Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-06-28
I'VE RACK YARD

the cate II the "front yard" and how t0
make it attractive. 1Ais IL we'll, aud !
am always glad to read articles OF that
Kind, for We cannot make home and hs
surroundings too pleasant. Hut ! do
not like the Idea Of liking up tir front
yard neatly, while the back yard u left
to take care Of itself. IA . general
thing. hack yards arr In anything but \
ncat condition. do not believe In haN-
ing everything on the outside. or where
Il can be seen, fine and attractive, while
within. or In placcs where We think u
will not bc seen, there IL foulnsss and
disorder. II Ia not consistent With the
principles of honesty Ia do this. IL en-
coarsges deccit la chlldien, because IL is
an object lesson from us of . rank Kind
of deccit. II IL altogether wrong. and ]
want To put In my protest against IL. ]
have long had the back ward. as u
usually exists, In my mind as . text for
a little sermon, but have neglected To
preach IL. Recently happened To get =
glimpse Of such hack yard that ! feel
as 10 the proper time for the preaching
of my sermon had come.
The front yard, a. I went through u
10 my nelghbor's house, WAS neat and
trim enough to suit the most fsstidious.
II seemed to say, "l.ook AZ me- ] sm an
index of the character of my owner. lie
believes In neatness, In order, and prsc-
tIcc. what d. believes" Nv pelghbor
was not In the house. They told me
would be- likely to find him la the barn.
could save step. by going Ia the barn
through the Kitchen. ] went that way.
when stepped into TINT hack yard, !
felt az II some Que had struck me. !
va. surprised a, what I saw there. II
seemed Ia the thAt little ~ all kinds 81
rubbish va. there. old tin cans, pans
aud pals that had oatli,ed their useful
ne.s, old boots, shoes, and ribbers, rsg.,
ashes, potato pcellngs, cabbage leaves,
bone., old newspapers, old straw hats,
some rusty .to,cpipe, boxes aud barrels,
aud "o,her thing. too numerous Ia men
tion."
The hack yard was literally nothing
but dumping ground for Nth aud
refuse ~ all kinds. A spout from the
kitchen cmptied slop. into little sink
hole near the well, aud from this Nth
arose an odor that Was mslsriAl In its
suggestions. IL was brc-,iiug-place
Tor fever aud dlphthcria, and ] could
only wonder that my neighbor's family
kept such diseases st bay. such ccss-
Iool In city where health Laws arr
properly enforced would have been COM
plalned ~, aud the owner ~ the prop
crty would have been compelled Ia ~
move Il at oncc. Hut the greatest won
der Mas that man Who had the least re-
gard for neatncss, or, 20 speak plainly,
dcccncy, should tolerate such nuissnce
a.. that back yard. Il s"cm~d hardly
crcdible that my Helghbor, whose trout
yspi compared faNoT.bly With other
trout yards la town, Was th. owner ~
this iilIhy place.
,Ould COme to but Que conclusion,
and that was this: lie did not keep hls
trout ysnl booking veil because BE- carrd
particularly to have II so on principle,
or from an innite ioy, oi n-atness, but
simply b.vause lac knew hl. nelghhor.
would .c- Il. lie wanted things to look
Well ON the side, bat he did no, car.
how that portion of the place loosed
" Nhich be- did not expect them to see.
noticed, then, Tor IN" fir.t time, that the
hack yard Was surrounded by q high
board fcucc. All thi. came 10 mr like
dis tgrcsblc revelation oi character, aud
I shall never have - gooi an opinion of
my u.ighbor from thi. time ON az had
lyiur, ! went into hl. back yard.
For the sikc uf honesty aud consl.t-n-
~, to say nothing of health aud decencv,
l,t an cr, of revolution bc inauguratcd
against the dirty back yari. Gather
ia. rubbish together, aud barn all that
1. combu.tiblc, and bury the rect. of
course I, cannot be- made az attractive a.
the trout yard, because Il has other
uses, which Interfere With IT, being made
ornamental. but Il can be- mad. clean
and kept so, aud II that !. done your
children will not get the hica that you
do not care how a thing look. .o long a.
Il l. out of sight of your ncighbor.. u
will hc potent Argument Ia conyince
them that YOU are not q hypocfite. Hut
80 long a. YOU neglect IL, aud make u a
dumping place for hlth aud rubbish,
they sill not have faith In you, aud YOU
de- not deserve their respect as an honest
man. Your front yard breaches one
thlng, while your hack yard tssilfes
against you aud con,lcts you of dccci,
aud di.honesty.-Cor. American Asri'
cultu'ist.