Delaware State journal and statesman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1855-1870, 1867-02-19

EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE NEW
YORK INDEPENDENT.


West to journey only on railroads, or TO
tarry only in hotels If man wants to be-
come acquainted with the Western people,
he must turn aside from the great highways,
and lodge under humble roofs. The pill
grim who has not been in log-eabin has
not been in the West. The household life
of people is one of the most interesting Of
social studies. During the several weeks of
my travel, I have seen the interiors of nearly
hundred homes look back upon these
pictures OF domestic life with more pleasure
than think should experience in looking
back upon the pictures of the Louvre.
Stately mansions and lowly cottages have
alike offered me their welcome. Nothing
in this world is more beautiful than happy
home. My pilgrimage has given me new
sense of the great amount of domestic hap
piness enjoyed by the American people.
Moreover, a tour through the homes of the
Republic magnifes one's idea of the stability
of our national fabric. It Is no wonder that
men are willing to fight for their flresides;
Tor nothing on earth is 30 well worth fight
ing for. The Americans house Ia his castle.
Domestic life in the West ia more self
centered than in the East; that is, home in
the West must, of necessity, find its sources
of enjoyment more within itself, and less in
Its surroundings, than home in the East.
Tho West furnishes fewer advantages of
well-settled communities, of old neighbor-
hoods, and of long established friendships.
A Western farmhouse generally has no
neighbor nearer than horseback ride.
Accordingly, the farmer and his family
spend their evenings at home. A visit re-
| quires the labor of journey. Social life
that is, life among neighbors - becomes
possible only in villages, towns, and cities.
But, wherever social life exists at all In the
West, it is heartily and Enthusiastically en-
| ioYed. 1 suppose that within the space
west Of the Allegheny Mountains and north
of the Ohio there are at least two hundred
towns and cities which have Ave thousand
people and upward. In all these places
with few unhappy exceptions, that are
over-given to money-getting-there is de-
lightful social life, particularly in winter
In many of these towns almost every we'll
| AbputGO lhulllJ hnOnh 0fCRJ OlhCAH hH0
this furnishes great opportunity. More
over, there is no aristocracy, and this is
the greatest Of social blessings. The rich
and the poor meet on equal terms, for the
good reason that the rich were lately poor,
and the poor may be shortly rich. A social
evening spent in Western mans house is
as warm-hearted season as one can desire.
There is very little Of that cold formality
which sometimes Though know not Why
passes for politeness. If the farmer'a
daughters can sing, they sing without max.
ing mawkish excuses If they can enact
) charades, they plunge into the sport without
! unnecessary objections. Frosty manners
are grievance to genuine souls.
) had not expected to see cottage-architec.
ture illustrated by so many specimens ol
beauty as have encountered in these re-
mote regions. The ideal New England
roof, as you know, has no projecting eve
no rich shadow to bedeck the weather
; boards; but in most Of the new cottages O
, any pretensIon in the West notice happy
, touch of the picturesque. Particularly have
been struck with the architectural pretti
, ness of many of the atation-houses along thu
railroads-showing many ingenious adapta
, tions Of the Swiss roof by making 1t to pro
ject over the platform for the shelter of pas
sengers from sun and shower Some o
these modest buildings are of exquisite pro
portion, and here and there have seen on
so absolutely perfect that have been pa
tient with the belated train solely out of re
spect to the beauty Of the passenger station
2 These models, as one can easily see, hav
q had much influence on the ssste for cottage
: building in the thriller Western towns
But cannot hold my peace concerning
b Western brick. The color is ugly and abom
q Unable. l do not mean the Milwaukee
+ tinge, which is pleasant and Ito a stranger
J novel; but mean the Jeraey-mud complex
. ion Of the ordinary red brick of the Wesi
g Houses built Of such brick ought to be eithe
o painted into q Christian appearance, or els
d hidden by growing vines. Left raw, ! bt
!, lieve they tend to corrupt the public morall
An ugly house helps to make a pervers
man.
marvel that Western women do not Gu
tiYate more house-plants. Western dwell
:, ings never have so many fiower-pots in th
~ windows as an Eastern man sees at hom'
The household geranium - dear, sacre
3 plantl-seems to have no rights which I'll
70 Western people are bound to respect. An
is yet, by common consent, it has fee-simpl
q clear title, an undisputed right, to live
r. every good woman's house in all the lam
Of Of course, the prairies are full of flowers
. the summer; but this is all the more reaso
cd why the prairie cottage should be full
oy flowers in the winter. shall never forg
a certain cottage on the prairie at Princeton
10; into which, after long walk through Il
Of STOW, entered to tind whole bower
summer green insidei Such house ofier'
hospitality, not only to the body, but to Il
II soul. And l afterward met, in universl
town, law professor in whom the swe
a. charities Of life abounded to such degr
he as to be totally inexplicable by anythii
belonging to his dusty and mouldy profs
sion; and 1 should have gone off witho
mt an explanation had not happened to dete
his face all aglow while in the pretty act
bs watering his plantsl "He that watere
shall be watered also himself"
is How much bountiful storm of snc
contributes to a winters happiness Ii
I've snow falls in the West than in the East.
Kansas a sleigh-ride Is an unusual tre
iu- In Michigan sometimes q whole win
red comes and goes without the jingling o.
'rt sleigh-bsll. But this winter there has be