Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1908-10-15

it costs to build, he will buy,
and perhaps live happily and
attractively in it, for he was
wise enough to see to it, ere he
bought, that his eXchequer was
ample for the requirements.
Many illustrations could be
given of the folly of building
unprofitably large domiciles. | |
know of a consequential coun-
try home that was erected a
few years. ago by a wealthy
widow, for herself and children
to live in. In a few years she
died and the children married,
and now the house goes a-beg-
ging for tenants. At present,
an old pair live there who have
an income of $50 a month. 1t
costs them 500 a year to warm
the house, and they don't need
most of it after it is warmed;
neighborhood debts are increas-
ing about them, and they will
soon have to seek humber
quarters. On their income they
could live comfortably and
pleasantly in a house of only a
few rooms, and have no debts
to worry them.
Long years ago | knew an old
farmer and his wife, the own
ers of fine farm. They were
industrious, frugal people whom
all the neighbors respected.
They had lived a long term of
years in house so small that
the wife called it a calabash.
They saved money and grew
rich, but had no children nor
grandchildren to share their
home with them. The good
wife became tired of living in
calabash, and they determined
to build nice big house. So
they put up a fine Large double
barreled stone mansion, with
two parlors, a big hall and open
stairway; with sitting room,
dining room and a string. of
, kitchens-one to save the 9TH
!. er-that reached nearly to the
, barn. We should call, it now
,, the shell of house, for there
+ wasn't any heater, bath, toilet
= room, pantry, dumb waiter, nor
: Fother modern conveniences; but
: there were big windows galore
: to wash, and ceilings so high
>. that a broom would not reach
them to brush down a spiders
7 Iweb, and a hall so cold that il
gave you chill tofpass through
1 it. This good pair had no use
:. for the house after they got it
= They had no family, and were
= not society people, and the only
: use they ever made of the big
end of the house was to keeI
! it closed to- save the carpet anc
: furniture. They soon got tirec
: of it and moved to another
= state, and there they died. The
: house still stands; the present
I owner lives in town. He tries
to keep two laborers and theil
families in it, but much of the
time one end is idle, and the
: surroundings are unkempt. i
: has the uninviting appearance
l of being the home of decayec
: gentry.
q If people had little more
= forethought | think they would
{ put their money where it woult
Il be of more use than in grea
! houses for bats and owls t,
II live in.
: 1t is far better, to be crowd
a. ed occasionally than to have to,
y much room to take care of al
. the time.
d A farm will bring more mon
: ey with a moderate sized house
J. than with a mansion so larg
that nobody wants to furnisl
Il it. Thank fortune, the goo
sense of the people, or it ma.
be their poverty, is opening
their eyes, and they are no
\ spreading themselves as of ole
They are learning to know tina
d as of old. They are learning
a to know that
s Its not wood nor stone
p But hearts that make home.
e o.