Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-09-08
nlisrrllonrons.
From the Pittsburgh Saturday Visiter'
HOMES.

- NA1 NV DSS'
us that comparatively SO few Americans
have homes-that SO many of them live,
as the Bedoins Of the desert, without a
settled habitation. They pitch their tents,
unpack their furniture, lay down their
beds, and get fxed-then, suddenly, as
one Jumps when n flea bites, pull up
stakes and away. We evince some con-
siderable contempt for the wandering A.
rabs, while scarcely more settled our
selves. Move, move, move one scarce
gets fixed up in a habitation until mo-
wing comes, and her it is tear down,
pack up and be off again. Maybe the
dining room is a little too small, or the
parior a little too large, the doors paint
ed the wrong color, or the paper too
dim on the walls, or something the mat
ter with the fastening on the door or
windowshutter. Then away goes the
free and independent citizen with his
goods and chattels to lake a new abode
equally Objectionable in some other re-
spcct.
Why does not every man get a home
Of his own, fix it to suit his tastes, and
stay in it,! No use 10 say mot able i
TOO poor ]" There is not a man or wo.
man in North America who may not,
with moderate health and industry, get a
home! We are not going TO talk about
the folks "we read about" in back alleys,
and up long rickoty stairs, in the heart
or suburbs of some large city. We new
or could tell what brought, what keeps
them there, unless indeed they were
kidnapped from the land Of their fathers
carried in chaius to their prisons, and
diligently guarded so that they cannot
escape. 1t would require a considerable
police force TO prevent our getting out of
such lodgings, when millions of acres Of
unoccupied lands lie in Gods free sun
light, bathed in His free air. Perhaps it
is this feeling which prevents our sympa-
thizing more with oppressed factory OPP
e~ratives and toiling artiZans, who are
described as living in close rooms and
hot shops, who give so large a part of
their hard earnings 10 some grasping
landlord for a miserable, inadequate
shelter. The tale is pitiful, wondrous
pitiful, and contains much sad truth but
what keeps them there Why will any
one, with feet and hands that no one can
prevent using, travel up and down dirty
alleys, with a cart-load of vaiuabies.
hunting a place 10 lay down his bed and
sleep? If we were an old maid-and
this is considered the most desolate class
Of mankind-had no q dollar and were
making shirts for some shaver at six and
q fourth cents each, we would lie up our
'tother' frock this blessed sun-shiny
morning and travel. not much matter
where, ill we came 10 where there is
room. We could beg lodgings at farm
houses until one would give US work.
We would not calculate this would be
long, for nearly all farmers and their
wives want help and we can do a little OF
most any thing and so can most folks il
they try Well we could get fifty cents
a week, wi h plenty 10 eat, us much pure
air, warm sunlight, cool shade and fresh
water as Queen Vic can use, Allowing
a weok for holidays, fifty cents a week is
twenty-five dollars and u half in the year
and we can dress as gaily as a butterfly
and coZily as a silk worm on ten dollars
per annum So in one year we would
save fifteen dollars and fifty cents. Far
mers are fond of paying in trade, and a:
We would be very civil, no one would
object TO have us for a neighbor-there
would be some little spot with q grea
tree on it, in some old corner where he
would give us half an acre Of ground
maybe for what he owed US; or we coult
pay the rest in making pantaloons 70
the boys, dresses or bonnets for the girls
or milking the cows for the old lady.
there was no man about who wantel
some sewing done, and would pay us il
work, we would borrow a spade, dig u
dirt on oHr land, make it into mud, mi,
some cut straw or hay with it-any far
mer would give us as much straw a
would answer-and begin the foundalio
Of our house! About ten by twelve fee
would be large enough. We would bull
the walls of mud aud straw, and if W
could make no arrangements 10 GO
boards OF shingles, we would have
thaiched with straw. We could get som
one TO make us a door and window f
it, or wait ill we could send TO The Gil
and buy one, and in the meantime han
up Il curtain. When our house was vi
wouldn't we be a freeholder, and have
home without asking anybody's leave
live in their garrett or cellar And f
furniture, couldn't we get store box
Aour barrel, and turn the mouth dow
for "a table? A block of wood wouI
make a sofa, aud we would cushion
with moss. A dollars worth Of musli
would make a bed. bolster and PILLOW
sheets and slips. We could make a be,
stead with slicks-get two tins for te
cents, n for a sauspan, and one for
goblet! A nice flat stone makes a ven
good griddle, and another for a plat
and we could keep house in slyle-raii
our W potatoes and corn! When v