Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-08-22
Beautifying the Home.


Beautifying the Home.
Ifthere isany form of extravaganza |
that is pardonable, it is that which
manifests itself in the identifying of
the home. Money spent in making
the home attractive, in adding to its |
comforts, and even its luXuries, is
money spent not unwisely. Such
outlay does not partake of the selfish
ness of mere personal adOrnment,
nor the qualification of desires and
wishes that have no higher aim than
ones own happiness, for the home is
not for the individual, but for the
family. Whatever makes the home
dearer, and sweeter, and more to be
longed for than any other place on
earth, must elevate its character and
bring it nearer its heavenly ideal, the
eternal nome above.
And among the surroundings of the
ideal home, we cannot forego the
love Of the beautiful. The glowing
imaginations of even the inspired
poets cOnfessedly fail to give us an
adequate description of the beauty
which everywhere surrounds the
home of the redeemed soul. In the
sublime visions of the seer of Patmos
we read of a city whose walls are Of
all manner of precious stones, its gates
of pearl, and its streets of pure gold,
with river clear as crystal running
through it, and its inhabitants wear
ing white robes and crowns upon
their heads. The home that God
/, prepares for us above is beautiful,
and he has given us beautiful home
to live in here. If our homes are
bare and cherries as dens in the
|, mountains, it is because there is no
effort to draw into them the beauty
that surrounds them like the atmos-
phere. We have seen many a coun-
try home wholly devoid of all adorn-
ment, with daisies and buttercups
nodding within reach of their win
dow stills, and lovely maple leaves
I fiuttering down right through the
. open door. Indeed, in spite of rural
romances, that the average country
/ home has less of those simple YET
y tasteful decorations which are offer
y found in humble homes within thu
y city's dust and din. Perhaps famili
u arity with the beauties of the woods
II and fields makes them valued less
1t but it does not atone for ugly wall
% and barn-like rooms.
d 1t is mistake to suppose that hOm,
decorations necessarily ivolve a larg,
outlay of money. One of the few
a good results of the aesthetic craze
le that many have learned that the OF
IL binary things used by mankind ma,
10 be handsome as well as ugly. If tn
-. aesthetic school have brought deserv
ed ridicule upon themselves for man
er Of their absurdities, they have ais
done some good in awakening NOR
I'll general interest in the matter of HON
L decoration. 1t would be surprisin
90 to those who never tried it, how far
ne few pence will go with the aid {
i deftful fingers in adding to the attra,
tons of the home. A picture franz
eu a cup or other household utensil COS
rs no more if wrought artistically tina
Gu ifmade after themost clumsy fashion
ny Some housekeepers with unlimite
III means at command, and an abun'
lce ance of material around them, fail
'ar make room neat or attractive, viii
u manga cottage with nothing b
I'LL such material as nature throws dow
We at its door, blossoms into a home
IT, taste and beauty under veritab
ler fairy fingers. There is a far high
pa aim in view, too, in this matter
. home decoration than the mere ples
ie' ing of the eyes.
-. We cannot live in the midst
things which are truly lovely wit
of out partaking in some measure
~ that character ourselves. 1t is not
ol,, meath the dignity of the most hi
-, and cultivated nature to confess
- passionate love for the beautiful,
,;so we worship a God from whom
beauty emanates. Estheticism
not to be scorned if few fool
men have brought the word into d
repute.
sec The art of home decoration is @
L II l.