RURAL AMERICA 



inside but on the outside as well, because where ideal condi- 

 tions prevail within they are sure in time to prevail without. 

 The husband that loves the home which his wife makes so 

 attractive for him on the inside is pretty sure to take an 

 interest in making the home attractive on the outside. He 

 will keep all the buildings on the farm in repair and painted, 

 he will keep the lawn mowed and the grounds around the 

 buildings neat and tidy, he will keep the fence rows clean 

 and the whole farm in presentable shape. Finally, he will 

 become so interested that he will devote a little time to land- 

 scape gardening, that the farm may not only be his means of 

 livelihood but contribute to the aesthetic pleasures of his 

 whole family. 



Everyone knows that when one must do his very best to 

 make a living and is almost constantly treading dangerously 

 close to the poverty line, he has little time for the aesthetic 

 values of life. But statisticians assert that not one-tenth of 

 the people of this country are either on or below the poverty 

 level, and most of this per cent are to be found in the cities ; 

 so there are comparatively few people living in Rural America 

 with whom the economic problem is so assertive that there is 

 no time for life's finer things. In reality, there are few 

 people in the whole country unable to rise somewhat if they 

 will. During the disastrous retreat of Napoleon from Mos 

 cow in 1812 there presented himself one morning to Napoleon 

 one of his generals shaved and neatly dressed. Because of 

 his neat personal appearance, under distressing circumstances, 

 Napoleon looked at him and said, " General, you are a great 

 man." Many and many an attractive home in Rural America 

 represents real greatness on the part of the inmates because 

 of the economic struggle that takes almost all the time and 

 strength of the family. 



Really, the marked improvement that is taking place in 

 Rural America today in aesthetics had in most cases its origin 

 among the mothers who were Juliets to admiring Romeos. 

 First comes economic independence. Then comes the beauti- 

 fying of the little home. Then follows community improve- 



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