The Highland Weekly News

Country vs. City.

The Ohio Farmer gives this sensible advice to those young men and women who are so anxious to leave their country homes and go to the city, in the expectation of bettering their condition:

Now let us say to those anxious young men and women, all over the country, that going to the city is a very dangerous experiment. It is not only probably true that you will not amass your fancied fortunes, but there is great danger that you will lose what is worth more to you and your friends than the largest fortune,—your reputation and character. But suppose you should not make such shipwreck of your character, you will have put yourself in a more unfavorable position for happiness or success, by going to the city, than if you had stayed at home. The excitements, extravagance, and other peculiar habits of city life will have disqualified you for the quiet and moderate customs of country life. Our advice to farmers' sons and daughters is, make the country your home until circumstances call you to the city. If they do, then go, but don't run before you are called. Do not suppose because city people dress better, and have whiter and softer hands, that they are better, or know any more. Of all ignorant creatures, an ignorant city man or woman is the most helpless.

When you go to the city don't suppose that the streets on which the stores are, or the parlors, are the whole of city life. In the garrets above, in the cellars beneath, back in the alleys, back in the stores, is not only hard work, but poverty such as a countryman can only read of, but never sees; vice such as he happily cannot conceive of, misery such as never disturbs even his dreams.