And What We Gain 227 



to my eye, and I will venture to say to the 

 eyes of nine out of ten persons of educated 

 taste. The other fifteen or sixteen dollars 

 saved may be devoted to books, pictures, 

 music any of the things which really add 

 something to life. The music-stand of stained 

 pine will do its work just as well as the one 

 made of mahogany, inlaid with stucco beading 

 in fact it will do it better, for it will not need 

 a periodic rubbing on the part of the parlor 

 maid to keep it bright and polished, and it can 

 be moved about when occasion demands, as it 

 weighs but little. It is as strong as the other, 

 and it will last a hundred years. 



The music-stand is typical of the whole 

 theory upon which I have preached so persist- 

 ently and to some extent practised. In every 

 affair of life, we have been insisting upon 

 mahogany, with stucco trimmings, and wasting 

 money which might have gone far towards buy- 

 ing books and sunlight. It is a hopeful sign 

 when we find the saving remnant, as Matthew 

 Arnold has it, taking to stained pine instead of 

 mahogany with stucco trimmings. I have a 

 sincere love for pretty things. I will walk a 



