Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-12-13
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Home Attractions.

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The next best thing to living ir
constant, loving intercourse with ma
ture 10 to bring nature within the
walls of our houses rs much as we
possibly can, yes, and to our SCHOOL
rooms also. For what books are TO
grown people in the matter of fur-
thering their education, PICTURES are
to children, and pictures il. the nur-
sery or the room where the young
child spends most of his time, being
the only books he can read, are of
more importance in the house than
the pictures and furniture of the
drawing room. The very fret things
that our eyes are attracted to on en-.
tering house are the pictures ham
ing on the walls. live see nothing
but family pIctnres, we are disap-
pointed. for It dictates lack of oul-
ture and expansion of thought. On
the contrary, some lovely landscape,
some interesting castle of olden time
which the imagination can endow
with The life that used to hustle in
and around il; some scriptural scene,
cannot help pleasing aud eleyating
the soul of every behoider.
But an important question is, what
should the pictured be in the various
rooms of our homes +? Let there be
some family pictures in each
room, the ones of those who have
departed and occupy the most sacred
places in orr bearts; let as place in
ou,. bedrooms, together with other
pictures expressing devotion and
affectionate intercourse, such as
children playing around their par
entr, or winding flowers, guardian
angles watching over them, or other
similar subjects.
The nursery must not have the
same pictures year after year, but
any pictures representing objects of
natural history, birds or animals,
must be changed tor others of sim-
liar character. &
The dining room need not have
hunting scenes, fruit pieces, MAPS of
the world, and pictures appealing to
the senses only, but some scriptural
scenes calculated to remind US that
we do not live on bread alone, should
find a place here also.
The parlor has been spoken OF in
the first place some historical pic.
lures of scenes, or people who have
lived and died for noble cause
must also find place there, espec-
tally if there is no waiting room or
library to receive visitors.
The kitchen must have some flow
or pictures, as it in too hot there for
natural flowers to grow; picture
of some cool-looking fountain or wa
terfall is freshing TO the hot and tired
cook, who is, in many cases, the wife
and neither, of refined taste and pa
tient spirit. No matter if the flies do
hover over the fine gauze put over
the pictures, few cents will renew
it. J% tHE lcs be
Pictures are now brought in the
reach of every one, and he who pre-
fers bare walls must have had sad
and joyless childhood, to make him
the sordid utilitarian that he lie! Cab,
but who wants such pictures as
that!' exclaims some Mr.. proud or
Discomfort. Unless | can have
foe steel engrayings, or oil paint ngs
| would rather have my walls hare!
Every poor man can have these pic
lures, so / don't want them"
Then give them to the poor men,
and help beautify his humble ho me.
Perhaps your grandfather could not
have been made to believe that the
honest oil painting or steel engra Fing
could ever be reproduced 30 artistic
ally that he could not tell the differ
ence between the copy and the orig
inal, and would be reproduced sold
for sum within the reach of any
man of taste and refinement, no nat
tor how humble may be his calling
Perhaps he would call in one of the
greatest blessings this century has
brought on US.
Flowers in pots and in vases in OUT
houses express in another form our
love for the beautiful. They are The
poetry Of nature, the strongest proof
Of out. Heavenly Fathers love for US
Let children early cultivate and care
for them, make presents with them
to the members of your family, youl
friends, to the poor, the sick in thC
hospitals. to the prisoner in bis cell
They carry JOY and gladness where
ever they 90. Thank God for The
flowers.