CHAPTER XXXV. 



A FARMER'S HOMK. 



HAT should the farmer's home be ? First, what is a 

 home? The dictionary says one's house, or dwell- 

 ing, or residence. But this is hardly broad enough. 

 A mere shelter from the storm hardly constitutes a 

 genuine home in these days. Some writer has said 

 that home was where mother is. That is good, 

 but wife and mother may stay in a place that is far from being a 

 true home. To my mind, a farmer's home should include not 

 only the house that shelters them, but the comforts and conven- 

 iences in and around it that go to make life more truly enjoyable 

 to his loved ones. I believe also that a farmer's home now isn't 

 quite perfect without a neatly kept lawn about it, and flowers, 

 shrubbery and trees for adornment, and a garden producing abun- 

 dance of fruit of the kinds they like, as well as the more common 

 vegetables. These things naturally belong to a home where land 

 is cheap and plenty. The city man must often put up with 7x9 

 grounds and stale fruits and vegetables, but it is usually with 

 a longing for more elbow room, and a determination to have a 

 home in the country surrounded with beautiful things some time. 

 To offset these disadvantages, the city man has his groceries, meat, 

 etc., delivered to his door; he can walk or ride to church, or en- 

 tertainment, or the depot, comfortably any day in the year. He 

 is out of the mud. He has water and gas and electricity, perhaps, 

 on tap, as well as the telephone. Many advantages are possible 

 where homes are brought so closely together. But there are dis- 

 advantages also. Roomy and tasty and natural surroundings and 

 choice fruits and flowers and vegetables fresh from mother earth 

 in the city are only possible to the wealthy. It seems to be the 

 one desire of almost every business man In the city with whom I 

 have talked, to have some day a country home with its natural 

 advantages which he fully appreciates. Why do not our farmers 

 make the most of the chance they have ? Life in each place has 

 its advantages and disadvantages. Do we not make the best use 

 of life when we make all we can of the situation in which we may 

 be placed ? 



But let us come down to every-day particulars. With regard 

 to the house itself, let it be as good as you can afford. If you 

 are well-to-do in the world do not build great, fine barns for 

 your stock and put money out at interest, while your family live 

 in an old out-of-date shell of a house. It may have been quite 

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