Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-05-21

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one for family OF savages, by the
occupancy of it they would lose their
savage character; or if they did
not choose to make the exchange
of that character for that of civili.
cation, they would forsske it for
the wigwam and the woods.
This was done by many of the
early stock of backwoodsmen, even
after they built comfortable houses
for themselves. They no longer had
the chance of "a fall hunt" the
woods pasture was eaten up; they
wanted "elbow ROOM" They there
fore sold out, and fed to the forest
ofthe frontier settlements, choosing
rather to encounter the toll of turn
ing the wilderness into fruitful
fields second time, and even risk
an Indian war, than endure the in
conveniences of a crowded settle
ment. Kentucky first offered a
resting place for those pioneers,
then Indiana, and now the Mis-
souri,; and it cannot be long before
the Pacific ocean will put a final
stop to the westward march Of those
lovers of the wilderness.
Substantial buildings have the
| effect of giving value to the soil
| and creating an attachment for the
family residence. Those who have
been accustomed to poetry, ancient
or modern, need not bo told how
| finely and how impresslvely the
household gods, the blazing hearth,
the plentiful board, and the social
fireside figure in poetical imagery.
And this is not "tying up nonsense
for a song" They are realities OF
life in its most polished states; they
are among its best and most ra'
tlonal enjoyments: they associate
the little family community in pa
rental and flial affection and duty,
| in which even the we'll clothed child
feels its importance, claims ard
duties.
The amount of attachment to the
family mansion furnishes the critic
rion OF the relative amount Ofvirtue
| IN the members of a family. If the
| head of o family should wander
from the path Of paternal duty, and
become addicted to vicious habits,
in proportion as his virtue suffers
a declension, his love of his home
aud family abates, until, any place,
however base and corrupting it may
be, is more agreeable to him than
| the once dulce dOmum. If similar
declension in virtue happens on the
part of the maternal chief OF the
family mansion, the first effect OF
| her deviation from the path Of ma
ternal virtue is, that "her feet
abideth not in her own house" The
same observationsapply to children
When the young man or woman
instead OF manifesting strong at
tlchment to the family mansion, ID
"given to outgoing" to places oI
| licentious resort, their moral ruin
may be said to be at no great dis
tance.
Architecture Is Of use even in The
important province of religion
Those who build no houses for them
selves, build no temples for the ser
vice of God, and Of course derive
the less benefit from the institution
OF religion. While our people livet
in cabins, their places of worship
we're tents, as they were called
their seats logs, their communion
tables rough slabs of hewn timber
and the covering of the worship
= pers the leaves of the forest trees
Churches have succeeded to tent
| with their rude accommodations 70
. public worship. The very aspec
of those sacred edifces 6lls tn
mind of the beholder with relig
. GUS awe, and as to the most believ
= ing and sincere, it serves to II
crease the fervor of devotion. Pa
, triotism is augmented by the sigh
. of the majestic forum OF justice, tn
substantial public highway, an
= the bridge with its long successio
of ponderous arches.
p Rome and Greece would no dout
,, have fallen much sooner, had 1t nc
? been for the patriotism inspired b
:. their magnificent public edifice
!. But for these, their histories woul
h have been less complete and las
|. ing than they have been.
,f Emigration has brought to tt
4 western regions the wealth, sCienC
\. and arts of our eastern brethrel
n and even of Europe. These v
Al hope have suffered no deterioratio
n in this western country. The
q have contributed much TO II
!. change which has been effected
the moral and scientific characte
10 of our country.
It The ministry of the gospel hs
g contributed no doubt immensely
the happy change which has bee
d effected in the state of our wester
E, society. At an early period of OF
"a settlements three Presbyterian Gle
}, gymen commenced their clerici
II labors in our infant settlements,-
d the Rev. Jos. Smith, tho Rev. job
MMillan, and the Rev. Mr.. BoV
A. srs, tho two latter OF whom are sti
al living. They were plOus, patieD
r, laborious men, who collected the
e, people into regular congregation
- I .1;J oil for than Which tho