Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1872-04-11
Home Life in America.

1t Is the habit of old people to cry down
the present. and cry up the past. 1t was
different when we were young they say;
land il was better" they generally add
The old time is always the good time, with
The old and. we suppose, always 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.
II was 50 in Gree &c aud Rome. and !, was
80 in England when this cap was new
everything was as il should be; aud every
virtue under the sun was impersonated in
The Queens Old Courtier.' and 'Fine
Old English Gentleman II was pity
that thr~e WORTHLESS had to die before their
virtues could be found out: but they had To
all the same. We do not agrr~ nth the
poets III this matter. and never shall. But
We are willing To agree with them. II the.
will agree with Us Newil III admit that the
old time j. the best time. hut they must adj
init that no time j. 80 old Il the present
time. II Is the fact. whether they admit u
or not. and II follows therefore. that u j.
The best time. Aud It ought 10 be for pe'-
ple>, Ike persons. live and lertn-" Were
il otherwise, all the battles that have been
lost and won. all the great men who have
lvrd AM died crythiug, In short that
was. and j. not. would have been Ia uo pur
pose. II l. the crab thai walks backwards
NOT man. The race adv uccs; II does
not recede.
Not to phi!os ophi~c ou 20 evident tru-
ism however. Der u look little into tie
simple matter az hons lie Forty. thirty,
twenty wears ago. the Hsme Lit 81 Amer
Ca Vs. very different from what IL J. to-
dav II was less expensive, an les com
Portable. The man OF average means lived
within his means hut 81 was a. the sacri-
nc~ Of something. lie did no; DENY him
self The creature comfort. but he denied
himself the luxury Of books. aud his wife
and daughters the luxury Of dr'>>. finy
calico dresses were worn then where one y
worn now: while books. which now run
through twenty editions. were a long time
then IN creeping through one Whether
there are not too manY books. and too few
calico dresses. now. i not the ucStion; u
&. the fact which We are considering. Thir-
~ year. ago the cost of a good brick house.
in a pleasant city street was about equal
10 the yearly rental OF such house now
a. any rate. 1t was not much greater. 10 he
sur. there were drawbacks To those houses
which DO longer exist.
We have ventilation where ihcy had
none We are warm where lhsy were cold /.
IN % her words. Ne have comfort where
they had discomfort. This has coat u>
something. bat II - worth what Il has cost
~ Who will may wish back the close
chambers. the windy passage ways. tn"
the har7. black ha.r-cloih Of forty year.
ago. We would n soon wish back the IN
carpcicd floors. sud the wooden scticc. az
our ancestors. These we're good enough.
perhaps .oF The old time. but thcy a.c uoi
good cnsu-A for the oder time ". have
iv,d-aud learned
There : no ROYAL road 80 learning is
~ old axiom. hut the average American
" I'D not h,. COM .ucri 81 the truth ~ X II
f. Lard 20 convince htn 81 she truth o: aus.
;hiug. when Il d. 70 A!~ Interest io believe
she contrary. he can eud. ~ make rusal
goad> auywh here Ard hc dprs iLough
'.4ny ~ them are pa, cl with au3iH.f- agt
good Intentions Get ri.H. fus som. get
rrh- honestly tfyouean: ifro'- -ri III. a "
. Il was uot "a ! rene Au.au ~ An -a.t. tAt-. a.-
i.aH-h ouc uI-h' thank 500. lut D. U.sil-or
oi ihaf piain-~Pr King >rct-ilc Qu4kcr-.
The average American doe not soak ~
+ in meeting. he j. too smart ar Aai-hr
+ merely puts bis intention ia pra,' -r. ! =
. 500 ~a uu,h his ait. icrhap-. a. ihr fault
& ihr prtind. that BE- u8sr~ haste rs -E,W
RCD EtvrA body does 80. HE standard
F ut morals j. up longer wAat it Wa Many
! tAil-~ haNc teu~ytrCa. ~ late. fu change
& among other. the success which How :
hose who violate ii most audl,iou-y II
+ = ~ matter how th'y get I.Ch-ifthoy ou-
{ y get rirh enough
"Piai. in in guld
Ana fhe strong lane. q lu.iier hurtis.- hr, ~
Arm q in rag. pigIuS. straw doth lirrr-. ii -'
lA, PASSION ~ America TODAY. - th,
pu-s.1u OF wealth. and it, weakness L. the
weakness Tor display. Both an bad. b.
doubt, from moral point ot view. still
III are productive II good. But Tor the
iir>tne should Doe content. 1--WE on e were.
with sta2e-coacAc~ and >ailiu. packets aud
bat for the last We should be content with
The old, worn ogi homes or our ancestors.
/ Now we ar content with neither. The
I change which has q, me over u Ia regard
! :, home Nie, ~ ,,ta. 49,. --t -,
( have growu-we VIII not Say more culilya-
I'd or more refined FOR that would sound
ofIensiyc) but more cosmopolitan. We arr
not merely Americans. We are citizens 4
the world. We have learned 10 travel. aud
have learned something BY our travel 10
hc sure. We ara laughed al abroad e-t.cc-
tally for our extravaganza. hut Jet those
laugh who win. They do not laugh h.
London over the rare books which Ne pgr-
chase for our libraries. nor Dc TIE, laugh
DO Paris over 10" pictures which We pur-
chase for our galleries We bring back
m-ce than We take away This fact j. y.
where 80 apparent ia many American
. homes
IL is not merely that the walls which
were arcc bare are now crowded wiki plc-
tIrr>, her that the rooms which ere called
+ libraries now contain book. .t j. ln ia,
general air Of elegance AID Refinement
which PcrS AIDES the whole housed hold Add
which la itself ! a liberal education