732 ANNUAL REPORT. OF THE Off. Doc. 



who soe it all but are so accustonu'd to it that they tako it as a matter 

 of course. 



There is foi' this drnd^cry iu the laudseajie of lier life a ra}' of suu- 

 shine which begins Saluiday iioou. Saturday afteruoon, iu most 

 farui Ikuiks, is a half holiday iu comparison to the activities of other 

 days of the week. It is the tiuie of year which an old En<;lish writer 

 called it the '•amiable mouth of June." The evening- shadows fall 

 broad aud lou^-. The rising moon beholds the settinjj; sun. The for- 

 get-nu^-nots look into the heavens, and those green coated musicians, 

 the frogs, make holiday iu neighboring marshes. It is now time for 

 the singing school, a lyceuui meetiug, or a garden jiarty with tlu^ 

 walk home through the moonlight bowes along a romantic woodland 

 pathway with a young man of her choice. The morning conu's she 

 milks the cows does the farm chores. The landscape around her is 

 one that will insi»ire her soul to holy iiiusings. The hill, the field, 

 the vale, the fresh air and the perfume from the clover holds and new 

 mown hay, the birds singing and the sound of the church bells as it 

 floats joyfully tlirough the sunny air, mellow soft and low\ No labor- 

 ers are in tlie fiehls but are wending their >vay to clmrcli. The farm- 

 er's daughter, if she be of a religiouis turn of mind, has this day above 

 all other for contemplation, meditation and prayer. She may occa- 

 sionally be late in getting to church, and no matter how quietly she 

 tries to open the door all heads will be turned in her direction even 

 though it may be in time of prayer. 



The farmer's daughter looks forward to the holidays of the vear. 

 Christmas is a gift-bearing, heart-touching, joy-bringing season. She 

 trims the parlor, and makes it gay with holly branches and mistletoe. 

 She tills the children's stockings with candies, cakes and toys. New 

 Year's brings happy rememberances of drives and of turkey — not 

 Turkey on the map bounded by the Black Sea on the east, but basted 

 turkey, brow-n turkey, stuffed turkey. At New Year's she looks for- 

 ward to Easter and the new bonnet. After Easter the days grow 

 warm beneath the sky and uneasy spring has come. She cannot re- 

 strain from tearing out the stove, jerking up the carpet and washing 

 windows. On(^ day of sunshine works wondiM'S in her home. Every- 

 thing is torn up from garret to cellar. And she, like Noah's dove, 

 has not where to set a foot. 



Fourth of July brings no joys to her. It is harvest time and the 

 farmer thinks the ciops should be in the barns. It has been said: 

 "The farmer thought the Eejtublic might of restrained their ardor 

 and proclaimed liberty throughout the land and unto all its inhabi- 

 tants at a later date in the season." 



After the "glorious Fourth" the farmer's daughter has the county 

 fair to which she may look with pleasure and realize that ''all is not 

 gold that glitters." After that the liusking-bee. It has been said 

 that this secret has been transmitted from one generation of women 

 to the other and that on the sly she has been taught to ])lant some red 

 seed among the rest in order to find some red ears in husking. Since 

 the red ear entitles the finder to a kiss which is so gratifying to the 

 giver and receiver, that the red ear seldom escapes the observation 

 of one or the other; and for fear it might not be observed some girls 

 may be guilty of leaving som<' husks attached to make it more at- 

 tractive while speeding toward the heap. After the corn is husked 



