No. 3.
PAnMEits' orronTtmrrres Fon study.
32!)
FARMERS'
OPPORTUNITIES FOR
STUDY.
Some people go oil' in ecstasies over
the opportunities that fanners luive for
mental improvement. They suy, litis he
not nature spread out before himV Do
not the birds almost dare him to study
their ways and habits? Are not the trees
ami the rocks, the tlowcrs and the insects,
his daily companions? Does not the earth
with all its wonderful vegetation lie be
ncath his feet? May he not see the daily
change produced upon it by heal and
cold, .moisture and drouth? Yes; the
seed may hurst from its narrow cull and
send forth its tiny stalk, the llowcr may
bud and bloom before him, the leaf may
open, expand, wither and fall, the chrysa
lis may put on its beauty of perfection ns
the butterfly, the raincloud may overshad
ow him, and the lightning phi' about
him, but if he cannot make use of the
opportunities showered around him, what
benefit are they to him? A man may be
surrounded with gold and silver, gems
and precious stones of the rarest kind,
but if he he bound, or by any cause una
ble to get them, they are of no benefit to
him. A man is placed in the midst of
the most splendid library; the works of
the master-minds of the world lie almost
within his reach, but an inexorable law
forbids that he should touch them. Can
the blessing thus placed so temptingly
near be of any benefit to him ?
Thus it is with the farmer. The grand
est gifts of nature are showered around
him, but an inexorable law of nature for
bids his more than tasting of their sweet
ness. Tli is law, the law that severe, pro
tracted manual laboi prevents the employ
ment of the mental faculties to any degree
of success, forever forbids his profiting
by the favorable circumstances surround
ing him. He is like Tantalus, ever thirst
ing, but when he would drink, the waters
How from his lips.
But those that think the farmer has
such golden opportunities (and they gen
erally manage to do something else than
farm) reply that he need not study so
much hut he can learn by obsorcution.
Yes, he can, for he soon learns that the
weeds grow and require his attention,
lie knows, and every one may know, that
the duties of his farm employ every min
ute of his time from early dawn till night
has drawn her mantle. And not only is his
time required, but also his every thought
and attention. The leisure moment seldom
arrives, and thus day alter da and year
af'er year he toils away, with scarcely
time enough to keep posted on the current
topics of the day.
Now I do not want to bewail the farm-er's-lotas
extremely hard, but simply to
show that he is not blessed to such an
extent as some of our newspapei writ
ers would make it appear. He has the
same privileges that every other laboring
man enjoys, the privilege of making the
most of his time. And, thank fortune,
the littles gradually added will raise the
man of energy and true worth into such a
position that he can enjoy the blessings
he has so earnestly struggled for.
Walt.
THE PROBABLE MEDIOCRITY OF
AMERICA.
In this question the nature of the couu.
try, the form of the government, and llio
supremacy of the money-making class, arc
the subjects that are especially worthy of
attention.
Whether the nature of the country tends
to the development of civilization and in
tellectual powers, we may learn from the
aborigines. They were of the Turanian
race and emigrants from the Turanian na
tions of Asia which, in the last 2000 years,
have not of themselves taken one step to.
ward civilization. They were of the infe
rior class ; for the character of the race
forbids emigration except through com
pulsion. In their march toward civiliza