North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1870-04-27
True Ends of Housekeeping.

rTVul EmeISohs new volume uf ESSAYS.
Let us understand that a house should
bear witness in all its economy that hui
man culture is the end tc which it is built
and garnished. 1t stands there under the
sun and moon to ends analogous AID not
less noble than theirs. 1t is not for ie,tiv.
ity, and not for sleep; but the pine and
the oak shall gladly DESCEND from the
mountains to uphold the roof of men as
faithful and necessary as themselves. to
he the shelter always open to good ard
true persons, hall which shines with
sincerity, brows ever tranquil, and Il
demeanor impossible to Gisconcert. whose
inmates know what they want, who do
not ask your house how theirs should be
kept. They have aims; they rannot
pause for trtles. The quiet of the house
does not create it's order, but knowled ge
character, action, absorb SO much life, ard
yield SO much entertainment, thar the
refectory has ceased to he SO curipn-iy
studied. With a change of aim has fol
lowed change Of the whole seal. hg
which men and things were wont 10 lie
measured.
Wealth and poverty are seen for what
they are. 1t hegins to be seen that the
poor are only they that feel poor. and
poverty consists in feeling poor. The
rich, as We reckon them, and among them
the very "ich, in Il true scale, would bc
found very INDECENT and ragged. The
great make us feel, first of all, the indf-
ference of circumstances. They call into
activity the higher perceptions, and subs
due the low habits Of comfort and luxury,
but the higher perceptions find their OF
jects everywhere only the low habits
need palaces and banquets.
Let man, then, say, my house is here
in the country, for the culture of the
country an eating house and sleeping
house for travellers it shall be- but it shall
be much more. | pray you, Q excellent
wife, not to cumber yourself or me to get
nice dinner for this man or this woman
who has alightcd at our gate, nor bed
chamber made ready at too great an ex-
pense. These things, if they are curious
in, they can get for dollar at any vii
lage.
But let this stranger, if he will, in your
looks, in your accent and behavior, read
your heart and earnestness, your thought
and ...will, which he cannot buy Eat any
price, in any village, and which be may
travel fifty miles and dine sparely and
sleep hard, in order to behold. Certainly
let the board be spread and let the bed be
dressed for the traveller. But let not the
emphasis of hospitality lie in these
things. Honor to the house where they
are simple to the verge of hardship, so
that there the intellect is awake, and reads
the laws Of the universe, the soul worships
truth and love, honor and courtesy flow
into all deeds.
| iheiS WIS 'C'Si u SouHtis III ti'c WI ~
which could so easily exhibit this heroism
as ours-never any where has the state
made such efficient provision for popular
education, where intellectual entertainment
is so within the reach of youthful amhi
ton. The poor mans son is educ?ted.
There is many All humble house, in every
city, in every town, whcre talent and taste
and sometimes genius, dwell with poverty
and labor Who has not seen, who can
see unmoved, under low roof, the
eager, b!ushing boys dischsrging as they
can, their household chores. and hasten
ing into the study rooms to the study of
to-morrow's merciless lesson. vet stealing
time to read one chapter more of the
novel hardly smuggled into the tolerance
of father and mother-atoning for the
same by some pages Of Plutarch or Cold
smith the warm sympathy with which
they kindle each other in schoolyard OF in
barn or wood shed, with scraps of poetry
or song, with phrases Of the last grafton.
or mimicry ri the orator, the youthful
criticism on Sunday of the sermons, the
school declaration faithfully rehearsed at
home, sometimes to the fatigue, sometimes