



This little 
“Sermon” 
written 
ago. Still 
good today. 
F, E. Beatty, Outstanding Strawberry Expert, 
and Inspirational Writer 
OST of us remember with pleasure back to the time when 
we were boys and girls when the neighbors’ kids would 
come to our house and say, “Let’s go out and play.” In 
the summer it was swimming, fishing, “cooning’” Watermelons, 
making mud pies, playing horse or building playhouses and 
stables. In the winter it was coasting, skating, chasing rabbits 
and making snowmen. No day was too hot or too cold for our 
fun. But if mother or father asked us to do some little chore, 
such as bringing in an armful of wood, or a bucket of coal, or 
a pail of water, or bringing the cows in from the pasture, we al- 
ways had our excuses ready. Some other member of the family 
should do it; we were sick, or it was too cold or too hot. 
Those were happy days. Nothing to do but eat, sleep and play. 
But as the years went, play and fun grew less, while cares and 
responsibilities increased until now we have reached the time of 
life which we so much longed for when we were boys and girls. 
That is, we are now men and women and can go and come when- 
ever we choose. We are no longer dictated to or ordered around, 
neither are we held under any restrictions. We have full sway—- 
we are kings and queens of the home. We can go swimming, 
fishing or skating, or coasting without asking Ma or Pa. We have 
gradually grown into the enviable, long-looked for experience. 
We have at last reached our freedom. We are big men and 
women and can do just as we please The table has turned and 
revenge is ours. Instead of getting licked, it is our turn to do the 
lambasting. What a grand experience it is to catch our own boy 
and give him a good spanking instead of getting spanked our- 
selves. This reminds me of the man who gave his little boy a 
good flogging and then asked the boy if he knew why he whipped 
him. The boy replied; “Just because you are bigger than I am,” 
and it is my opinion the boy’s answer was correct. 
‘ 
N.ASMUCH as we are now men and women, why not put into 
practice the day-dreams of our boyhood and girlhood days. 
When we were boys and girls we declared that when we became 
men and women we would not work and drudge like our father 
and mother. We would take things easy and get the good out of 
life. I honestly believe that most men and women are altogether 
too serious. Only a few are getting out of life what God intended 
they should. 
COPYRIGHT 1948. R.M. KELLOGG COMPANY {2} 
Let’s 
and Play. .. By F. E. Beatty 
about 30 years 

o Out 

A Lesson on Having Fun 
While You Work...... 
I believe in work. The busy man is generally happy: especially is 
this true if he is busy at something he loves. It is better to say, 
“IT am going out to play” than it is to say, “ 1 must be going for 
another hard day’s work and drudgery.” 
le order to give you the trend of my thought I am going to 
give my own personal experience. I was born and raised upon 
a farm in Ohio. When I was old enough to work, my father and 
I worked together as father and son should. I remained upon the 
farm not only because I loved the work, but also because I had 
promised my father I would stay by him until he gave his con- 
sent to take up a line of work I longed to do. 
At the age of 18 Father came to me and said he now wished to 
show his appreciation of my loyalty and faithfulness. “You have 
my consent to begin your life as a traveling salesman,” he said. 
This must have been quite a sacrifice to Father, because he want- 
ed me to be a preacher—a Presbyterian at that. But if he were 
now living and could see the big red Strawberries I am growing, he 
would be reconciled to the fact that Frank had eventually found 
the “work of his calling.” I love a good sermon and on Sundays 
am generally found in my pew, but when it comes to preaching 
I prefer to preach Strawberries rather than sermons. 
With the help of a friend, I secured a position as city salesman 
from which I was promoted to a traveling salesman—‘‘a real 
drummer.” I continued seiling goods on the road for about fif-. 
teen years, but it was not nearly as much fun as I thought it 
would be. And the fun grew less after I was married, and the 
road lost all of its attractions after the arrival of our first nightin- 
gale. And as the nightingales increased my love for the road de- 
creased, I call them nightingales because ours were more musical 
at night than at any other time. 
My territory increased with my salary until my trips would last 
from three to four months. Without going into all the details, I 
decided to do as the Swede did——“yump my yob,” regardless of 
what I was earning. However, my experience on the road con- 
vinced me that a farmer boy could make a success selling goods. 
From Pullman palace cars and palatial hotels to hoeing Straw- 
berries was a change that made me feel at first like changing 
from a real hot bath to a cold shower. I suppose you know some- 
thing of the shock. But the longer you stand under the shower 
the better you feel. Before I was in the Strawberry business thirty 
days the chill caused by the change had left me and I felt just 
dandy. A palace sleeping car and hotel looked like thirty cents 
to me as compared to my home with wife and three interesting 
children to entertain me. 
OEING Strawberries in the hot sun was rather hard work for 
a traveling man with soft and undeveloped muscles. One 
forenoon I was pretty well “bushed” from the effects of the hot 
sun, and while waiting for dinner I amused and rested myself 
watching my little boy play. He was then about five years old. 
I was looking through the open window. He was bare-headed 
and the sun was as hot as love in a bake shop. He was making a 
play house for his little sisters. Boards and rails were carried by 
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