The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-18
MAKE THE HOME ATTRACTIVE.

MAKE TEE hOmG AA 6-
 An editorial in last weeks Russell Register comments favorably on the ef- forts being made by the Illinois State Board of Education to induce the owners of country homes to beautify and make them as attractive as are the homes in the cities. The plan, as we gather from The Register. proposes. among other things, that the pupils in all the schools shall receive training in flower culture. and be taught to love flowers, and to carry the knowledge thus acquired to their homes, and by this method encour- age flower growing among the people. This is one of the various ways which the Board recommends to make the homes of the country folks more attractive and thus discourage the longing whicn so many country youths of both sexes have to grayitate towards the cities.
 This is a matter we have thought much about and have written of somewhat. People who have lived all their hVes III a city, probably in luxuriantly furnished houses, have little conception of the un- attractive homes in which most or the country people live. It is not always for want of ability to do better. nor IS there always lack of taste. It seems to be more a matter of habit than any thing else--a following up of the customs inherited from their fathers, and wnich they apparently never think Of breaking away from. Having been brought up |. . ha,,o r,,;tb alrnost nothing attractive in it they appear to think their children do not desire or deserve anything better
 1t is a great mistake to suppose that the country raised boys and girls have no taste for the beautiful, or that they will not be better satisfied in nice home and surroundings than in one which has nothing attractive about it. All taste and all love for beautiful things Is not confined to those who live in the cities. Nice furniture, good books, music and flowers may be as dear to the country youth as to their more fortunate brothers and sisters in town. Books and news papers, furniture and musical instru- ments are not so costly that even a poor man may not have some of them. Flowers are free to all and the country girl has facilities for growing and tending them which the city girl has not. If the coun- try fathers would use all the means in their power to make their homes attrac- tive to their children, there would be fewer young men deserting the country and fiocking cityward, and there would be fewer girls fretting their lives away for the unattainable attractions which they always connect with life in the city.
 Another suggestion of The Register with which we heartily agree is that every farmer should give to his home a distinctive name. It may be an In- dian word, or a suitable name taken from some natural peculiarity, or any fancy name which will give to the home an individuality of its own. It is an old English custom, and one which is ob- served in parts of our own country, to | give the home a name which will dis | tinguish it from all other homes. and which would soon become known and recognized. The spread of education, in- | telligence and general information which | is penetrating to all parts of the country is doing something to break up some of the customs and traditions of our fathers and if the people of the country shall he led to beautify their homes and make them attractive to their children the lat l ter will be rid of much of their longing for city life.