No. 4.] THE FARMER'S OPPORTUNITY. 237 



The FARMER'S Opportu^s^ity. 



BY MR. C. li. LYMAN, SOUTHAMPTON. 



There comes into the life of every one an opportunity to 

 improve his condition by taking advantage of the conditions 

 with which he is surrounded. With the merchant, the manu- 

 facturer, the teacher, the preacher, the speculator, the poli- 

 tician, with all classes of men and women, opportunities occur 

 Avhich if taken advantage of will make their future brighter and 

 better, and their lives broader, more prosperous and success- 

 ful. You may ask, " What is the opportunity of the farmer, 

 or what can he do but work and dig in the same old routine 

 of ploughing and sowing, reaping and harvesting, from early 

 morning till late at night, with little time for reading, study 

 or travel ? Even if he could find time for these things the in- 

 come from the farm is so small that he cannot afford the 

 necessary expense." This, however, is no more true of the 

 farmer than it is of those engaged in other trades and callings. 

 In fact, the farmer is better off than the others in prosperity 

 and happiness. He may not have as much money as some 

 of the others, but what he does have furnishes him with bet- 

 ter and purer enjoyment. You may say that his life is quiet 

 and dull, away from the bustle and noise of the city. W'hat 

 if it is, he has so much more time for quiet thought and 

 study. His mind is clearer and his conclusions are more 

 accurate than are those of people crowded into mills and 

 shops and other industries connected with city life. 



What are some of the farmer's opportunities ? One op- 

 portunity is in improving his educational advantages, for no 

 one with a bright and active mind is so situated on a farm 

 that he cannot be getting and storing up useful information 

 that will be a source of happiness and usefulness all through 

 life. He may not have the advantage of the fidl curriculum 

 of the schools, but he has the advantage of observation, of 



