The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-04-12
indianapolis, April s.
HOME IS HOME.
Ever Dear, Whether in This Country or in
Eoreicn Countries.

DEAR READERS OF THE PAGE-Once
again l greet you and look around for
MARY OF Champaign" | wish to answer
her question OF some time ago. Do you
remember, MARY of Champaign" you
asked me for comparison of European
homes with ours. or if European homes
are as dear TO the European as American
homes are to the American heart?
Once l thought az you do, that only in
the United States was home the dearest
spot on earth-but no; where e'er YOU
roam lat least in Europe) home is dear to
the heart of every honest soul you meet
Frequently while in Switzerland We
were asked about our homes in America.
always with the idea uppermost that
American homes were not up to tie
standard and American people had no
! love for home why, in the United
States people move about so much and
| change their residences half a dozen times
in lifetime and think nothing OF it-how
can they love bonneville We continue
! from generation to generation to live in
the identical spot and reside In the same
| house built by our forefatbers three hun
| dred wears ago, with no additions and
and floors and that only when necessity
demanded it,
Could we mericans equal that? Never.
We must build additions or make
changes in our living apartments
every decade. A description OF my aunt's
| home in an Alpine village of Switzerland
will perhaps convey idea of what
wish to saw. Her home, as nearly all In
that region both public and private are
built. is of hard. gray stone and looks old
when new. As the houses and barns are
all under one roof title roof the buildings
are large This Is the plain. unvarnished
truth, and the people are not ignorant and
low-down. but refined and intellectual
l must confess it did seem queer aud
out of place 10 see the house, barn, hem
nery and plg.sty all in one building. but
when one IL accustomed to 1t 1t
is very convenient and not OIL
fensive and disagreeable, as one
would think. Long. wide and clean y
kept halls separate the different divisions,
and the cattle aud horses are curried.
brushed and rubbed down carefully everv
dav and their apartments are cleaned and
swept every morning rs neatly ~ possible,
aud the pig receives q bath now and then.
There is a saving there: Thai he who is
fortunate enough to possess stock takes
better care of Ii than he does Of his vile"
and there Is some truth In that
My aunt's living rooms were large. COM
modious and . easant, and a. one end OF
the building. from front to rear, a wide
hail extended the length of tha building
and separated the house and barn; next
to the barn was the stable. then hennery.
and sty, wOOdshed, etc.
Then, again, a stable. barn and house
altogether. comprising a doube house,
barn, etc, owned by two different families
built on al Joining lots, 10 save an extra
wall.
Every village has an inspector, whose
du;y it is to zee that there is no unsRht!i-
ness or disObeii, nee OF the sanitary rules,
which are very strict.
The inside furnishings Of the home do
not compare fsvorably with ours. There
Is no Improvement nor anything new I;
| the same old furniture their grandparents
| possessed Is handed down from genera
| ton to generation, and as everything is
very durable and of the best material, 1t
seldom succumbs to age Carpets are
never used. except in the very wealth
/ lest families. though rugs are scat
| tered about the rooms generously
! by mirrors, picture books and ornamental
brIc-a-brac ia much the same as hera,
| tiiOuEu quaint anu. OH. lNOCkluR
| chairs are unknown, and the stoves are
| built of stones and bricks usually IN a
| partition wall, part in one room TO cook on
and the other part in the other room for
heating purposes An American seeing
such a stove for the first time would never
dream of that being a stove.
There is a wide difference in the homes
tine wealthy or the upper class aud the
! mldd and poorer class j am thankful
we in the United States know little of
/ class and caste. We at once become cog
infant of the great Difference and respect
| shown wealth and position regardless
other qualities. For person of low de
gree TO enter the presence OF those higher
| In life Is ike entering sacred precincts,
the very atmosphere seems TO
be mingled with dread and fear.
Yet home is Just as dear TO the poorest
peasants neart in hOvel as if ne were
king and dwelt in a palace Farmer Bows
lines come to mind, and think home 8
where the heart Is" is Just true the
other side OF the Atlantic as this side
know We have not as many songs of home
| and country as the Swiss have. We do
not associate any particular spot with
| home as much a. the Europeans do. We
follow the heart more. and where that
rests is home. Their long residences in
/ one locality and house endears the spot;
| 1t is but natural TO think here NV father
! lived and died and all that is in any way
connected my father took place and my
| grandfather and great grandfather and
ever so many of their ancestry dwelt here
| NV aunt's house was said to be 800 wears
| old and had descended from father to son
/ as far back as il could be traced
! And again mother and homo are not so
inseparsbly connected there. Here We in.
| varisbly associate mother with home. In
| Europe il IL father and nome. Woman
| does not occupy the exalted position in
the home or society that she does here.
| but 10 looked upon as a necessity to help
to earn a livelihood. Minnie Weste. -
] are you losing all patience with your num-
! bic servant? "Muriel," yours received /;
will reply in the early future. sunset
and Florence Nigh tingale," please appear
/ SOON Marie" If this letter does not tire
| you will write more OF foreign manners
and customs. l am in favor OF having the
reunion very near Chicago; am not par
ticular as to time and would like to tell all
that possibly can TO attend. IT'S very
/ pleasant TO meet those persons you have
known on the page for years.
| "WYANDoT DEwDROP"
PROF. DRUMMoND's BOOK.
| Careful aad Interes ting Review of ''Nat.
uraI Laws i'm the Spiritual World"
| How INV ~ a. not .fah