442 The Emhellishment of Dwellings. 



of humble poverty, goodness and simplicity, joined with a 

 happy life, is highly picturesque, by arousing a train of agree- 

 able, poetic and virtuous associations. We can easily sym- 

 pathise with the inmates of such an abode. We see nothing 

 in it indicative of pride, ostentation, or the foolish aping of 

 one's superiors, anything to provoke jealousy or ridicule. 

 There is more of the love of virtue in the human heart than 

 the generality of men are ready to admit. The worst people 

 in the world despise the very qualities which degrade them- 

 selves. They hate the manifestation of pride and selfishness, 

 and delight in that of contentment and humility. 



It is of the greatest importance for the attainment of good 

 picturesque effects, to provide for an appearance of neatness 

 and comfort in the scenes and enclosures around our habita- 

 tions. If this be wanting, the mind of the spectator is af- 

 fected with disagreeable sympathies, — with pity of the inhab- 

 itants for their want of comfort, or contempt for their want 

 of neatness. Neatness must not be confounded with prim- 

 ness, or the manifestation of a great deal of labor or expense, 

 in providing paint or whitewash or fanciful decorations of the 

 fences and outbuildings. An unpainted cottage, with a mere 

 footpath winding along from the roadside to the front door 

 step, consisting of a rough slab of granite, with the grass grow- 

 ing all around it, may exhibit a perfect pattern of neatness ; 

 while a highly ornamental cottage, with white painted fences, 

 a straight gravelled walk, and other finical appurtenances, 

 may exhibit a disgusting example of slovenliness. If neat- 

 ness be combined with simplicity around a plain cottage, it 

 has a double charm, by suggesting the idea of comfort and 

 thrift unassociated with wealth and pride. It is natural for 

 the wealthy of uncultivated taste to banish simplicity from 

 the rural decorations of their dwelling-houses, because it 

 seems calculated to conceal that wealth of which they are 

 ostentatious. This species of vanity would be comparatively 

 innocent if it were confined to the wealthy. But how often 

 do we see a house built by a poor man, with borrowed 

 capital, which is expressive only of the effort of the builder 

 to make the house wear a false appearance of great cost. 



