Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1875-07-28
''DOOr steps"

TIE following warm-w weather sug
gestlon comes to us from the coun
try:
"A country-house in summer is de-
lightful in proportion to its piazzas
and its shade-trees. The shade trees
a'e TO" MONDAY heats, but the piazza:
belong especially 10 the golden hour
the cleaning add the moonlight The
house Itself has to b. but when one
can make the compromise between
the PASTORAL simplicity Of living alto.
gether out Of doors AID the civilized
necessity Of architecture, it is fair to
suppose that the happy medirm IS at
tai aed. And just at the door-steps
there is this combination of security
and freedom, of unconstcaint and the
prophecies, which satisfies at the same
time the natural proclivit;es and the
a"iiic'at tastes. Certainly the sum
mer bteezes and odors have something
to do vita ones enjoyment; but the
asce!lc value Of Inc surroundings is a
large unknown quantity.
One does not often sit solitary on
ones doorstep to watch the stars.
There is a so:t of sociability that is OF
the summer. Perhaps it comes more
perceptibly to us who have inst esca-
ped the rigors OF winter; at any rate,
it belongs especially to the summer
time, and takes tone and color from
the surroundings. 1t is a part of the
twilight in the country, and has q
prominent place in everybody's wine
and fg-tree" ideal.
At first the family is attracted to
the one person sitting on the dooc-
steps. Tee modem piazza is me"e
ezpargioa of the primitive doorstaps,
ani is The same significant border
cCultrv. Tho cares and an;'e,ies Of
life are 80 b" cortinuod' another LAY,
Ike serial story in the next number
Of the magazine. In the meantime,
there IS the border country, whore
there is neither house work nor ga
den labo". After the family are as
sembled, friends drop in, and neigh
bors stop at the gate, They have
something sensible to say, as, "What
beautiful roses you haye!" or, Give
brought You some harvest apples"
Then they came up the gravel wall; ;
you extend to them the Inequalities
OF your door Steps, and soclability is
accomplished. There are no elaborate
toilets 10 prepare, 40 "fuss and feath.
e;s," And to be social without the
aid Of she butcher, the baker, the
candles,ick-maker," is beyond belief
one accepts it as certain spiritual man,
ites!atons are accepted-as q matter
of experience. 1t was in this way
that orr Sociables originated, and we
called them, significantly, "Door,
steps" 1t is a good name. Grad
ually we found out the morole that
I've already attempted to indicate. Ii
does not limit us TO the outside or the
inside Of the house, but only means
homeIy, home-'ike, hearty hospitality,
better than mere sans sOuci.
The silver moon rolls on to our faint
praises, and we talk commonplaces tc
its accompaniment Does anybody
suppose that on this account we don't
know how beautiful it all is ? The
light falling softly on the TIRE tops
aud in silvcry shafts among The bran
ches the DIM, hazy shadows on the
lawn the lake or river glittering in
the valley, and the pale gray noun
tains beyond. OF course we know all
about it, but we don't encroach on the
domains of the poets and the essay
lists. So we talk our commonplace,
and find ourselves refreshed and cheer,
ed thereby. | can't pretend to tell
why this is so, bat the knowledge is
drawn from observation. We are lit
erary chiefly in the way OF remlnis
cences. Our dramatic rectatives are
often the well-remembered treasures
Of our school-days. We rescue "Sir
John Moore" and "Marco Bozzaris"
from oblivion. Somebody remembers
a little of Shakespeare or has learned
a little of Tennvson and that satisfies
our modest ambition.-"Home and
Society , Stribner for august.