Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-03-15
The Value OF Beauty.

At a recent agricultural meeting in
Pennsylvania il was discussed whether IL
was worth while, from Il monetary point
of view. To ornament farm grounds. u
is remarkable that. of the great number
of things discussed. no question seemed
80 very interesting. One would think
that such subject needed no Discussion;
but when We drive through the country
and see so many farmho,.SCS not only
without beauty. but absolutely without
cOmfort-and even in defiance of all
beauty. rs if checrlcSS. miserable condi-
ton were actually prcfrrahic-it Is clear
that the question was not at all apointlesS
one.
One speaker at that mcctin" put the
mater in a practical light in this way:
If. he asked. we are buying apples in the
market. and have two samples before us
both large. both of equally excellent
flavor. both. in fact, precisely the same III
every Respect. except that one Is of
green. uninviting tint. and the other rcd
and rosy--which do we take? Indeed,
there i IN every breast love of beatty,
and in many respects it is all we live for.
We like this world because il is beautiful;
because the flowers bloom, the trees grow.
and the birds sing bccauSe our eyes, ears
and all our senses are pleased: and be-
cause it is beauty that lends more than
any other element those charms of life
which So delight us: and, whether We
are conscious OF it or not. il enters largely
in all our calculations as 10 what we shall
buv and what We will own.
To make our homes beautiful should be
the one object OF our lives. The mere
making money is I'll very well. 1t is in
d, cd one of the virtues He who is will
ing to work. and is anXions To make and
to save money by his hard labor. may
have vices but he is seldom 50 cOarSely
bad as the shiftlcss spcndthrift who. while
riIiculing the saving habits of parents or
friends, is vet willing to borrow from or
spend money for them But too often
these praiSewOrtfy. frugal, and saving
habits degenerate into a rule of life, and
very little happiness or good in any shape
results from the money made. y very
little of these SavingS-a very little time
spent on beautifying ones home-put
new phase on existence: and We really
believe men would live an average of ten
years more than they do if thsy were To
say once in a while 'begOne dull care" IN
the mere matter of mOney-making, and
devote little time each day or so to max
ing a sort of Eden of their home and the
surroundings. But it is not so much of
the mere pleasure that we would speak.
There is actual money in beauty. As the
speaker above said of a beautiful apple, so
il is of beautiful farm. As a general rule
a place i'm which taste is exhibited, and
everything is kept up in nice style, will
bring double that Of one i'm which misery
and ruin rules complete. Its to be noted,
however. that these pretty places are sell
dom for sale. Those who cultivate these
tasteful habits with the view of selling
their places in consequence of improving
them, seem to thrive in every other way;
and i'm time come to the conclusion that
they can afford it. and may as well enjoy
life i'm the midst of beautiful surroundings
as to sell out for other people to enjoy.
TEs p-ess