The Press., 1895-05-02
[FOr The Press HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS.

Some of our roads are terror indeed To those who would ride beyond walking
 speed,
 And if we must ride t. church, market
 and grange,
 For better roads we wish ours to ex-
 change.
 For years we have tried (and tried in
 vain)
 On some of our by-roads better travelling
 to gain;
 Riders in coaches, carriages or carts Declare we have horrible roads in these
 parts.
 Road-making just now is the theme for
 much talk
 On the part of those who drive, cycle or
 walk
 And to those who have charge of the
 business all say
 Do please try to improve our town high
 ways
 Smooth, broad, well graded, they'd merit
 praise.
 With no treacherous puddles to spatter your vehicles and clothing and let your wheels down to unknown depths, with no ruts and ridges to shake and throw you about at risk to life and limb, to say noth- ing of temper, and with plenty of room where at any point you may meet or pass loaded team, without being ill serious danger if you get a few inches beyond the road track. Such roads arc no better than the travelling public have a right to demand, but if one expects to ride only for pleasure, especially during the sum- mer months, something more is desira ble
 HnvU nffon w Io af long hill, up which your poor horse must toll and pant, with not bush or tree in the welcome shade of which he may get few refreshing moments of rest before taking another pull, do you won der why it is that so few in slicing up their lands have not local pride, or public spirit enough, to be willing to sacrifice a little gain in dollars and cents toward beauti- flying and making more comfortable our highways. We have far too many shade less roads in town to make it quite pleas ant for summer riding. A good road is like beautiful picture, made much more attractive by having fine setting; and trees are to the highway WudI IHo IIdluo IS GO picture. A lew years ago we had barbarous fashion of making frames for our pictures of seeds, cones, shells, scraps of leather, and what not stuck in glue or putty. Some of them were marvellous creations of fancy, but sadly detracting from the beauty of the picture. Happily such things are rel egated the past; so ought also to be the custom which so many have of strewing along the roadside the general rubbish that is gathered up at house-cleaning | time, which must be got rid of somehow, and as that is perhaps the least trouble some way many have unthinkingly fol lowed it.
 Sister housewives, let us resolve that if we have been guilty of it in the past we will contribute no more to such memorials of shiftlessness. We may not all plant a tree, but we can plant flowers, and have often thought it would be a fine way to dispose of the surplus seeds we have left from planting our flower garden, if we scatter them ill some suitable places by the wayside as we go out to walk or ride, that those who pass that way may enjoy their beauty and fragrance. Some of the | more hardy common sorts might thus be- come as popular as the oX-eye daisy, and even prove rivals of the golden rod. They would certainly be more pleasing and less l troublesome than the clumps of burdocks and thistl,s that now are such u nuisance along some of the village roadsides. c. | stafford, Conn.