Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-05-12

mesne We passed through gate, and
carefully closed IL atterward A long
walk led 10 the house, bordered on
either side With beds OF old.fashioned
perennial flowers, All, the old,time
front yard with it's lilac hush, It's
great snowhalls, struggling honey.
sucEles and prim arhor viates All
the poetry and romance OF early Amer,
lean life was in that halfforgotten
place,
Americans, on their return from
abroad, have much to say about the
small homes, the Enclosed cottages,
the high hedges the stone walls.
Right in the busy London streets one
has hut to open n door, and 10, Il is
the peace and quiet ot the country,
Behind the walls Of the town are
charming gardens, beautiful homes,
room out of doors whore the family
may spend long days of work or idle.
ness, With no tllsseeing eyes ot neigh,
Dor or passers.hy, | know an iron
door, that opens through a wall In old,
historic Rrentford, where one may
find thiokets of Wild flowers ana
listen to the summer chorus of robin
ana thrush, ana live with nature
within Ave minutes walk from the
electric cars What is home II II be
lacking i'll privacy, One bushes Ia
hear the so-ealled American idea" OF
all hNilding lots laid out in parks.
open 10 north, east and west, where II
one mans place ends and his, neigh
boris begins it is left to the tmagina.
tton. and every vestige OF fence or line
or demarkation Is lacking,
The passing ot HE fence Is a very
serious thing and 1t is no wonder
that our puhlic.spirited citizens are
carefully ponderng over the matter.
Privacy Is the most precious Jewel of
home life" says one, land no greater
calamity could hefall our nationat
character thpn 10 become Indifferent
To il. The absence of II makes for
conformity in all We de- whereas It's
presence encourages individual az
ton It makes one fond of home and
gives a spirit Of ownership" Seek as
one will in rural America for small
houses with secluded and enclosed
surroundings, where some of the bless
ings of open mir may be enjoyed with
a due amount of retirement, and alas,
they are not often Ia he found Every.
where the fence Ii despised and has
! been destroyed.
i The children of our public schools
have forgotten the laws of meum ana
tenn. and nj any hour OF the day we
may see them running across our puny
lawns, and playing ball or marbles ON
our terraces The grocer's boy PUSHES
headlong over tho grass on his way To
tho back door, and our neighbors take
friendly short cuts right ovvg the
bulbs and bushes Of the yard. One OF
/ our ohserVant writer's says: "Why dc
| people leave the city for the country
and then be satisfied with so little
country froedom?" The busy com.
muter gets all the disadvantages OF
suburban life with so few OF TIA adj.
vantaRes, How few Of our village
homes are arranged for private open.
mir pleasure, The Sunday afternoon
family group sitting ON It's own i'm,
protected front lawn may here be
cited, If their object is to be seen OF
mon like the Pharisee, they are prob
ably happy but even then the stua.
tlcn Is not desirable.
Take away the fence, and all the de.
light In gardening is gone England
Is the home Of gardens. and every
eottager has a sacred right to his own
welldetned and fortified plot. One
would not encourage n spirit Of selfish,
ness or shut out the beauties OF ma.
lure from his brother. There is no
danger of that among those who are
| most careful to secure their own pri.
Hate rights, and willing to yield those
OF others, Most of us have childish
| memories of some old country home
with hedge and picket fence and for.
NAL garden plot, the little kingdom OF
some kindly grandmother or aunt
whose flowers and fruits were bene.
factions to all The countryside. But
they are passing, and with them much
OF The dignity and simple rctIcence Of
honest, neighborly country Twins, -~