190 BOARD OF AGEICULTURE. [Jan., 



to-day's wants supplied from labor long ago performed. He learned 

 '• to labor and to wait," long before the poet said it. 



Now, contrast all this with the experience of" the children in 

 city families. What do they see or know of the business of their 

 fathers, except in the most general way? They see absolutely 

 none of the forethought required in the business, nor of the pro- 

 visions for the future wants of the household. 



The table is supphed by men who come daily, or at least, weekly. 

 Milk is daily left at the door, while the child is yet in bed; the 

 butcher and grocer come for "orders," and the day's meal is duly 

 deposited in the kitchen. So far as the child sees, it comes daily 

 without any serious forethought; to him it comes without either 

 labor or previous care. He sees absolutely no provision for this 

 loBg ahead; his father is at work at something else; the food 

 comes to the door, and so far as he sees, it comes as easily and as 

 certainly as the manna which fell from heaven. 



The city cellar is no storehouse, filled months before by the toil 

 of the family; what stores may be there are brought by some one 

 else in a wagon and it is put into the cellar when father is away at 

 the store, office, or shop. He is quite a large child before he 

 knows the source or origin of the most common and essential 

 things on the table, perhaps he gets his first idea of these in some 

 short visit to the country. He gives no thought to the matter 

 because there is nothing to suggest the origin or source ; it makes 

 no difference to him, and is no more strange that the sausages like 

 the fish should be caught in the river or sea, or are made, in either 

 case some one brings them to him ready made. The city child 

 knows absolutely nothing of the toil through which all these 

 necessities come, he sees nothing of the self-sacrifice by which 

 these blessings have been bought. He hears often enough that 

 everything is dear, but this falls on callous ears because he sees 

 so much forbidden fruit which is denied him, he hardly knows 

 why. 



That the daily meal should come is to him as much a matter of 

 course as if it came miraculously, like manna; he sees no more 

 forethought required than if he were fed by the ravens. He sees 

 nothing fail for lack of labor long months before. When he is 

 stinted it is merely because his father or mother says they cannot 

 afford it, a very unsatisfactory reason to him. Is it any wonder 



