EEPOHTS. 33 



abodes -WitK costly paintings frona the hands of t!lie " Old Masters." 

 It would be far beyond their wishes or their means. The more 

 simple productions from the Easels of their own families, — home 

 productions of the genius of their darling sons and daughters,, 

 will do equally as well, and be to them, far more precious, A 

 culture of this taste, not only enlarges and strengthens the im- 

 agination, but refines and beautifies the mind, and gives to the 

 budding intellect, a proper and a healthy turn. Besides this, 

 painting and drawing are among the educational accomplishments 

 highly to be desired, in the polite attainments of our sons and 

 daughters. Our sons, who learn to handle the pencil, and crayon 

 with skill, in the future, may be able to execute the architectural 

 designs' for their own dwellings, and to use their acquired art in 

 many useful and satisfactory ways. And our daughters, may 

 finish in oil and water colors, many beautiful landscape scenes, 

 from still life, of views in the vicinity of their ^' old homes^' that 

 in after years, when perhaps far away from the " dear old home," 

 will be to their sweet remembrances, of the places where they 

 spent the period of their young lives. We would respectfully 

 suggest to future Committees, the propriety of oflfering handsome 

 premiums for original specimens of architectural designs, and 

 also, of landscape views, in oil and water colors, of scenery in our 

 own immediate vicinity, than which no other spot on earth, offers 

 a more beautiiul field for the eye and labors of the ambitious and 

 tasteful artist. Holyoke, and its surroundings, — the villages of 

 Amherst, Hadley, Hatfield and Sunderland ; with green and 

 luxuriant meadows on every side, and the valley of " Old Con- 

 necticut " ; the stream itself winding along like a great ribbon of 

 silver, — all these afford scenes worthy the study and the skill of 

 any artist, however fastidious he may be. Most of our ladies^ 

 consider music, a great, and a very necessary accomplishment, in 

 the sum total of their polite attainments, but painting and draw- 

 ing will bring them into more immediate communication with 



