Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-02-03
The pecsdence of the Front Yard.

onr old landmarks are disappearing? so
much of the old is being swallowed Oy
the new. SO many of the traditions OF
orr forefathers are being forgotten; so
many OF our fine old New England fam
lies are in danger of becoming extinct
DuripO the last thirty or forty years,
many of our New England towns nave
CHANGED their characters, and have lost
thar individuality which was always
distinctive element of their society
MANUFACTURES have come IN and nave
brouoht into the Puritan reserve ana
onietness which was once theirs, large
numbers of foreigners and people
of a different class from those who uSeI
IN constitute their population. Ana
much as we NAV admire modern success
and progress and advancement IN every
90 stiIl we cling regretfully to the old
memories and old associations. mere
is nothing TO take the place oi tl'Se
old surroundings that are oeihS Sr"Tu"',
w swept away. These changes H%'o
come slowly but they have come suIeiS;
In passing through many New Ei'S!ellu
villages and towns, today we NOTICE
more perhaps than anything e,Se' tue
absence of the front yard, whlch rev
decades ago was distinctive ehard''el-
istic of all these old places.
| often think l would Ike 70 wr''e d
history of these front yards ana the UIu
fashioned sweet smelling noWerS CN'''
grew in them; such history Wo'iu oe
pleasant reading and intereStln@' Iol II
would begin in the time oil "O'e'up'
Bradford and Miles StandiSh' Wheu 'u,.
Tnemorv of the parks and gardens Oh
Holland and England, was fresh IN the
bomesick hearts of the cOlonlstS' anu
the flowers that grew IN these EaIS I
were started from the seeds ana lltIle
slips and cuttings that were orouSn
over in the ship with them ana hau oeen
tended carefully by the women.
They must have been watered oy many
tears when thoughts of the old homes
they would never see again, came 10
them.
| like to think how tenderly they
guarded these small plants, and with
what loving delight they watched the
unfolding of the first blossoms, reJolc-
inc over the possession of such a
bright link connecting them in their new
homes in new and strange country.
with their dear old homes so far away.
1t seems strange to me thatsOur active.
busy. wonderful America is no older
than some of the growing things these
same colonistS brought with them.
| know where, on a sunny slope IN
Kitterv. there is sturdy knarled look
inc rose bush, whose branches still are
fragrant every June with small red roses,
that was brought over by these hrSt set
tiers: and not so many years ago an APP
pie tree. that still bore apples, was cut
down. that came 10 this country at the
same time. Beginning with these trs'
small gardens, my history should come
wandering down through the different
changes that have been wrought in them
until il ended i'm the city lawn of to-day,
with its smooth velvety grass, laid out
with beds of geometrical design and
filed with gaudy tulips and scarlet gera-
niumS. And however neat and well kept
such lawn is, it can have no charms
for those whose memories 90 back to
the old fashioned, sweet smelling flow
ers that used to bloom year after year III
the front ward. Some of us can remem-
Der front yards that were almost para
disc to us, in our childish days. There
was one in the little village where |
lived as child, that was miracle OF
bloom from the time the yellow and
white daffodillS first unfOlded in the
spring until late in November an unusu-
ally hard frost would shrivel and blacken
the few hardy blossoms that had bravely
withstood the cold days and frosty
nights of late autumn; this garden was
planted and tended lovingly by two old
maiden sisters, whose lives had been
spent peacefully in the little old red
house built by their grandfather; they
were quaint and gentle-mannered, and
their flowers used 10 bloom more pro-
fusely than any Others in the village.
Over in one corner of the yard was a
bed of lavender which they used to dry
and strew among their household linen.
So many of these doOryards could tell
stories of little children, who were not
allowed to play there, except as re-
ward for being exceptionally good; oil
lovers, who whispered lingering good
byeS under the fragrant lilacs, and OF
funerals, where groups of men, with I'M
covered heads, stood silently by the
path, as the coffin was borne through
the gate to its resting place in the old
burying-ground ON the hill, whose white
grave stones might be seen from almost
any part of the village.
We miss the old picket fence that used
to enclose the front yard and kept the
stray cows from trampling its sweet
tangle of columbine and pinks; of lark
spur and blue and white Canterbury
bells: of London pride, ladies' delights
and sweet Williams and all the other
flowers which were dear to our hearts.
We miss, too, the more ornamental
u. L., irh Wit n Ia rUa
white balls on top and the panelied front
gate, with sometimes landscape paint
ed on il.
We miss all these, and we feel sorry to
have them disappear; we cannot help
thinking that with them has departed
some of the sanctity of our homes; we
are losing some of the reserve and sepa-
rateness that used to belong to us; we
are letting much into our lives that per-
haps we would be better without.
Americans need to build more fences
instead of demolishing the ones they al
ready have; many unwelcome guests may
enter our domains by way of our torn
down fences and open gates. We need
more walls to preserve our individuality
and our independence and our privacy,
for every mans house and home is his
stronghold to be protected against alien
influences and invaders. And so, look
ing backward over the past, and looking
forward into the future, can see that
we need TO erect again the fences, not
only around our front yards, but we
must build around the shores of our
land, walls to protect us from that, that
will be injurious to us; but in these
fences and walls, we must place gates,
through which may go the fragrance
and sweetness, the purity and beauty OF
our flower garlanded homes, and the
broad far-reaching charity and brotherly
kindness and open-handed generosity
that makes the poor and friendless
wanderers from other lands, feel that
America is indeed land of beautiful
homes and boundless freedom. Let us
then, for the sake of those who will
come after us, keep our front yards and
as many of our old surroundings as we
may. as sacred reminders of those brave
men and women who made 1t possible |
for their descendants to make OF America
a country that is free TO the poor, the
oppressed and down-trodden of all
nations.
PHGBE WILEY BENsEL.
Minneapolis, Mimi.