Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-05-16
Making Country Homes Attractive.

The efforts of grangers and GER
tain intelligent class of farmers to pop
ularize life in the country by holding.
up its independence, its Importance
and its responsibility have not served
in any great measure to arrest the con-
tlnuous current of young men from
tiocking from the country into the city.
The inattention paid by a majority of
our rural population to home comforts
and enjoyments that cost so little vet
attract so much lies at the very founda.
ton of all this dissatisfaction. The
study of agriculture as a science, its
practice as an art, the understanding
the nature of the soils and their adap>
tation to the various fruits, flowers
and food crops, appeal sufficiently
strong to the intellectual man, but in
the arrangements that surround ma
Jority of country places but little atten-
ton is given to the idea of pleasure or
beauty. A ride through the country
will disclose the fact that threefourths
of our farm houses are modelled with
no regard to taste or beauty. If they
are pretentious they are painted a glar-
ing white. Two windows are ranged
on each side of the hall, above and
below, each one of which looks as prim
as a Quakeress and as grim as a Puri.
ton. The yards are destitute of flowers
or shrubbery. There are no pleasant
verandas, no cool retreats, no tempting
shade, no pleasant walks. Parlors, ii
there are any, are simply furnished I'm
der the impression that there is no need
of such things in the country, just as
though the girls in the country would
not prize neat parlor quite as much
as they would neat dress or dashing
gallant. Books are scarce, so that
during rainy days or bad weather the
boys retire to the barn to catch rats for
instruction or shell corn for amusement.
In the house are no pictures, no stat
uary, nothing to appeal to the inward
sense and longing for the beautiful.
There is no flower garden out of doors
to lend a fascination to the scene by its
fragrance and beauty: no swings, no
croquet ground-no anything to relieve
toll of its hardships or make leisure
hours profitable.
No wonder there is a growing dis
taste for agricultural pursuits. No
wonder there are crowds of young men
aocking to the city every year seeking
fortunes where they can enjoy occa-
sional recreations. Every farmer
should take from three to four good
papers, encouraged taste for reading,
note down his farming experiences in
bad weather and encourage his sons
and daughters to cultivate the beauti-
full and true about home. A country
place should charm as much by its
beauty as by its fruitfulness; should be
the abode Of intelligence, comfort and
hospitality as we'll as of plenty. The
glory and pride of an Englishman is
his country home. There he enjoys
real comfort with no pretensions. The
breadth of English craftsmanship is
largely due to the conservative inAu-
ence of country life, and it is always a
source of regret to an English man to
be compelled to abOndon his country
home for one in the city.
Let our farmers make their homes
more cheering by setting out trees and
shrubs, vines and flowers. Let them
buy book to day, picture or flower
tomorrow, and without visibly in>
trenching upon their incomes their
homes will soon be arrayed in such
charms as will bind the minds and
hearts of their children to the old
homestead, making it fount of per-
ennial joy forever. We do not wish
to imply that there are no country
homes in our State with these graceful
accompaniment. There are many
such, and to visit them is to be happy.
Happiness and contentment reign in
the household; joy and gladness like
| sunshine illuminate the faces of the