Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-28
THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER AND THE MODERN HOUSEWI
THE COUNTRY HOME
BY MRS. w. H. FELTON,

nothing gave him such serene salts
faction as did my reading aloud to
him. When the mail came in the
house he was restless until I could
stop and devote the time to the
daily reading exercise. L was ex-
pected to sit almost in front of him
while he looked on my face and l
went over the pages-column by
column-until the exercise was fin
ished. His vision was poor, but his
brain was clear to the last. 1t is still
pleasant to remember. Perhaps the
next thing for genuine family enjoy
ment is a musical member in the
group-one who delights to play the
piano or other musical instrument
cheerfully and with unfailing good
humor, while the rest can listen and
enjoy the concord of sweet sounds.
When I first began in piano play
ing, 1 did like a good many young
sters do yet, hung back and excused
! myself, in a half-hearted way. /
did not get very far in that plan.
My father would say, Get up and
do your best. Everybody knows you
are. only little girl, just begin
ner, but you can show a willing
usNWIlCll pCOp1C SOb W
play, they mean it, and you must
be polite and agreeable" (And I was
exhorted to keep at IT'D
Not many years before he died
he once came to the parlor door
to listen to some of my playing, and
thanked me, saying: "You have made
all of us happy, because we knew
you would oblige us in cheerful low
ing kindness"
The home where attention is given
by all concerned to entertaining the
homefolks, will always be home for
satisfaction, if nothing else. mo mat
ter how humble, there's no place like
the home.
The press and the pulpit are be-
wailing the laxity Of home ties,
which has come along in the wake
Of World war. The pulpit calls for
family prayer, and the press says
there is too much going abroad to
find good time" Be it what it
may, there is call to go back to
the fireside or family pleasure as
well as family religion, and renewed
interest in our own connections. The
lines may not have fallen in par
ticularly pleasant places for good
many people, but so long as you
live with your folks try to be will
ing and cheerful members of the
tribe, not a brawler.
When company comes in we gen
orally put on our best manners, and
"rut the best foot foremost" to use
ar. old saying. OF course, it is bet
tel to be well-behaved occasionally,
then not to behave at all, but when
we remember our individual respon-
Sibility to our own flesh and blood,
we should be fair enough to add
somewhat to plain family entertain
ment as a sensible way to do bust
ness. AS heretofore mentioned, get
a book and read aloud to divert the
more iraScible and indifferent, until
peace reigns and quiet obtains among
those who may really love you but
are slow about showing it, or con-
Tossing it. The future of our coun-
try rests upon the sorts of homes
that are going to prevail in the days
ahead of us. The individual unit
is to be reckoned with, but the in
dividual home circle is the mainstay
of good citizenship and perforce of
good government. According to the
quality Of each home circle is the
effect that is bound to result in the
aggregate, We need an immense
lot of genuine missionary work in
side our own domiciles. Let us play
at being particularly good to our
very own.
Hon. Benjamin F. Butler, of Massa-
chusetts
During the Civil war time General
Butler was a notable figure in the
Union army. He was never yielding
or relaxed in his opposition to the
Southern Confederntes He out
heroded Herod when he occupied
New Orleans as commandment of the
city-in his dislike OF the rebels.
and they paid him back in the same
coin-full measure and running over
no man of his sort was ever more
despised. I was reading the story
of his life in big encyclopedia to,
day-and he began his political
career as a rampant Democrat and
antagonized Lincoln in political dis
cussion. and was in favor of Jeffer-
son Davis for president at the Ma
tional Democratic convention which
assembled in Charleston, S. c., III
IAAO year AoOO1 anu WHICH SpllI ill
to pieces on that occasion. I was
always interested in watching him
as congressman after the Civil war
was over. He was such a radical of
radicals that he performed with
alacrity in the acrid debates Of that
time. He did not care for what they
said of him. On one occasion, when
he had been discussed with gloves
off and as it would seem he must
reply to his antagonist to maintain
his self respect, but he simply rose
in his seat and with the end of his
thumb on his nose he twiddled his
fingers with amazing nonchalance
as ne said in clarion tones to tn.
political foe:
''Shoo fly. Don't bodder me?"
This niggerism was a catchword
of the era. He had a cast in =
eve that ~'os peculiar and his
friends said he was generous and
hospitable to a fault.
He was very rich-a greenbacker
and had a lively time in conereSs