The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-04-20
A Support for the Family.
[By Col. Thomas c. noward.I


placed on our lips by the Savior of
manklng, and all the inspired
teachers of God have spoken of
creature comforts" as ministering
agents to the better and higher
development of the human being.
1t is not our purpose now to expand
to any tedious extent the close
affinity between a liberal supply of
food for the family and an enhance
ment of the social and moral part
of our nature. Extremes meet, it
is true, in this domain, as to most
others, and gluttony and fastidious
delicacy are not much less hurtful
to the physical or moral nature than
a sordid and beggarIy penury.
While we have many instances of
whole tribes of men who are de
graded and barbarized by scant and
insufficient food provision, we, fortu-
nately for mankind, have only in
rare instances, examples of any com
munities which have been degraded
by the debauchery of gluttony. But
if we will reflect upon the tendency
of a generous living, we must ad-
NIT that besides the qualification of
the appetite in a well spread board,
and the building up of the physical
frame, there is an effect in we'll
cooked and appetizing food, taste
fully spread upon the table, which,
if not supersensuous, is yet very
nearly akin to a pure, moral effect.
The happy, golden medium is that
which we should pursue, and the in
vocation should be, 'give me neither
poverty, nor riches" To return to
our first suggestion, the Importance
of a generous support for the family.
With food in this element and a
healthful climate, constantly and
abundantly supplied, the much
larger part of domestic trouble and
solicitude is past. Raiment we can
in some measure provide for, and
there are so many ways in which
vital necessity may be met and
palliated, that it is in very few fami-
lies the greater trouble. But our
daily food makes instant, remorse-
less demands, and with them we can
make at best, but sorry terms, if we
are not ready to respond. We know
that many families make for them
selves great and uncalled for ankle
ties, and bring upon them by i'm
providence constant eXigence in the
means of subsistence. 1t is nOtori-
ously true, that in thousands of
families, even among those living in
the country, and depending upon
rural pursuits, there is a constant
solicitude felt about the means for
supplying the family with sufficient
food. This is indeed, surprising
fact. Here we have staples of the
greatest value and the range of pro
duction wider than can be found in
most countries or sections, Within
a distance of two miles of the spot
upon which we live, the largest
yield this side of the Rocky Noun
tains of wheat has been raised on a
single acre, which has ever come to
the knowledge of the writer. We
raise with the greatest success, oats,
rye, barley, corn, clover, lucerne,
sweet and Irish potatoes, and the
COW pea, and last, but how far from
least, we grow Bermuda grass in the
greatest perfection. If called on to
name a section where a greater
variety of luscious and healthful
fruits was exhibited and grown year
by year, than is produced right in
our midst, we could not do so.
Bees do as well here as in most
other localities, and we opine far
better than in certain portions of
the country where a speciality is
made of bee culture. We are about
as advanced in the knowledge of
varieties of poultry and the care of
it as most any other community to
be found, and we have as large and
encouraging results of our efforts in
this department of home economy
as most others. Then why is it
that we should ever feel any dis
turbing concern about the daily pfo-
visions for the family support? 1t
would rather be expected of us that
we should live generously and abun-
dainty at home ourselves, and be
ready at all times to dispense the
most enlarged and splendid hOspi-
tality
1t is with pride that we still claim
for you the will to open your doors
and your hearts and invite friend
and stranger in. But this virtue,
as old as your history, cannot last
long on short commons. A gener
Gus hospitality cannot live and do
well on bitter herbs or attenuated
soups. We suppose no where on
this earth have men feasted and
entertained others as ungrudin ly
and joyfully as in this dear land.
But candor compels us to say that
since the advent of these latter, evil
days of fratricidal outrage and
wrong, the vaunted traditional
hospitality is not 50 general, and
while we throw open our doors rs
readily as ever, there is a wanting
assurance of good cheer within, anC
a symptom Of tremulousness that is
new emotion to southern hosts 70
one of the effects, we suppose, of the
''war for the life of the government
and reconstruction.
But we propose not to change our
social and moral characteristics, LEI
what will happen to the government
If state rights and state sovereignty
if the massive strength of southern
craftsmanship, if the commanding
dignity and respectability of the
slave holding gentlemen are al
things of the past and only nov
embalmed in history, yet let us no
suffer that to confine-our mora
and social nature to suffer any rude
shock or revolution. That at leas
we hold impregnable against th'
wiles of the crafty, or the violence
and ravage of a nation of philan
thropic bummers and destructives
But as we limited, a hospitality
based apon constant self-negatioI
and anxiety, cannot be thing o
vigorous or long life; and if w
mean TO perpetuate our traditional
virtue, we must have liberal re
| sources to sustain il.
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