The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
999 
The Boys 
T hove bee.) thinking of Mr. WnkomMi's 
letter in Mr. Maprs about the grandson, 
;iml have been wondering if b'.val working 
farm boys were out of date. With six 
boys ranging in age from one to -0 years. 
W<" have been studying liow to keep the 
boys on the farm, and so far they all seem 
to think there is no pluee like the home. 
In the first place, remember boys are 
narurally just. A boy's hero is always 
the one who is always “on the square. 
The fou r-o’i lock - i n-t he-mori i iu g habit has 
perhaps driven more young people from 
the farm than anything else. I don’t 
blame them, do you? Farmers preach 
that chores must be done regularly, and 
call the boys to milk at 4 a. m. Do they 
have the boys milk at i p. in. on a bright 
and beautiful hay day? Not on yotir life! 
The four-o'clock-in-the-moriiing man is 
usually the eight and nine o'clock man, 
and your boys will remember this. At 
the risk of being classed as shiftless, let 
me record that our rising time is (5 a. in. 
Winters, and 5 Summers, although sou 
often gets up at four o’clock, feeds the 
team and eats a lunch and goes to work 
if he wishes, not because he is obliged to. 
In the cml we accomplish a great deal 
of work in a year, for if we work shorter 
days, we work with a will, and if one 
plods 15 or 10 hours a day. he is usually 
too tired to work to the best advantage. 
Haven’t you read 1 something to the effect 
“for every dollar earned by one’s body 
below the shoulders, nine are earned by 
the part above.” 
So much for the working of the boys; 
bur from earliest childhood we have tried 
to be playfellows with our boys. The 
father who doesn’t chum with his boys 
has missed the greatest pleasure of his 
life. A microscope and telescope should 
In* a part of every child's education, and 
tip- boys appreciate the beauties and 
glories iiud the wonders of nature through 
those aids. What fun they have watch¬ 
ing the birds about their daily work. 
Field glasses are. of course, better than a 
telescope. Then. too. they study the 
stars. Jack regrets we cannot do better 
by the boys financially sometimes. I 
think too much is a curse to a boy. 
They have shotguns, bicycles, watches, 
a fairly good talking machine, violins and 
rifles, for we live where there are wood- 
ilmcks, foxes and hawks for pests, while 
deer-hunting is the great sport. Ho the 
Ihree older boys are good marksmen, and 
perhaps we were not glad when the boy 
of 15 brought down a big deer with the 
first shot. 
But boys should be taught early and 
always the correct use of firearms, and by 
hunting with their father they have been 
tlinrougkly drilled iu carefulness. 
Don't imagine the boys are blood¬ 
thirsty because they have rifles. When 
they go for a walk through the woods, 1 
always wonder what injured wild tliiug 
will be brought home to be doctored. Once 
it was a broken-winged crow that we 
bound up and kept in the parrot’s cage 
until it was well enough to be liberated, 
for iu those days we read how many in¬ 
sects crows destroyed, but lately we have 
decided against Mr. Crow. The editor 
of the boys’ sporting magazine makes the 
statement that at daybreak the crows raid 
small birds’ nests, breaking eggs and kill¬ 
ing the nestlings. Another time it was an 
injured chipmunk they brought home, 
and many a drenched birdling has been 
brought in and warmed and dried. 
Where do your hoys entertain their 
friends? On the fence and in the barn? 
Ours like to gather round the table with 
games and apples and music, and then we 
all get acquainted. Jack often or usually 
takes part in the games. For the time 
when no games are played, we always 
have plenty of rending. The best in this 
line is- not too good for the boys. There 
are the Youth's Com /tuition, a sporting 
magazine of the best type, newspapers, 
agricultural papers, bulletins, etc., and 
these are read and discussed together. 
Each has his personal belongings to be 
respected by the rest, but mostly it is 
"ours.” We make partners of the boys, 
partners in our joys, partners in our sor¬ 
rows. All extra purchases are talked over 
with the buys. Two years ago they had 
their choice, a wood-sawing outfit or an 
auto. They chose the car. This year 
they expect the saw rig. 
There are other little things that make 
mure difference to boys than you imagine. 
• toys like to keep many things to them¬ 
selves. thinking it childish to talk about 
them. \\ e always try to celebrate the 
holidays and birthdays, and that makes 
one celebration about every month. On 
birthdays we try to give the one whose 
birthday it is his favorite dishes ami a 
dressed-up table with flowers, etc. Once 
1 thought I would not have time to get 
things ready as usual, as l had been bin 
dered. The second boy noticed the table 
as I was cooking, and said: “Aren't you 
going to use the best dishes?” I wish 1 
could show his astonishment and disap¬ 
pointment, as I said: "I am afraid I 
haven’t the time." 
“I'll do it then: dinner will taste so 
much better.” And he did belt), so don’t 
imagine your daughter is the only one who 
aopreclates daintiness; the chances are 
the boys appreciate it more. 
Another thing, make the rooms home¬ 
like. but. as one boy calls it. not “too 
much fuss and feathers." ltegard their 
taste in colors, too. And, remember, most 
"’"'.and boys like touches of a dark, rich 
red iu the living rooms; they say it looks 
.. »ml cozy after working in the cold 
aM day. 
“But aren’t your boys ever noisy and 
Upset things?” 
Oh. yes. and Jack thinks sometimes 
they ought to know better, but I happen 
to remember him when he was a boy, and 
I repeat a bit of a song we learned at 
school : 
“Disorder may wait on his frolic and fun. 
And quietude fly at his noise, 
But give not your mandates from tyran¬ 
ny's throne. 
But govern with kindness the boys. 
Yes, a boy is a boy. and a boy let him be. 
For the season of boyhood’s a span. 
And the heart that now leaps in its frolic 
and glee, 
Soon will ache with the cares of the 
man.” 
Then. too. boys must have outside rec¬ 
reation. and we try to have them attend 
the best amusements we can. It is their 
fhe Rural Patterns 
In ordering always give number of pattern 
and size desired, sending price with order 
-with or -witlionr re- 2087. Blouse with 
vers, 84 t,i 42 bust. f'"ir panels, 24 to 44 
Tlie medium size bust. 
will require 4 :1 , M593; Two - piece 
yards of material 20 skirt. 24 t<> 34 waist, 
inches wide. 4% The medium size 
yards 40 or 44. blouse with panels 
Width at lower edge will require 4 yards 
l : \i yards* Triee 20 of material 3i> turtles 
cents. wide, 3'i rants 44 
lb years. 2000. Cape with 
1085. Cross-stitch yoke barb; one size. 
I order. The ltl-year This pattern will re¬ 
size will require 3*i quire 71, yards of 
yards of material material 27 inches 
30. 40 or 44 inches wide, 3 :1 j yards 54. 
wide. Knell 20 cents. 20 cents. 
right: and privilege, and I enjoy their 
criticisms of what is good and not good. 
"Will all your bo vs he farmers?" Time 
will tell. The second sou for the past 
six months has betm thinking seriously of 
fitting for a teacher. As there are four 
generations of teaching Wood behind him, 
I hope lie will. The eldest begins t.. plan. 
“When I have a farm of my own,” and so 
does the third, while seven-year-old Buster 
is saving his pennies "so that when he is 
”1 he can buy him a farm and g“t mar¬ 
ried.” 
“Do you talk about marrying to your 
boys?” Certainly: don’t you? The home 
of the loyal American fanners- is the hope 
of our nation. We believe every young 
man should keep himself physically fit. 
clean, both in mind and body, for his own 
sake and the generations yet to come, and 
we hope our boys will choose a mate of 
the same ideal, for not yet do we gather 
figs from thistles. We believe boys and 
girls are less liable to make mistakes 
if all their lives they are talked with, not 
to. about preparing for homes of thejc 
own. instead of being held up for laughter 
and ridicule. 
Here’s the hope of our nation, our live, 
loyal. American farm boy! 
mother DEF¬ 
EATS and starches for the body are 
like fuel for the furnace. 
Why not adopt for breakfast or lunch, 
Grape-Nuts with cream or milk and a little 
fresh fruit — and turn off the internal heat? 
Here’s complete nourishment, with cool 
comfort. 
Grape-Nuts contains ail the nourishment 
of whole wheat flour and malted barley, in¬ 
cluding the vital mineral elements and bran 
“roughage,” and it is partially pre-digested in 
the long baking process by which it is made. 
There’s a wonderful charm for the ap¬ 
petite in the crisp, sweet goodness of this 
ready-to-eat food, and fitness and lightness 
afterward, which meet summer’s heat with 
a smile. 
Your grocer will supply 
you with Grape-Nutst 
“There’s a Reason” 
for Grape-Nuts 
Made by Postum Cereal Co., Inc. 
Battle Creek, Mich. 
Let’s disarm 
the thermometer 
Stop, Look and Listen 
Natural Yarn Cotton Socks. Not dyed or 
bleached. Just as they come from* the 
machines. Ileal comfort for 
tender, swollen or blistered 
feet. Give twice the wear of 
dyed stockings. Send :i0 cents 
for single pair; 93 cents for half 
dozen ; or $1.30 per dozen. Sizes 
1P4-11J4- Prices west of the Mis¬ 
sissippi River. $1.00 for half 
dozen or $1.90 per dozen. Srate F t j 
size of shoe. * 
Natural Yarn 
Hosiery Mills 
Fleetwood Penna U.S.A. 
For 50^ 
you can make 
this sweater 
This lovely drop-stitch 
sweater requires or.lv two 
skeins Peace Date Ice¬ 
land at J5c each Direc¬ 
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Other Peace Dale yarns, 
newest colors, 1«N«- to t5c 
.in uz. Finest quality. 100 
samples sent free. Peace 
Date Mills, Dept. 7S6. 25 
Madison Ave., New fork. 
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4 
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f. 
IIIIIIIIIIIIU 
1 The Farmer 
| His Own Builder 
| By H. ARMSTRONG ROBERTS 
A practical and handy book of all kinds 
oi building information from concrete to 
= carpentry. PRICE $1.50 
— For sale by 
1 THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
333 West 30lh Street, New York 
*illllllllllllllllllllllllll|||||!||||lilllllllll 
When you write oarer risers mention 
7 he Rural Sew- Yorker and you It get 
a <juick reply and a "square deal. ’' See 
guarantee editorial page 
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