Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1872-12-25
How to Make the Farm House Pleas
ant, H3


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nu" 70 make tne arm-H0u80 floa6'
!. amt
Match n, .,os ,.e ~. o~la
nro ,ssad 49, .,,nnoa 80. ~
lIcs m ~ hnsn. nd,nan snd ns;a,a.' M
| bovc evh.ns,oJ ,ha;r mos, rIow;n,
colo,s ~ 49,, :. ,,;rr ~ hooy,;as =
nastorol saanos p5;losnnhars hav.
prahed the ;ndsnandence ~ The farm
a. ,opd roI;,;nol oc,noo;s,s hav.
united IN daclar;no that be ia IN,
MAD nron of ,ho State and the chic
nrodncer IF not;onal wealth Ifnoa,s
painters nhilosonhers and noIitica
| theorixers nre to be believed there /,
M emnlormo,t which Ia M orce ar
nleasant so d;gn;6cd so indenanden,
snd g iinportan ns 10 tho f5fate a. thal
of the agricultural classes.
We do not quite credit all that the
imaginative beings referred to, have
said and sung about the joys and the
glories OF rural life, but we see nc
reason why the farmer OF even mod
crate means should not mako bis
homo the seat OF tho most substantial
and rational enjoyment. Yet it mus,
be admitted that most OF our Pennsyl
vanla landowners tall far short OF this
moderate task. Nowhere does agri
culture yield moro certain reward to
dillgent and well directed labor than
II does with us. II the owner OF Q
hundred acres OF improvable and un
encumbered soil does not speedily
place himself beyond the reach OF pc
cuniary difficulties, it is almost always
his own fault. Most OF our farmers
are sufficiently Independent to afford
to pay attention to those things which
adorn life and render home attractive
AS general thing few OF them fail to
provide well for the grosser wants ol
nature, but, in too many cases, there
is n lack of attention to intellectual
and social requirements.
In Lancaster county. for instance
the farm house ia generally a com.
fortable structure sometimes erected
with Architectural taste and surround
ed in most cases with shade.trees
and sbrubberv. The interiors of these
dwellings, are almost invariably fur.
nished with all tho annliances neces
sarv 10 insure mers creature comfort
and all that is needed TO round ou,
tbe lives Of the occupants and make
Them really pleasant, is attention tc
sucb things as give culture to the in.
tollect and add refinement 10 exist.
encc For many of our farmers their
crops. their stock and their daily
round of accustomed labor. ia all thai
life contains. They arc too often con.
tent to starye the intellects of them.
selves and of their families, and thee
care TOO little for the many seemingly
unimportant things which make the
distinction between a lower and O
higher phase of being. The family 1:
too often huddled into the kitchen OF
into one crowded sitting room, during
the long winter evenings, which ought
Ito be devoted to culture of the better
part Of the whole household. The
parlors are cold and eheerless, unless
there be company, and no pleasant
light burns behind the tightly closed
shutters, There arc handsome farm
houses in Lancaster county which
have not been thoroughly lighted OF
warmed since the form OF some mem
Der OF the family was borne out OF The
front door on a bier and The double
front doors OF not lew OF them, viii
remain closed until pale death, with
impartial step, shall knock at them
again The funeral feast which iol,
lows burial among certain classes OF
our people, through one of tho most
ancient usages OF their Saxon ances-
tors, Is custom which would be
"more honored in the breach than IN
the Observance" A pomPous funeral
is a poor recompense for cramped
and unadornable life. What is need
ed by very many OF our farmers, is
less love OF money, for it's poor self,
less of hat earth hunger which tcmpts
them to add acre to acre, and more OF
that capacity for enjoying existence
which Is perfectly consistent with q
rational economy in expenditure.
Farmers ought to live in their
houses instead Of keeping all the best
rooms shut up, except when opened
for show. More than those who live
in towns and cities do they need to
make .hoir homes pleasant and TO
bring ,ear to themselves aud their
childre, the means for home culture.
They can better afford to do without
some luxury for the table, or even
some convenience for lessening labor
than without books. So little value
do many farmers set upon intellectual
culture so little do they feel the crav-
ings ofmcntal hunger, that it is rath-
or an uncommon thing to find Penn
sylyann farmhouse at which daily
newspaper is taken, and not uncom-
mon 10 find farmers of considerable
means too careless or too parsimonl'
ous to subcribe tor weekly journal.
All this is sadly and seriously wrong.