6 Address. 



I can go to the city and win by competition. If trained more broad- 

 ly, he might decide that it is better not to go to the city and enter the 

 lists of competition. An important remedy for this evil would be an 

 improvement of the common schools. The great objection to the farm 

 life is its loneliness. This is what principally causes boys and girls 

 to desire to go to the city. The trouble is that their mental resour ■ 

 ces are so small. If we could make them see that there was something 

 good on the farm, so that they could be contented, it would be a great 

 step gained. Would it not be well to spread something new before 

 their minds, and devote much of the time now given to the grind of 

 arithmetic, to natural history, to studying specimens of minerals in 

 the neighborhood. Give the country boy a training which will cause 

 him to watch birds and insects with friendly interest and make him 

 see that his life is not so lonely as it once appeared. You will make 

 for him, then, an environment that will be adapted to him, and to 

 which he will be adapted. Boys could usually learn enough of arith- 

 metic and geography in half of the time now given to those studies, 

 and the rest of the time could be profitably devoted to natural sci- 

 ences. Teachers ought also to try to cultivate in their pupils a love 

 of good reading ; they ought to open up resources to their scholars 

 that would fill many working hours with pleasure. But if a taste for 

 reading is cultivated, its demands must be supplied. Good periodi- 

 cals and books must be furnished. It is also highly important that 

 the home life should be improved and rendered more pleasant. Home 

 amusements are needed. 



There is not enough moral and religious culture. One of the 

 greatest disadvantages experienced by country boys is the immoral 

 influences by which they are surrounded. I know there is more dan- 

 ger in the country to the morals of boys belonging to good families 

 than in the city. In the city society is more assorted, and boys do 

 more in the way of picking out their acquaintances. The associa- 

 tions that are had among the hired men, the conversations that take 

 place in the haymows and under the trees are not of the kind that 

 fit boys to make the best men. I know, for I have been there. The 

 religious institutions ought to be regenerated. Root out the damna- 

 ble sectarianism. Instead of keeping up two or three spindling 

 churches, throw them down and keep one. It would be better to 

 burn all of the churches but one, and base that one on the Apostles' 

 creed, that's enough, and place a man with blood in his veins in 

 charge of this church. This church ought to be in the centre, from 

 which the best life should circulate. One of the worst disadvantages 

 of country boys is that religion is represented to them in so feeble 

 and petty a way, that they know none of its inspiring influences. I 

 know that it would be difficult to reduce the preceding suggestions 

 to practice, but if efibrt were made to carry them out, the first effect 

 would be to keep more boys on the farm. But whether they remained 

 at home or went abroad it would make them better men ; it would 

 keep them from becoming Jay Goulds, it would help them to lead 

 pure and noble lives in whatever state God should call them. 



