THE PLEASANTNESS OF FOUNDING A HOME.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3112, 7 February 1879, Page 1

THE PLEASANTNESS OF FOUNDING A HOME.

WhoeTcr Las become the fortunate owner of a little nook of land, which he, -by patient and wisely-directed toil,, is changing from a waste to a garden,, must feel in some degree as if he was master of the new world. There lie the ftpsb. furrows, smiling to think of the secrets they hide — the fruit and leaves and flowers, the shaded walks and the, sloping lawn; there the new master; plans, in faith and patience,, for the pleasant years to come. The building of a home in one of the purest joys left to fallen man ; the laying out of beds and paths, the planting of little bushes in which imagination sees untold glories of bloom hereafter; the the delightful sense? of dominion which, attends the new owner, busy with his improvements. These are, iv very truth, the blessings which came softly oat ot' Paradise with Adam, and havo followed his wandering children ever since. : The perennial freshness of humanity is revealed in this desire for rural homes. As every successive generation of childr.en. love to p«ll corn-silk, and tumble in the hay fields, so ever generation of busy, overworked men love to .un'asten the chafing harness at times, and choose some happy spot, where they may be new Adams, receired again into P*ir,adi.''e-^ new dwellers in Arcadia. Our modern intense life drafts men iv early, manhood to the centres 'bf a'tivity; but their hearts, as they grow older, .turn back to the grassy fields, the blooming gardens, the quiet breath, the country treedom, and they remember, with deeper affection, the old farmhouse of their boyhood, tho fragrant garden, and; the: fruitful orchard. Then, that -saving,''long,'' dormant loro of the brown, friendly earth asserts itst'lf,

and so in due time, there is a home planted. It is usually far better to take a vacant lot, or neglected farm, and improve to suit yourself, than to pay fancy prices for orchards and gardens, which can, in our climate, be so soon created. The essentials of a comfortable home are good water, good soil, and a healthful location. Beautiful scenery, varied surfaces, and, if possible, a glimpse of the ocean or a river, add much to the value of the place; nearness to market and social advantages are important, of course; but every hope of success depends primarily on the character of the soil, and on the rainfall, or facilities for irrigation. Men have a habit of stamping their personality on the clothes they wear, the team they drive, and the house they live in; but the grounds a man lays out and take's care of become in a peculiar way like himself. We love to notice the little improvements in every village, and make wandering' guesses concerning the owners of each successive cottage. Altheas, lilacs, a damask rose, groups of pansies, and clambering wealth of sweet peas, with: perhaps a sugar maple—evidently cherished—is in some way a suggestion, of New England. A yew tree by the gate, » row of black currants along the fence,,!, Shropshire damsons in the orchard—thiß is staid, portly old England, surely. Dill, saffron, yellow marigolds, odorous garlic, a row of horse beans, a door painted yellow, red and blue —this is a Portuguese family from the Azores. Bottle-gourds over the well, balsams and crape myrtles by the door, melons and gumbo in the vegetable garden —here is a picture from the Sunny South. \ Nor can even wealth, with hit hired gardeners and endless resources, entirely conceal the hidden thoughts, the clinging w jmories, the long-cherished ideals. The will of the master shall cluster flowers as they grew in childhood's gardens; the trees of youth shall reveal themselves against tne sunset fires. Somehow, in some sweet way, the man who learns the pleasantness of founding a home, will make it express many things, but always something beautiful.—The Bulletin. ;