The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-03-14
An Essay Written by Lady Officer Of
Shutdown Grange.

WORTHY MASTER: Tho question OF
show to adorn and beautify home"
should naturally lead us to think first of
tho surroundings of home.
Tho suggestions for improvement fre-
quontly receive the reply, at costs too
much money" But this is not the cauge
Of the neglect in every case, for i.iany Of
thoae ..ho have money 10 spare sadly
neglect their premises, while Others, with
taste for Improvement, havo everything
In good order, and with but little means
20 accomplish 1t. A large sum OF money
is not required, but simply u little indus
try and taste In arranging things, to
make them look pleasant and inviting to
the oye. What change would be
wrought In the appearance of great
many homes. If the gardens and door
yards, which are too frequently filled
with wood.piies, heaps OF rubbish, weeds
! and grass, were converted into smooth
lawn, with tastefully arranged trees, or q
nicely kept fower-yard. Trees from the
seed, or by transpIanting, cost but little
effort and no money, and how much do
they add TO tho beauty and comfort of
home!
Flowers add much to tho beauty and
adornment Of home. hnt the majority CT
farmers wives have their time 30 much
taken up with domestic and other duties
that they find little time to devote to the
| cultivation Of flowers. But I think that
1t is part Of oar duty, for besides the
attractiveneas which they lend to home,
do they not tond to refino and elevate our
thoughts, and concentrate them upon the
Creator Of so much grandeur and beau
ty? In the cultivation Of .flowers, as
we'll as in everything else that we UNDER
take, we should remember the old adage,
"Whatever is worth doing at all is worth
doing we'll" Whether we plant variety
OF flowers or only o single rose-bush. we
SHOULD tend them carefully, for If not
properly nurtured, they soon droop and
die, and only the withered stalk Is Lett as
sad momento of our negligence and
carelessness. But this part of my sub
ject will leave for Flora and our worthy
lecturer, VINO is great admirer of flow
els, and takes much interest in their Gull
tivation.
Pictures adorn and beautify home very
much. 'Tis true that very few Of us can
afford these grand old paintings, those
masterpieces of. art which come from
the hand of gifted painters, but there are
pictures within tho reach of every one,
which will please the eye and taste OF the
most refined. Can it be possible that these
bits of canvas change the appearance OF
habits and temperament of the family
clFa.e have .DGoii 10 do with making .
home attractive; but wherever you find
o family that adorns it's home with pic
lures, that loves and cherishes them as
companions, there you will always fi,ul
that degree of refinement which is the
secret of congeninl, fascinating home.
Ti:ore Is in pictures beauty that pleases
the eye, and calls forth admiration-a
beauty that, by it's dclicste shades and
bright colors, appeals to all that is eleva-
ted and refined within us. AS we wander
through the rooms Of homo adorned
with pictures we cannot help hut see
what new grace and new beauty they
add to It. A homo without pictures Is
like stem shorn of its fiawers. IF you
would make O room look neat and invit.
ing, first and above all elae, rob Il ~ its
naked walls by covering them with mod
est and refined pictures.
Books and papers are another sdtirce OF
homo happiness. BY these do not mean
dime novels aud the t=ss..as;iJ t=ss..as;;iiJr literature
which is now so prevyleii.. in our conn
try, but such reading Is ~. bo improv.
ing as wei! rs entertaining. every ono
who can afford 1t should have a we'll Sc
lected library, for besides being an orna-
mont to home. it will prove 70 be q source
Of much pleasure as well >as benefit.
Hut with all It's other attractions, there
isnothing that edds 30 much 10 the real
happiness Of homo-life as cheerful, con-
tented spirit, and the person who pos
scsses auch spirit is truly blessing 40
we'll as an ornament to home.