280 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
February 25, 1922 
HOPE FARM NOTES 
In Paterson. N. .T., three boys were 
caught throwing stones at a railroad 
train. This is a serious offense. One 
night last year we were on our way home 
in a crowded train—rushing through the 
dark. Suddenly there came a crash as a 
great stone smashed through the window, 
onlv a few seats in front of me. It struck 
a man on the head nml carried splinters 
of glass which came within a fraction of 
an inch of blinding him for life. Either 
some imp of a boy or some malignant 
adult had thrown that stone to “show off ' 
before his comrades or to express his 
hatred for mankind in general. To me 
there is something inexpressibly savage 
in this willingness to kill or maim an 
innocent human being just to gratify 
some spite or some boastful daring. These 
boys were brought into court, and the 
judge looked them over. The name. ITab- 
niak can hardly he called American, 
though at the rate wo are going, fiO years 
from now such names promise to he as 
Common as - Brown or Smith or dones. 
The judge finally told these hoys to go 
home, and commit to memory Lincoln’s 
Address at Gettysburg’. They must come 
hack in two weeks and recite the address 
before the judge, who will mark their 
performance as he would a school exam¬ 
ination. They must get SO in order to 
“liass'’ on to freedom. For each tree 
points under SO they will serve one year 
in reform school! 
* * * * * 
Many of us would like to hear this 
performance and see these children of 
foreign parentage recite that noble appeal 
to Americanism. Even though they com¬ 
mit it to memory and reel it off like a 
parrot, how much of it will they under¬ 
stand? Will they get the idea that America 
cannot he kept from perishing by throwing 
stones? Will they know what they are 
talking about? Can you rub this thing 
we call Americanism into a man through 
fear of the reform school? Can you make 
him a good citizen through an appeal to 
his brain? There is much room for argu¬ 
ment about that. 1 never considered the 
monkrv or the parrot as ideal citizens. 
I should hardly care to live in a com- 
rnuoitv governed by .such characters. \et 
I have known cases where it seemed as 
if ihe voters had put the ordinary human 
garments on parrots and monkeys and 
put them in the high places in order to 
keep alive the government by pro udice 
and rusty habit! I think it likely that 
these boys may commit this great address 
m memory, hut can they apply it to the 
great business of putting their hands m 
their pockets when they feel an lrresist- 
able desire to throw stones i For that 
is an essential part of Americanism. But 
it mast be admitted that there are thou¬ 
sands of “pure blood” Americans—with 
pedigrees running hack to Jamestown or 
Plymouth Rock who. like these boys, 
ought to be forced to commit Lincolns 
address and then omit many of their 
practices. They may not throw stones at 
railroad Trains’ hut they try to pile the 
stones of conservatism an<l wornout Imbit 
on the enthusiasm and hope of youth. 
The real anarchists are not all named 
llaliniak. Some of them carry regular 
Mayflower namps. True, they do not try 
to 'rip things apart—they try to cover 
youth with a shell, as a dam does—and 
thus keep vision and sunshine and air 
out of it. 
***** 
But I did not intend to start a speech 
or a sermon. I wanted to tell the simple 
story of Henry Brown and Helen 
White. Most of us stumble along through 
life misunderstanding and mixing things 
no. We are somewhat like these hoys. 
We throw stones and then try t<> make 
reparation by playing the part of a par¬ 
rot rather than giving that deeper study 
and service which is true patriotism. Too 
much of the world's trouble seems to arise 
from the fact that we do no) know what 
we are talking about. We learn the ad¬ 
dress “by heart.” and then put no heart 
in the performance. Now and then we 
have a case where the very mix-up of 
words and understanding brings happy 
results. Henry Brown and Helen AN hite 
were farmers.' Their farms adjoined— 
the land and situation being exactly 
alike. Both were terminal buds—that is. 
the last of the race. Parents, brothers 
and sisrers were all gone. Each lived 
alone in the houses where they were born. 
Both were rather deaf. Each really loved 
the other, though both tried to forget 
sm-h feeling. Henry bad thought it nut 
carefully ami decided his course. His 
affliction troubled him greatly, and he 
felt that he had no right to ask any 
woman to share it with him. It is said 
that the poet Whittier once wanted to 
marry a young woman and went so fai¬ 
ns to propose to her by letter. He made 
the mistake of trying to be too honest 
and humble, for he spent too much tiinp 
in admitting his affliction and his poor 
prospects. He should have known that 
the young woman and everyone else knew 
all about these evident things. What he 
ought to have done was to forget his 
afflictions and evident handicaps and put 
0 n a good story about what he knew he 
could do. The' world, and especially the 
young women in it, do not want your 
troubles—they want to imagine your tri¬ 
umphs. There may be capable and de¬ 
sirable women who look forward with 
pleasure to a partnership with one who 
rather expects to be a failure, but I have 
seen very few of them. Most women like 
to think that their man is to he a world 
heater, and when, after an honest strug¬ 
gle. the world beats him. they will glory 
in his struggle and stand by him. Henry 
Brown thought he was doing Helen 
AA 7 hite a kindness by not asking her to 
unite her fortunes with an afflicted man. 
He was wrong-—as many a man could have 
told Henry if rejected suitors wore in 
the habit of talking. And the lines dug 
into their faces and a bit of gray crept 
into their hair ns Henry and Helen 
passed the days on their twin farms. 
Users say: "GREATEST TIRES EVER BUILT 99 
The Batavia Rubber Company is the only standard tire 
manufacturer now selling tires Nvith a mileage guarantee. 
In Batavia Tires you buy guaranteed mileage. 
Our prices are lower than for any other standard tire, yet we 
absolutely guarantee our tires, as heretofore, 5,000 miles on our 
Red Seal Fabrics and 12,000 miles on Cords. 
Send check, express or money order, or we will ship C. 0. D. 
Shipping Charges collect on Cords. 
Shipping Charges prepaid on Fabrics up to and including the third 
postal zone. 
We also make 30x3'/ 2 Straight Side Cords 
THE BATAVIA RUBBER COMPANY 
Listen to This from a Recent Letter! 
"1 have been raising tobacco with your fertilizers for 20 years 
and always got a big growth combined with color, quality and 
burn.” (Name on request.) 
Send for 1922 Booklet 
The Rogers & Hubbard Co., Dept. A, Middletown, < 
m.TTIJy il Office and Work*: Portland, Conn. 
£EBnu§£S’ “It’s the Quality Behind the Analysis that Counts.’’ 
“ Bergenport Brand ’ ’ 
l, INSECTICIDE AND DUSTING PURPOSES 
CO - • 100 William St., New York 
DEI? PA1 IQ 15-yil bundle, best quality, light or 
rtlxUiibliO dark patterns. 2 to 5-yd. lengths. 
Postpaid $2.75. Send for circular and samples. 
GORDON REMNANT CO., Dexter, Maine 
to cover cost of packing- 
arid advertising, and 
we‘11 send your size in 
this genuine 
ULTRA STYLISH 
TOP COAT 
for anto and street wear. 
Made of 
1— Genuine Aeroplane 
Cloth a beautitul rich 
gray. 
2— Cloth doubled; brick 
to buck anil vulcanized to- 
1 getber to keep out wind 
k and cold. 
I 3 Smart Style, ilig 
patch packets. AU- 
^ instable sleeve strops. 
1 l ig collar that turns 
i up military style. 
I 4- Double and Triple 
A stitched. Kviuforcea for 
it Ion* #t«r. 
I B—Absolutely woter- 
proor. You cun'l lores 
1 vntu throii<rh thus sar- 
A meet with «liouul 
i F1ZBS 84 to 40. 
r9 (live client Ru-uatirc ever 
jjMr suit you are now wearing. 
I Send Only SOc with 
I coupon below and pay 
B balance ol $3.98 and 
I postage on arrival. 
I When ooat arrives try it 
■ on rind compare it with 
■ coats at double our 
■ price. Money buck if 
V you want it. 4^ 
On Arrival 
| The Farmer | 
| His Own Builder | 
= By n. ARMSTRONG ROBERTS 
E A practical and handy book of all kinds — 
“ of building information from concrete to ~ 
^ carpentry. PRICE $1.50 ~ 
~ For sale by — 
1 THE RURAL NEW-YORKER | 
333 West 30th Street, New York 
5lliiil|j|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||in 
National Coat Co., Box 187, Essex St., Boston, Mass. 
I um-loMc 60 c. i will i>uy balunco when coat reache** mo. 
1 risk nothing. 
When you write advertisers mention 
Ihe Rural New- Yorker and you'll get 
a Quick reply and a "square deal. ’’ See 
guarantee editorial page. t t : 
Name 
Address 
I 
PRICE 
Style 
1 
Bead 
STYLE 
Dead 
FABRIC 
SIZE 
CORD 
& 7 50 
Clin 
SS 
v^-l III 
ft m 
X 4 V? 1 
SS 
.. 
_ 
9.50 
15.00 33 x 4 , / 2 
SS 
II 
ss 
12.50 
20.00 34 x AV 2 
— 
ss 
44 
ss 
13.50 
_35 x 4'/ 2 
— 
ss 
44 
14 50 
36 x 4V2 
ss 
ss 
15.50 
27.00 37 x 4’/ 2 
QD 
Clin 
ss 
6.50 
28.00 33 x 5 
-1 
ss 
ss 
17.50 
29.00 35 x 5 
QD 
ss 
1- 
ss 
18.50 
I 37 x 5 
QD 
ss 
