President's Address. 21 



in it on rainy days, evenings, and very often in fair weather. If it 

 is cloudy they think it will certainly rain, and will not begin a day's 

 work. If it is hot, they can not endure so much heat. If it is fair 

 weather, they must go to the blacksmith's, or wagonmaker's, to get 

 some tools repaired. They are invariably behind with their work 

 upon the farm; and as to setting out a few rose bushes and orna- 

 mental plants for the hard working and discouraged wife at home, 

 or setting out and keeping in order a little plat of strawberries, 

 raspberries and grapes, such things would be utterly beneath their 

 dignity. There are certain empty dry goods boxes at the street 

 corner, in the village, that would never get whittled into shavings, 

 and certain loungers about them who would never hear their latest 

 complaints about hard times, bad luck, poor seasons, etc., if they 

 should fool away their time at such nonsense. I wish to have a due 

 amount of charity for all; but I fear that the mantle is hardly broad 

 enough to shelter this class from utter contempt. I do not know 

 what either you or I can do for them. They are failures upon 

 their farms, failures in their homes, and failures everywhere. 



Still, after deducting all these classes, there remains a large 

 body of farmers in our northwest, who are making homes of beauty 

 and happiness. Theirs are homes of intelligence and worth. 

 Homes that are the pride and glory of our country. To them we 

 must look for our principal support, both now and in the future. 

 From them must come the cultured ones to make other homes 

 beautiful and happy. When we can, either individually or as a 

 society, add to the number of such homes, or do somewhat to add 

 to the beauty and happiness of those that already exist, we are 

 conferring a benefit upon our country, and upon common human- 

 ity. If by our exertions we could induce any large number of the 

 classes that I have named to change and improve their present 

 home, we should indeed be conferring a boon of great value upon 

 our country. Can we do this? Can we not at least do something 

 toward it? We may at least try to make our own homes such as a 

 poet has so pleasantly described: 



" More than building showy mansions, 



More than dress and fine array; 

 More than domes and lofty steeples, 



More than station, power and sway. 

 Make your home bjth neat and tasteful, 



