52 The Country Mother and the Children 



of the latter. It is implied by these words put into 

 the mouth of the mother: "Your father is too am- 

 bitious about the work and in his desire for accumu- 

 lating wealth about the farm. He is over- working 

 me, is thoughtless of me, and indifferent to your 

 present needs and your future welfare. Work on 

 as you must, driven by him, but do as little as you 

 can and grow up to manhood and womanhood. Study 

 your books, get through with your schooling, and 

 in tune find something easier for your own life 

 work. Perhaps we can persuade him to give it up 

 after a while and move to town, where you can go out 

 more, dress better, and get more enjoyment out of 

 life." Thus, the children grow up to mistrust and 

 dislike their father, and to despise the vocation in 

 which he is engaged. Such a state of affairs will 

 precipitate their flight from the home nest. This 

 will take place at the earliest possible moment and 

 will often be in the nature of a leap into the dark, 

 anything to get away from the drudgery of the farm. 

 Mark you this situation well, you farm fathers, 

 and attack it in all possible haste with the best avail- 

 able relief. A happy, contented, well-protected 

 farm mother almost certainly means the same sort 

 of farm children, while the converse situations will 

 also run in the same unvarying parallel. Do not 

 satiate your desire for more hogs and more land with 

 the sacrifice of the peace and happiness and the very 

 life-blood of your wife and children ! 



