Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1915-01-07
O6e
Peoples Forum
Why a Renter Should Beautify His
Home.

Home.
We are all creatures of environ
ment | think you will admit that
to bring out the best there is in our
children is the prime object in life.
If we succeed in giving to the COM
munity in which we reside a citizen
who is able to take his or her place
in the world, and fill it acceptably,
we have done our work well and
builded for ourselves a monument of
which we may we'll be proud.
Now if we are to do this We must
consider we'll our environment. From
what kind of a home do We draw our
best citizens? Must it be from the
home of wealth? l think not. We
all find that it is not what we can
give to a child that brings out the
traits of character, we most desire to
develop, but rather what we require
the child to give of itself. A child
who feels that part of the pleasures
and comfort of the home depends on
his or her own efforts will, when the
time comes, feel the same obligation
toward the community.
We must teach our children that
wherever we are, no matter for how
short a time, they must make the
most of life day by day. 1t is indeed
grave mistake to let child hear
you say, "Yes, that is beautiful, and
some day when we have a home of
our own we will have all these beau
tiful things, but l am not going to fix
up things for someone else"
Think of the effect upon a child
who hears similar remarks in his own
home daily. Soon he will begin to
think that the prime object in life is
to get things for his own selfish
pleasure with the least possible re-
turn.
How will you ever make a child
who hears such remarks in his own
home realize the great truth that we
get out of this world just what we
put into it; that if we are always
ready to do for others we will always
find others ready and willing to do
for us?
Then think how you are denying to
yourself and yours the joy of the
beauty We all find in growing things.
How much better to teach a child
that every flower he makes bloom is
Joy to the whole world, or at least
as much of it as passes his way; that
through his effort the whole COM
munity can enjoy something that they
would not have had put for them.
Now let's consider whether it pays
from a material standpoint to make
an effort for the beautiful. "
Strangers must judge us from ex-
terror effects. When we become
members of a new community our
neighbors will at once form their first
impression from what they can see
of us and our surroundings, and our
opportunity to form the kind of ac-
quaintances we desire depends a
great deal on these first impressions.
We must impress our new neighbors
with our own worthiness. How bet
ter can we do this than by doing our
share toward beautifying our sur
roundings? IL they can see that we
are making an honest effort to make
our surroundings better for our hav-
ing lived there, we will at once be
rated as a desirable acquisition to
the community.
Now in conclusion I wish to say
that believe that it pays to beautify
our surroundings, even though we are
renting. First and foremost for the
influence upon our own family. then
the effect upon the community. fol
believe that no one can pass a we'll
arranged and beautiful lawn without
increasing the desire for beautiful
surroundings, and finally from
financial viewpoint, for the rentel
who cares for the place he lives in
as IL it were his own can get many
a concession from his landloard that
he would be unable to obtain other
wise. EMMA !. CRAWFORD.