FAEMEES' INSTITUTES. 181 



FEIDAY FOEENOON. 



The forenoon session was opened by Mr. Garfield, who read Prof. Bcal's lec- 

 ture on " Grasses and Forage Plants," for which we must again refer our read- 

 ers to the lectures as above. 



Miss Annie Hall read an essay on " Home Culture," as follows : 



HOME TEACHINGS. 



When a farmer sows his crops or plants his orchards, he knows that certain 

 states of weather and soil give certain effects, and so far as it is witliin his 

 power, brings about them those which are beneficial and averts those Avhich 

 destroy. No plant, tree, or flower is more sensitive to sun, shower, or soil than 

 is every human life to the thousand trifling things which make up its daily 

 existence. Yet how much more attention is paid to the first than the la^t. Is 

 it because in this age of mammon-worship, the value of a crop of grain out- 

 weighs the value of a human soul with its untold powers for good or ill? Or 

 because from long habit and necessity, we give so much thought to money-get- 

 ting and so little to anything else? Home is the place where a life is rooted 

 and from whence it draws its greatest good or deepest ill. Minds are warped 

 or developed by trifles so small we seldom see them, and while none of us can 

 shirk the responsibility of living, nor hold lightly the influence we have upon 

 those around us, we often unconsciously, by some word or deed, change the 

 tenor of a whole life. We often complain of the prevalence of deceit, denounce 

 this as an age of shams, and declare genuine men and women to be very few ; 

 and yet, when we pause to think of it, we know that, except in very rare cases, 

 we are taught to be one thing at home and another abroad, and the only won- 

 der is that there are any candid people in the world at all. From our earliest 

 recollection we have been taught to lisp our "Please," and "Thanks" to 

 strangers ; have seen the best rooms, best di-hes, finest clothes, and sweetest 

 smiles given to guests, while the barest, poorest, and sourest liave been made to 

 serve for the members of home. Passing through the country at night we see 

 large farm-houses with no light except away back in the kitchen. Those peo- 

 ple have cosy rooms, with carpets, pictures, and perhaps a piano, but they are 

 seldom entered except when some visitor comes ; while the yjiano misses its mis- 

 sion of brightening evenings at home because there is no fire in the room 

 where it stands. 



Should some one come, the rooms will be warmed, lighted, and filled witli 

 music, laughter, and jest ; but the next evening will find the family ])ack in 

 their kitchen again, sitting in their soiled clothing and fretting over all the 

 worries they can think of. Living not only in the back of their house, but 

 also in the back, dingy rooms of tlieir natures, is it any wonder that the young 

 girl comes in time to make the same difference in her manner that she has been 

 taught to do in everything else? That she shoiild keep her cross tones, hasty 

 temper, and perhaps weak morality with the cracked dishes, broken-tined 

 forks, and old clotlies, which are considered good enough for home service, 

 and don her bright wit, smiles, and high-toned words with her ribbons and 

 pretty dresses? Or that the young man should go out into the world taking 

 with him the principle that if he can dissipate and cheat without having it 

 known, he is none the worse? We seldom teach by our example to love and do 

 right simply because it is right; to avoid and hate wrong simply because it is 



