Moving to Town 37 



and brings extra supplies in from the farm. Grad- 

 ually he takes on a few of the city ways. That is, 

 he uses less home produce and does some buying at 

 the stores. But for want of stimulating employment 

 he gradually grows stouter and mentally more stupid, 

 sleeping away many of the hours of the day in his 

 chair an indication that he is dying at the top and 

 that he is soon to be cut down. Really, the retired 

 farmer is a nuisance to the town and the town is a 

 bore to him. 



But what of the children whom he brought in to 

 "educate"? They learn rapidly, soon taking on 

 the city manners. The natural restraints from evil 

 conduct, which the farm home furnished, are now 

 wanting. The blare and bluster of the town both 

 excite and delight them, while the parents have posi- 

 tively no rules or standards by which to govern and 

 direct their young in the new situation. All the boys 

 and girls need to do in order to gain parental consent 

 for going out at night is to declare that "everybody 

 is going" or that they are "expected" to be there, 

 and the thing is settled. Thus the young ruralists 

 newly come to town go dancing and prancing off 

 into a veritable world of sweet dreams and delights 



spoiled forever for any service that they might 

 have rendered in building up the country community 



and finally destined to become mere cogs in the 

 ever grinding wheel of some city. 



