The Dickinson press., 1889-08-17
THE WALLS COMING DOWN.
a Growing Disposition to Share the Pleas
urcs of beautiful l:rounlls

urcs of Beautiful Grounds.
a man of wealth. residing in a beauti-
full suburban town. pointed out to me
with delight that there was not wall or
even a fence remaining to 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 to lower
the wall separating it from the street.
Ever since have known that particular
street the walls and fences have been
growing lower All the present ten
dency in our northern states is in that
directions in some attractive suburbs
there are absolutely no fences whatever,
and one sees roses and even Strawberries
growing unmocstcd up to the edge of
tn" sidewalk. An American visiting
Europe is extremely struck with the
contrasts; i'll many suburbs of London
the walls are So high that you feel as if
living in u kind of fortress; and on the
continent you often walk through miles
of lanes which are shut in on both sides,
so that only an occasional elevation gives
you glance at the surrounding country.
\ villa in the United States usually inn
plies something open, attractive, acccssi-
blc to the eye. \ villa on the European
continent, and often in England, implies
an inaccessible wall with iron gates.
1t is impossible to deny that there is
something very attractive in the privacy
created by the wall! The world is left
outside, and tho family is as free within
its own domain as if it lived on 4 planet
of its own. \ suburban villa at Ken
,ington or Hammcrsmith, for instance,
safe within its cncircling wall, possess
ins It's own fountain, its own nightin-
gale, and almost its own moonlight
what can bc more delightful? Or the
patio, or inclosed court. of a Spanish
house, where the house itself makes the
garden, and the world is absolutely ex-
cludcd? 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 lie earth really meant for the few,
or for the human race? Many an Amer
lean traveller has felt this drawback OH
the delicious rural life of England.
Charles Summer, who was more pettcd
in English society than any American
since his day, and was suspected of An
gomanil ON his return by even his
ever kindly friend Longfcllow, yet wrote
soon after, " have always enjoyed the
refinement of the best society, but l have
never sat in the palaces of England with
out being paincd by the inequality of
which the inordinatc luxury was a
token
OF course it may be justly said that
property ii property, and that the most
impcrccptible line drawn around real cs-
tatc-or no liflc at all-lcavcs it just as
clearly within private ownership as if
the wall We're there This is true, but it
is also true that tho ownership becomes
less exclusive from tho moment when it
ceases To be visible and, as it were, ag-
grcssive. If tho foot of Il stranger is OK
clu,lc,l, it is something that the eye is
not. | once heard poor Portuguese
woman say that she and her husband
were so destitute they had nothing bu,
the day and the night" but the day and
tllt IllSlll ulc ItSS IutucI,
that there is too little day and too much
ni.hl--for those who are shut out from
even tho sight of the landscape by high
walls. The mere denial of all possibility
of ownership is bad enough rcmc1u-
Icr how depressing it was, OH a 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 verdure,
WAS all thc.lilcral property of two men
the Earl of kcnmare and "llcrbcrt OF
Muckross," SO that not a square foot o!
the territory could he bought by any one
and II whole village might at any time
b" c.ictc,l at the will of Il single proprie
tor. 1t certainly set one thinking as te
whether the human race, as such, had
any rightsi in the planet. -Harper's Bazar