Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-09-01
EVENING STAR.
ARCHITECTURE AS 4 MORAL REFORM

Farm Cottages"
"Tho pattern, the foundation. the begin
ming OF sii society Is the family In this in.
stitution, to which, more than TO government.
or to great men, the progress Of humanity
| may be traced, centre those ties which oopnec,
the individual with the community at large
Hero we first learn that we are mutually de.
| pendent and reciprocally responsible This
connection, which begins and ends only with
lie, and which holds its members by bonds 50
| strong, and yet so delicate, must powerfully
af1ect, for coed or i'll, all who are within its
inhuencc. Hence the Importance of those
means and instruments by which its power Is
modified. Prominent among these stands the
| Tome an idea so blended with ell the affec-
| tions and associations Of the family, that the
terms are almost conyertible -
Every enlightened plan for the advance
ment OF family influences, end Of society in
| general, will incude among its earliest efforts
the improvement Of dwellings, and this. not
| only III respect OF physical comfort, but of that
ald which they can be made ID render in the
| suggestion IF salu;ary associations and forma-
ton of desirable habits When architeeture
contributes to such an object, she NAV Justly
claim the highest praise Splendid monu-
ments, temples, and palaces, do, indeed. ex-
hloit the wonders Of invention and tasteful
Skill They proclaim the wealth and crafty
the PRIDE, OF individuals and of nations They
may act as beneficial stimulus to the publ,c
taste But he who improves the dwelling
houses ot people in relation to their COM
forts, habits, and morals, makes n benignant
society"
Still more, tho moral view Of domestic ar-
chltecturc includes the idea oc
= PERMANENT HOME
40 have a nome which a man has him self
i.I, 4.
improved or beaUtihed-a home, indeed
Which With honest pride and natural love. he
calls MS OWLS an additional security for
any mans virtue. Such a home he leaves
with regret; to 1T he gladly returns There ne
finds lnnocont and satisfying pleasures There
MS ~ito aid little ones are happy and safe :
and there ali his best affections take root and
grow. To such pair, as time advances, this
ahodc OF thcir carly and middle lifo. whence
they have, perhaps, all departed, becomes
constantly moro dear; for il is now 4 $. enc of
precious memories-the undisturhed shelter
of their declining years. And say what Iapse
of time. what travelled distance, what varied
experience Of prosperity, ct sorrow, can ever
eilace tho good impression made hV such n
home on the tender heart Of childhoOi7 To
the tempted youth, to TIE wandercr from yir-
tue, to tho SD victim Of misfortune, such a
remembrance has often proved strengthen
ing monitor, or g healing balm. Nor can this
kindly influence wholly fail, so long rs the
dear objects Of that familiar scenc retain a
place in memory, connected, as they INSOFAR
ably are, with thoughts of fathers counscls,
mothers tenderness, a sisters purity, and
brothers love-"
70 secure fixed home, it is generally ne
ccssary for city dwellors 10 g into the sg-
burbs, or along the line IF n r3iiroad into the
country; hut against this operates mistaken
notion as TO
CITY NOISE AND COUNTRY QUIET.
To men familiar with city noise and ac-
tIvity, the quiet country often seems sluggish
and nonotoEous Unhappy they who have
become unable To appreciate the power and
beauty Of repoSe Be- assured that in these
calm scenes may be found peace and joy
unknown to the restless town. In the culture
of domestic affections; in training your chill
dren to habits Of industry, learning, and good.
ness; in reading and reflection; in the pleas
ant toll of the garden in social intercourse
with your neighbOrS, and in good Offices to all
who need them-you will fad healthful and
delightful occupation for every hour which
you are permitted to pass at home. This is
not an imaginary picture. The experiment
has keen tried by thousands, who are aow en-
joying its fruits; by men, women, and chill
dren, who once wilted and piDed amid stones
and bricks In the close city air, but who now
iuXuriate among trees and grass and flowers,
and feasting upon their unbought dainties,
are happier than kings"
Such an old rambling town as Northamp.
ton, Massachusetts,, with its winding grassy
lanes, has often made US conscious, Uy con-
trast, of the
UGLISEss OF REGULARITY AND sANENEss
"We have already expressed cur conviction
that ru-al llages need net and ought not TO
be laid out with checker board exactness
Ian &c q. Ia
Wo say 'suppoSed'-fOr some good reason
might be given against it even in these On
the score both Of looks and cost il should ceg-
tainly be avoided in the country. BY letting
the streets follow, in the main, the natcral
grade, there will be saving Of trouble and
expense. The lots upon them will rnt be
spoiled by cuts and embankments Riding
and walking will be facilitated and made
more agreeable by the pTeSeryations of levels
or Of easy climbing, graceful curves. 1t is
far more important that the house which is to
be your hCme and that of your family. should
be pleasant in its position and surroundings,
than that it should be placed at the shortest
possible distance from the railroad station-a
distance that will usually be travelled but
twice day Decentralization, duly weighed,
will certainly have some influence IN deciding
how village streets and lanes shall run The
tendency to imitation is perhaps seon in no
thing more than in the houses which men
build. Unfortunately the copying
tendencies TO which VIC now refer usually run
in very different direction from that of fit-
ness or Of grace. We need not mention in
stances, To every observant person they are
perfectly familiar. Often some peculiarly of
material or form, or ornament, or color, intro
duced by one ambitious man, sets the fashion
for whole street, or even town. The moro
uncouth, or fantastic, OF incongruous such fea-
lures arc, the more likely they are TO re-
appear with every new structure that is reared
Surely such mimicry as this is unworthy of a
people who profess entire freedom of thought
and action"
The human body, and everything in nature,
should make house builders aware Of what
may be learnedly called ..,
"FUNcrIoSAL BEAUTY, IN HOUSES.
"sHouscs,' says Bacon, are built 10 live in,
not to look at Were this truth uppermost in
tho thoughts of every man who builds house
for himself or others our domestic architec-
ture would be greatly modified. 1t would GER
tainly be moro comfortable. Can we doubt
that it would be better looking? The house
which is built TO 'look at is very apt to be