Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1891-05-14
RICH MEMS HOMES IN THE
COUNTRY.

At Present They supply But Little ofthe
Needed Relaxation.
The aPoint OF View" contributor to
Sc7ibney's Magazine INDUCES in some
practical reflections about rich mems
homes in the country, based upon re-
cent article OF President Eliot of Hary-
ard upon country life as q necessity to
prevent superior families from running
out. He says very sensibly:
How the country boy can come to
town and take possession of it has been
amply demonstrated; but how the city
boy can be reclaimed and made to grow
up in the country is o problem the soIu-
ton of which has only begun TO be at
tempted. Tt is solved after fashion by
men who have one dwelling in some
great hive of industry and another at
Newport, or Lenox or Bar Harbor,
where their families go into fashionable
retreat in tho summer. tt is also solved
in another fashion by great numbers of
poorer men who travel many miles q
day in order that their children may
have suburban homes. But this last is
only q makeshift remedy after all.
What American families have not yet
conditions Of American life seem not to
encourage. are real country homes,
from which the dwellers shall go to
town for the winter, and where their
principal ties and more serious expendi-
lures shall remain.
1t is thousand pities that in these
days of Anglomania we do not initiate
English habits that are deserving of
imitation; that instead of eating small
eggs for breakfast because English hens
are said to lay small eggs, of carrying an
umbrella in certain fashion, or imitat-
ing some freak of clothes, cut of hair,
or popularity of walk or gesture, we do
not initiate our English friends in mat
tiers that are of great Importance, and
which do not involve were silly, slavish
copying of fads or personal peculiari-
ties. In contradistinction to the Ger
mans or Hollanders, who go on from
century to century living under one
roof, and who do not feel the necessities
of change from city to country because
they live less feverish, nervous, and ex
citable lives, the Englishmen of wealth
have their permanent country homes
where they spend the most of the year,
coming up to London only for the sea-
son. In the rural delights of fishing,
hunting, and outdoor sports they find a
respite from the wearisomeness of the
| London season with its rush of social
| designations and accumulate q stock of
health and strength. Their women find
| grateful rest from the demands of fash
ion, and their children grow up strong
under the bracing influences of outdoor
life.
The nearest approach which Ameri-
cans makelto this fashion is to get away
| for few weeks in summer to some
mountain OF seaside resort, occupying
| for that purpose some crowded caravan
serai, where they repeat on small scale
! the dissipation of society in the city, or
some cheap comfortless cottage, which
| only induces the desire to get home
again as soon as possible by reason of
the absence of home comforts. The
outcome of this summer hegira is usu-
ally an enormous expenditure of money
with little or nothing to show for it.
They have but one home the year
round, and that is the city home. The
Englishman OF wealth has two homes
and he spends the most of his time in
the rural home, where he can have pure
air, good water, trees, grass, animals,
and opportunities for exercise and sport.
This is what the wealthy American
needs. Of course not every American
can afford it. but there are plenty who
can. and with their wealth their is no
reason why they should not get as much
comfort out of country as out of city
life, and certainly much more of mental
and physical health. It does not need
argument to show that the children
brought up under the rural influences
will be stronger, healthier, and happier
than those brought up on the city pave
ments, and that young men habituated
to the sport and exercise of country life
would be of sturdier breed than those
whose young manhood is spent in clubs
and city designations. The Point OF
View" contributor is encouraged to be-
lieve there are signs that such time is
coming, and that rich people who can
have what they want begin to give evil
dence that the attractions of country
life have weight with them. It will be
fortunate day for the rich families OF
this country when this English fashion
is initiated by wealthy Americans and
country homes become their real homes.