Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1872-04-11
Hume Life in America.

past. III was different when we
were young they say "and it was
better" they generally add. The
old time is always the good time,
with the old. and, we suppose, al
ways will be. The poets have done
much to bring about this opinion,
for they are never weary Of singing
about ''the days that are no more"
1t was so in Greece anI Rome, and
it was so in England. "When this
old cap was new" everything was as
1t should be; and every virtue under
the sun was impersonated IN "The
Queens Old Courtier," and "Flne
Old English Gentleman" 1t was q
pity that these worthless had to die
before their virtues could be found
out; but they had to all the same.
We do not agree with the poets in
this matter, and never shall. Bu,
we are willing to agree with them,
if they will agree with us. We will
admit that the old time is the best
time, but they must admit that no
time is so old as the present time. 1t
is the tact, whether they admit it or
not, and 1t follows, therefore, that it
is the best time. And it ought to
be; for peoples, like persons, Give
and learn Were it otherwise, all
tic battles that have been lost and
won, all the great men who have
lived and died--everything, in short
that was. and is not, would have been
to no purpose. II is the crab that
walks backwards-not man. The
race advances; 1t does not recede.
Not TO philosophise on so evident
trulsm, however, let Us look a little
into the simple matter OF home life.
Forty, thirty, twenty years ago, the
Home life OF America was very dit
ferent from what it is today. 1t
was less expensive. and it was less
comfortable. The man of average
means lived within his means, but it
was at the sacrifice of something
He did not deny himself the "crea-
ture comforts" but he denied him.
self the luxury of books, and his wite
and daughters the luxury OF dress.
Fifty calico dresses were worn then
where one is worn now while books,
which now run through twenty edi
tlons, were long time then in creep
ing through one. Whether there
are not TOO many books, and too few
calico dresses, now, is not the ques-
ton; it is the fact which we are con-
sidcring. Thirty years ago the cost
of a good brick house. in a pleasant
city street, was about equal to the
yearly rental Of such house now !:
at any rate, it was not much greater.
To be sure, there were drawbacks
to those houses, which no longer ex-
ist. We Lave ventilation whero we
had none; we are warm where we
were cold in other words, we have
comfort where we had discomfort.
This has cost us something, but It is
worth what it has cost us. Who
will may wish back the close cham
bers, the winding passage ways, the
hard, black hair.clo,h sofas OF forty
years ago. We would as soon wish
back the uncarpetca floors, and the
wooden settles OF our ancestors.
These were good enough, perhaps,
for the old time, but they are not
good enough for the older time.
We have liyed-and learned.
"Thcre is no royal road to learn
ing" is an old maxim, but the aver.
age American will not be convinced
OF the truth oft. It is hard to con-
vince him Of the truth of anything,
when il Is to his interest to believe
the contrary. lie can find or make,
royal roads anywhere. And he does,
though many OF them are paved-with
anything but good intentions. "Get
rich, my son, get rich, honestly If
you can; it not--get rich" 1t was
not Frenchman who said this. al
though one might think so, but a
member OF that plain-speaking sect
the Quakcrs. The average Amer
lean does not "speak out in meeting"
he is too smart for that-he merely
puts his intention in practice. 1t is
not so much his fault, perhaps, as the
taul. OF the period, that he makes
haste TO grow rich. Everybody
does so. The standard OF morals is
no longer what it was. Many things
have conspircd, OF late, to change it
among others the success which fol
lows those who violate it most au
daciously. 1t is no matter how they
get rich if thay only get ricl
enough!
ssPlate ain in gold
And the strong lance Of justice hur,l cs:
breaks;
Arm it in rags, piymy's straw doth pierce
it,"
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