The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-07-21
THE Walls COMING DOWN.


ures of Etautilul iiuuili7s
4 man Of wealth, residing is a bcauu-
full Suburban town, pointed ou- TO me
with delight that there was not n wall OF
even a fence remaining 20 divide the six
successive estates, some dating back TO
colonial DAYS, some quite recent, Of
which his was one. He had recently
purchased IT, and had noticed that his
first act after purchasing was 10 lower
the wall separating 10 from the street
Ever since / have known that particular
street the walls and fences have been
growing lower All the present ten
doncv in our northern states Is m that
direction; in some attractive suburbs
there are absolutely no fences whatever
and one See. roses and even Strawberries
growing unmolcstcd mp 10 the edge OF
the sidewalk. Am American visiting
Europe is extremely struck with the
contrast. In many suburbs of London
the walls are $50 high that YOU feel as u
living in kind Of fortress; and on the
continent YOU often walk through miles
Of lanes which are shut in on both sides,
so that only am occasional elevation glycs
YOU a glance no the surrounding country
4 villa in the United States usually inn
plies something open. attractive, access.
ble 20 the eve 4 ,iIl. ON the European
continent, and often in England, implies
am inaccessible wall with iron gates.
Ii is impossible 20 deny that there is
something very attractive in the privacy
created by the wall The world is left
outside, and the family j, as free within
its own domain as If it lived on planet
Of its own. 4 suburban villa 40 Ken
sington or Iammermith, for instance
safe within its cncircling wall, possess
ing its own fountain, It's OWN nightin
yale. and almost is own moonlight
what can be more delightful: Or tho
patio. or incloscd court, Of a Spanish
house, where the house itself makes the
garden. and the world is absolutely ex
cludedg On the other hand, these very
charms increase the regret felt by every
generous nature for the exclusion thus
implied. They press home the question:
was the earth really meant for the few,
or for the human race; Many an Amer
lean traveller has felt this drawback on
the delicious rural life OF England
Charles Sumner. who was more pettod
in English society than any American
since his day, and was suspected Of An
glomania on his return by even his
ever kindly friend Longfe.low, yet wrote
soon after, d" have always enjoyed the
refinement of the best society, but have
never SAT in the palaces OF England with
out being panied by the inequality OF
which the inordinate luxury was a.
token
OF course it may be justly said that
property is property, and that the most
imperceptible line drawn around real Is
tate-or no line at all-leaves it just az
clearly within private ownership as II
the wall were there. This is true. but il
is also true that the ownership becomes
less exclusive from the moment when II
ceases to be visible and, as it were, az.
cressive. Ii the foot of a stranger is cx
cluded. it is something that the eye i
not. | once heard poor Portuguese
woman say that she and her husband
were so destitute they had nothing but
the day and the night but the day and
the night are less valuable-say, rather,
that there is too little day and too much
night-for those who are shut out from
even the sight Of the landscape by high
walls. The mere denial Of all possibility
Of ownership is bad enough. / remem
Der how depressing twas, on first visit
TO Europe, when it suddenly dawned
upon me that the whole beautiful region
of Killarney, with lakes, hills, villages,
factories and square miles Of verdurei
was all the literal property Of two men
the Earl Of Kenmare and Herbert of
Muckross." 50 that not square foot of
the territory gould DO bought by any one
and whole village might at any tims
be eyicted at the will Of a single proprie
tor. 1t certainly set one thinking as Il
whether tho human race. as such, hao
aDyrights IN the planet. Harper Bazaar