The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-12-06
The Improvement OF Farm Homes.
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should be the earnest prayer of every
true man and woman who desires per-
sOnal improvement and the improve
ment of ones condition. How often is
it the case that people get into a rut
without knowing it, and travel there
for years. So people acquire bad per-
sOnal habits, and never suspect it, be-
cause no one ever draws their attention
to the facts. So, whatever people be-
come accustomed to by daily use, they
are apt to think all right. l know a
farmer whose pump is always out of
repair, the water running down as soon
as the pump stands still; and he and
his family have used it in that condi-
ton for several years.
know another farmer who with small
outlay could have water brought into
his house for domestic use, and yet for
years they have brought water in pals
from a brook several rods distant from
the house every week for washing pur-
poses, and no one of the household has
thought it at all strange, until the mat
ter IF bringing water to the house from
a spring near by was suggested by a
friend, who was struck with the great
Inconvenience they continually submit
ted to in the way above stated; and
then for the first time they all won
dered that they had not thought of it
before.
There are very few farmers W no
could not be reminded by some out
sider-some one who is not a farmer
of Inconvenience which they never
thought of, or of some downright bad
things about their premises in sari-
tary view. so it is unwise to say in an
swer to criticisms of this sort made by
strangers: ''What do they know
about it?''
Nothing can be of more Importance
to anyone, and especially to a farmer,
than home, the house he lives in, its in
ternal arrangements as to convenience
and health. Home should be the best
place ON earth; and whether it be SO or
not depends upon the inmates of the
house largely, and especially upon the
head of the family. If he is the man
he ought to be, he will leave nothing in
his power undone to secure comfort,
health, happiness. Of course, there
must be a desire and cheerful deter
minatiOn on the part of every member
of the family to make home place of
rest and peace and comfort, so that, in
deed, there shall be no place SO good
as home. Comfort, neatness, order,
cheerfulness, and sunshine should pre-
vail
will now speak of one subject which
to my mind is of superior Importance
in the matter of health and cheerful
ness-and that is to have the house SO
arranged as to admit abundant light,
sunshine and pure air. A house should
be SO situated that during some part OF
the day sun will shine into every room
in the house; and to facilitate this there
should be spacious windows, to admit
sunshine. Small windows and thick
paper curtains are an abomination. No
room should be too good for the sun to
shine into. Let the carpets fade; but
let your house be dry, warm, cheerful
and your children ruddy and healthy.
The sunshine will not fade their faces,
whatever it may do to carpets. 1t is
much cheaper to buy new carpets &C.
casionally than to pay doctors bills and
funeral expenses. Don't have any room
in the house too good to live in. Kitch-
en-bred children will have kitchen
manners. People who live mean will
be mean and do mean things. Enjoy
the best you have. 1t is none too good.
Next to light, sunshine and pure air, is
a good open fireplace in every room;
not for ornament, but for use, daily use.
l don't know who first conceived the
idea of tight stove; but he must have
been gloomy fellow. If he did not
commit suicide, it must have been be.
cause he was prematurely cut off by
disease or accident. In the country on
a farm the expense of fuel can be nc
valid objection to open fires. They
give the best heat-direct radiation
Of any means of warming the dwelling,
and they are the best possible means OF
ventilation, in the opinions of the best
scientists upon this subject. How
cheerful is the open fire, and how all,
from the Oldest to the youngest, love to
gather round it and gaze at its ever
changing forms and bask in its genial
warmth.
I'VE piled with care our nightly stack
OF wood against the chimney-back