OUR HOMES. 381 



is defeated by such a residence. The mere struggle for ex- 

 istence, getting food, keeping warm, for housing and trans- 

 portation, is so great and exacting, thai it is a dreadful dwarf- 

 ing of powers. The burden of life falls directly on human 

 shoulders, since the comforts of life and the machinery of the 

 arts do not intervene to save the rough wear and tear. The 

 escape from the world is impossible, when the bare material 

 existence demands all one's energy. To bring this fact to 

 light is the great service of this opportune book." 



Of this same book a religious weekly, also of this city, says : 

 ' ' This book is a faithful and powerful study of life on the 

 farm. It is possible for those only who have summered and 

 wintered in the country to sufficiently appreciate the service 

 Mr. Frederic has rendered in showing country life as it is." 



This is not the time or place to criticise the sentiments 

 that we are assured are so opportune in this American book 

 that is dealing with country life, not in some secluded settle- 

 ment, not among the ranchmen or the cow-boys, but in one 

 of the most fertile, productive and enlightened States in our 

 land, and one of the most populous, — the State of New 

 York, — only to suggest its demoralizing teachings, by say- 

 ing that the only prominent character in the book worthy of 

 study or imitation, viewed from any decent standpoint of 

 Christian morality, is jeered at by the author and is unno- 

 ticed by the critics. 



In the kindly interest of the statesman, for it was such ; 

 in the lament of the poet ; in the ill-concealed contempt of 

 this writer ; in the acceptance of these sentiments by a lead- 

 ing daily in this city, as also in this cultured religious 

 weekly, we have before us a phase of this question very dif- 

 ferent from my intent or thought when, one year ago, I pro- 

 posed, at your request, to write on this subject ; and therefore 

 it is the more unexpected and startling, when we find the 

 rural home, — so long honored and esteemed for strength and 

 nobility of character, purity of heart, equipoise of mind ; the 

 stronghold of virtue, enterprise and thrift ; its young life 

 sought after, and stepping to the front rank of success in all 

 the varied growth of our cities, — now looked at askance, and 

 the farmer's home as wanting in kindnesses, nobility and 

 thrift. Nevertheless, we cannot ignore these criticisms, com- 



