Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-24

Either we are corrupted or we are re
fined by our surroundings. The sou
life is dwarfed or developed.
The old idea of plain living and higl
thinking" holds good today. Simpl,
life invigorates the moral nature ant
gives strength to character. Il know
i shall never be a great man." a small
boy was heard to say. because / wa.
not born in log house." And. there
may be more truth in that statement
than he himself realized, for such q
home is close to nature and with a
noble spirit within it's very barrenness
may be productive of beautiful results
while an ordinary initiative home is
pretty sure to produce that kind of a
person. But we claim that today it is
possible to have the home in accord
with natures laws and yet be more
comfortable and beautiful than the log
cabin. From such noble homes should
go forth characters which will beautify
and elevate life in all its phases. OBJ
jects about us. silently and uncon-
SciouSly. mold our character into a
likeness of their own. It is the rugged
people who come from the mountainous
and roughly carved portions of the
earth. and often the very monotony
and commonplaceness of the level
country seems to have entered into its
inhabitants. So in our house. il there
is real character lacking there it will
show itself in the young lives that go
out from it into the broader world.
For our physical good a larger degree
OF simplicity is needed. 1t has been the
record of the centuries that luxury
breeds i'll health. and we are learning
that our rapid living our hurry and
push are making us a nervous people.
As women we wear ourselves out with
the care of unnecessarily large houses
and the oversight of Il regiment of SER
wants. Of which last we are sure 10 feel
the need until certain simplicities are
recognized as necessary TO beauty.
In the matter of entertaining we
have been prone to overdo. With the
great effort made to produce an effect
real sociability, the true object, is al
most lost sightiof. And SO hard do we
struggle to keep up with or ahead Of
one another that we are inclined to|
absurd things. Because we cannot en-
terrain in as lavish a manner as curl
friends we perhaps prefer not to do It'll
at all. and so much real pleasure. andl
good Is lost. 1t is pleasing to note al
change for the better along this line.
We are realizing more and more that
what we do can be done with greater
beauty and more pleasure when simply
done. Elaborate menus and great dis
play are giving way to simpler styles. |
A larger degree of simplicity and gem |
uinenesS would insure greater number |
of happy marriages. and SO prove IA safe
ny1St lur ,rrw1~ A.,s.
evil of divorce. In this latter part of
the nineteenth century there is undoubt-
eddy In this respect more pretense and
Ter days of our history. There are now
so many marriages OFF convenience. so
many mercenary ones. that life of sim
sordid souls that can be content only
with lavish adjournment and outward
show. .To be comfortable says Robert
Grant lis =, one thing; to be swathed in
comfort too seldom proves gift enough In
the hand of love to tempt our girls, al
though so often 1t is the truest love
which comes thus. |
The little blind gods bow lies broken,
and his arrows are bluhted because the
modern heart is so hard and cold, says a
ierse and adds:
Shafts must always be of gold.
Arrows must be diamond tipped.
hlc vi STcdteI Will euCOui-
lgc the establishment of homes. Tired
With complex Housekeeping, many of the.l
American women have sought relief and
larger degree of rest in the apartmentI
n boarding house. To such an extent Is
his being done that it is matter of
comment not only here but in England.
md 1t Is feared our American home sys-
EN-. the glory Of the nalOn, Is In danger
4 destruction.
The very foundation Of life is the home.
Where we live and the way we live must
necessarily affect what we do and the
manner Of doing 1t. Oh. surely IL such an
VII threatens us, we will simplify at any
acriftce rather than lose our homes! And
'hen we fully realize that 1t Is not at the
asy 1t will be-
There are few who do not know Of the
esolateness Of boarding, even boarding