140 TOM'’S EXPERIENCE 
money, but with us it would not beso. Money is 
only valuable to us for what it will buy for us and 
the good it will enable us to do, and it cannot buy 
anything we would prize more highly than a beauti- 
ful home. Then among the good things we may ac- 
complish is that of instilling into the minds of our 
children a love for the beautiful, especially for a 
beautiful home. If they have such a home there is’ 
very little danger of their being led away from it by 
the temptations of saloons or other vilé resorts that 
lead so many astray. And then, perhaps, those of our 
neighbors who seem to have but little taste for beau- 
tiful surroundings, seeing how easily they may be had, 
and at what little cost of money, may determine to 
make their homes more beautiful, also; and then their 
children will have thrown around them the same ele- 
vating influences, and their love for home will be 
strengthened. So you see that while we are gratify- 
ing our own taste, we may be at the same time doing 
a little missionary work in a quiet way.” 
‘Yes, that is certainly true, but I never took that 
missionary view of it before. Those trees on your 
lawn seem to have grown splendidly. Do you an- 
ticipate any difficulty in growing timber on these 
Dakota prairies?” ! 
‘None at all. Every kind of tree that I have seen 
tried grows rapidly here, and in time I believe that 
all these prairies will be dotted over with groves that 
will add greatly to their beauty, and, at the same time, 
furnish their owners with an ample supply of fuel.” 
