Of their prob
lens.
You may think that they are yokels
until you talk to them, then you will
discover that they read the newspapers
and the magazines, and probably are
better read and better informed than
you are.
While you are out there In the coun-
try, hop over fence and lie down In
the sun, If the grass is dry enough.
.
Find one of those singing little
brooks that are bubbling everywhere
at this time Of year.
Get an earful of their music. Let
1t lull you to sleep, If you have time,
and the contact with the soil will not
hurt you.
Find out what silo Is for, and why
III Of fc hntfor IN hQvQ
around than another kind Of COW.
Find out why certain grain Is plant
ed in a certain kind Of field, and how
when the ground gets tired Of every
thing going out and nothing coming
in and refuses to produce 1t helps the
soil go back to work If another kind Of
crop is put on 1t.
Also, while you are there, look
around at the birds.
Most of them have songs to sing;
all Of them are decorative.
They are much more fun to watch
than canary in cage, or even an
ungainly ostrich at the zoo.
When country people come to the
city, they enjoy themselves.
They see all the sights they can af.
ford, and go back home filed with won
der and admiration.
They do not think there is anything
wrong with you just because you live
in the city. 1t might be better for
them If they were not so trustful.
II you will only act on this suggestion
OF mine you tUiH learn great deal about
the people upon tohom you absolutely
depend for your daily bread, and haze
a good time into the bargain.
Moreover, If you can, spend a couple
Of weeks in the country.
Most minds like to play hockey.
Keeping them on the job Is hard work.
But If you expect to
Make Your get any real perform
Mind Behave ance out Of them,
you have to make
them toe the mark.
You hear a great deal about great
dreamers, but the place to dream Is
In bed.
Give your mind a chance and 1t will
dream and dream about this and that.
Meanwhile you won't be getting any
where.
The hardest thing to do in this world
Is to concentrate.
Once learn to put that mind of yours
on some problem and keep 1t there,
and it will produce results.
But let it wander all over the lot,
touching at every interesting place
along the way, and you might as well
not have brain, as far as getting any
whereas concerned.
Most people have the experience,
when reading, of following with the
eye every line Of type, turning every
page, and all the while thinking about
something that has nothing whatever
to do with what they are reading.
II the thing that you are reading
had any value, 1t is lost. The eyes
have done their job, but the wits have
been wool gathering.
Teach that mind to work, and to
work hard.
Make it stick to the subject, and
stow away the information you hoped
to get when you started reading
If you find that it hasn't been func-
tioning, go back to the beginning and
force it to attend to its job.
am told that rapid readers remem-
Der more of what they read than slow
ones.
That is probably because they work
so rapidly and keenly that their minds
don't have chance to go off the job.
Anyway, If you can't control that
mind, keep it receptive and interested,
you are not going to get very far with
any study and you will never attain
that "broad and useful education" you
hoped to have some day.
When you begin to read, say to your
mind: Attention, please" II
Then read few pages and stop.