Explain this quotation from Cather's "Neighbor Rosicky" and say what it indicates about Anton Rosicky's personal characteristics and...

"My Lord,
Rosicky, you are one of the few men I know who has a family he can get some comfort out
of; happy dispositions, never quarrel among themselves, and they treat you right. I want
to see you live a few years and enjoy
them."

This quote in
“Neighbor Rosicky” is spoken by Dr. Burleigh to Rosicky when the doctor tells Rosicky
that Rosicky’s heart is having some difficulty and he therefore needs to do less
strenuous work. Dr. Ed, as he is called, suggests that Rosicky can stay in the house for
the winter, instead of going tot work in the barn or with the machinery, and “help” Mary
“a little,” maybe by doing some repairs or tailoring work. The easiest way to get at the
meaning of the very American sounding sentence with common idiomatic phrases like, "get
some comfort out of," "never quarrel among themselves," and "treat you right," is to
look first at the opposite of its actual meaning.

What Dr.
Burleigh is not saying, therefore, is
that Rosicky is one of the men the doctor knows who has a family with members who are
mean-spirited and quarrelsome and have unhappy dispositions, who are angry or
complaining or resentful all the time. A family like this can never provide a happy home
life and the comfort of a peaceful life and the satisfaction of a job well done, because
such a family always quarrels and disobeys the father and acts with disrespect toward
him while dishonoring him. There--that is what the doctor does
not mean by what he
says.

Now it is easier to see what he
does mean. Rosicky is one of the few
men whom the doctor knows who has a family made up of members who can give the father
the comfort of a peaceful and loving home, along with the comfort of knowing his
parenting job was well done. The family members have happy dispositions and are
friendly, loving, gentle and kind toward one another. They don't quarrel with each
other, and they respect the father while obeying him and honoring him and doing their
share of work on the farm with good will and enthusiasm. Dr. Ed wants Rosicky to work
less so he will live longer and be around his family to enjoy the hapiness they give him
longer.

This tells the reader that Rosicky values all these
things and conducts his life and his job of parenting--after marrying a woman with his
same values and ideas--in such a way that these values and qualities have been
successfully taught to his children. As Cather writes: "'Oh, they're good kids, all
right,' Rosicky, assented."