﻿AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  January, 
  1907 
  

  

  Monthly 
  Comment 
  

  

  PORADIC 
  efforts 
  at 
  reform 
  are 
  not 
  always 
  

   successful 
  and 
  often 
  fail 
  to 
  accomplish 
  real 
  

   good, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  necessarily 
  useless. 
  

   Take, 
  for 
  example, 
  the 
  question 
  of 
  public 
  

   manners. 
  This 
  is 
  really 
  a 
  burning 
  question, 
  

   worthy 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  serious 
  consideration 
  and 
  

   something 
  in 
  earnest 
  need 
  of 
  vigorous 
  propaganda 
  ; 
  yet, 
  as 
  a 
  

   topic, 
  it 
  receives 
  only 
  scant 
  attention 
  from 
  the 
  public 
  press, 
  

   and 
  has 
  never 
  yet 
  been 
  elevated 
  into 
  the 
  dignity 
  of 
  a 
  public 
  

   question. 
  Yet 
  there 
  are 
  few 
  subjects 
  that 
  stand 
  in 
  greater 
  

   need 
  of 
  immediate 
  attention 
  from 
  all 
  classes 
  of 
  people. 
  The 
  

   display 
  of 
  public 
  manners 
  that 
  is 
  on 
  view 
  in 
  these 
  United 
  

   States 
  of 
  ours 
  is 
  something 
  so 
  singularly 
  bad 
  that 
  often 
  

   enough 
  it 
  seems 
  as 
  though 
  there 
  was 
  nothing 
  else. 
  Public 
  

   manners, 
  of 
  course, 
  refers 
  to 
  the 
  behavior 
  of 
  any 
  person 
  in 
  

   public. 
  It 
  affects 
  conduct 
  in 
  street 
  cars, 
  in 
  crowds, 
  in 
  public 
  

   places 
  of 
  every 
  sort; 
  it 
  refers 
  equally 
  to 
  conduct 
  in 
  a 
  high 
  

   class 
  restaurant 
  and 
  to 
  that 
  in 
  a 
  police 
  court; 
  it 
  is 
  concerned 
  

   with 
  men 
  and 
  women, 
  with 
  old 
  and 
  young; 
  it 
  is 
  something 
  

   that 
  every 
  one 
  should 
  be 
  interested 
  in 
  and 
  which 
  affects 
  many 
  

   people, 
  often 
  in 
  a 
  most 
  unexpected 
  and 
  unwelcome 
  way. 
  It 
  is 
  

   quite 
  proper 
  to 
  ask 
  what 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  done 
  in 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  such 
  

   universal 
  importance, 
  and 
  what 
  steps 
  are 
  being 
  taken 
  to 
  

   remedy 
  a 
  crying 
  public 
  evil. 
  

  

  A 
  FIRST 
  step 
  in 
  the 
  betterment 
  of 
  this 
  evil 
  is 
  the 
  creation 
  

   of 
  a 
  definite 
  public 
  opinion 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  necessity 
  and 
  the 
  value 
  

   of 
  improvement. 
  The 
  good 
  people 
  of 
  this 
  land 
  are 
  entirely 
  

   too 
  prone 
  to 
  ignore 
  matters 
  that 
  do 
  not 
  seem 
  to 
  immediately 
  

   affect 
  their 
  pocketbook. 
  The 
  loss 
  of 
  money 
  or 
  of 
  income 
  

   from 
  boorish 
  behavior 
  in 
  public 
  does 
  not 
  appear, 
  as 
  yet, 
  to 
  

   rank 
  among 
  the 
  topics 
  collated 
  by 
  the 
  statisticians. 
  It 
  is 
  an 
  

   intangible, 
  indefinite 
  thing, 
  the 
  avoidance 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  doubtless 
  

   considered 
  desirable, 
  but 
  which, 
  after 
  all, 
  is 
  often 
  supposed 
  to 
  

   be 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  comparatively 
  small 
  moment. 
  So 
  our 
  women 
  

   are 
  jostled 
  and 
  injured 
  in 
  crowds; 
  elderly 
  people 
  and 
  old 
  are 
  

   thrust 
  to 
  one 
  side 
  in 
  order 
  that 
  the 
  wonderful 
  new 
  "youth" 
  

   of 
  the 
  country 
  can 
  find 
  a 
  place 
  for 
  itself; 
  spoken 
  language 
  is 
  

   soiled 
  in 
  countless 
  ways; 
  and 
  a 
  general 
  carnival 
  of 
  bad 
  man- 
  

   ners 
  holds 
  high 
  riot 
  throughout 
  the 
  land. 
  Courteous 
  folk, 
  

   like 
  well-trained 
  foreigners, 
  settle 
  among 
  us 
  and 
  soon 
  find 
  

   their 
  inborn 
  courtesy 
  regarded 
  as 
  quaint 
  and 
  a 
  detriment 
  to 
  

   advancement; 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  — 
  sometimes 
  a 
  few 
  months 
  — 
  

   rids 
  them 
  of 
  their 
  superfluous 
  manners 
  and 
  they 
  become 
  as 
  

   rude 
  as 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  us. 
  A 
  good 
  resolution 
  to 
  make 
  at 
  the 
  be- 
  

   ginning 
  of 
  a 
  new 
  year 
  is 
  to 
  determine 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  little 
  better 
  

   behaved 
  than 
  the 
  year 
  before 
  on 
  all 
  public 
  occasions. 
  If 
  

   everybody, 
  by 
  great 
  good 
  fortune, 
  should 
  happen 
  to 
  make 
  

   such 
  a 
  resolution, 
  this 
  land 
  would 
  be 
  marvelously 
  more 
  agree- 
  

   able 
  to 
  live 
  in 
  than 
  it 
  is. 
  And 
  its 
  present 
  attractions 
  are 
  not 
  

   few. 
  

  

  No 
  discussion 
  of 
  home 
  problems 
  is 
  now 
  regarded 
  as 
  com- 
  

   plete 
  which 
  does 
  not 
  include 
  a 
  chapter 
  on 
  the 
  decay 
  of 
  that 
  

   world-wide 
  institution. 
  The 
  prophets 
  who 
  foretell 
  its 
  speedy 
  

   demise, 
  or 
  the 
  historians 
  who 
  rise 
  to 
  chronicle 
  its 
  extinction, 
  

   appear 
  with 
  the 
  regularity 
  of 
  comets, 
  bursting 
  across 
  the 
  

   heavens 
  at 
  stated 
  intervals 
  and 
  leaving 
  a 
  brilliant 
  tale 
  of 
  des- 
  

   olation 
  behind 
  them. 
  Meanwhile, 
  many 
  persons 
  who 
  do 
  not 
  

   know 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  longer 
  such 
  a 
  thing 
  as 
  a 
  home, 
  or 
  that 
  

   under 
  modern 
  conditions 
  there 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  such 
  a 
  thing, 
  go 
  on 
  

   trying 
  to 
  create 
  one 
  on 
  their 
  own 
  account, 
  and, 
  remarkable 
  

   to 
  relate, 
  sometimes 
  succeeding 
  in 
  doing 
  so! 
  And 
  why- 
  not? 
  

   The 
  healthily 
  minded 
  soul 
  is 
  not 
  alert 
  for 
  unfortunate 
  con- 
  

   ditions 
  or 
  undesirable 
  situations, 
  and 
  the 
  right 
  sort 
  of 
  people, 
  

  

  even 
  under 
  difficult 
  conditions, 
  will 
  find 
  no 
  trouble 
  in 
  making 
  

   a 
  home 
  of 
  their 
  own, 
  and 
  a 
  good 
  one. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  surer, 
  

   more 
  certain 
  way 
  of 
  putting 
  an 
  end 
  to 
  the 
  home 
  as 
  an 
  instru- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  civilization 
  than 
  to 
  theorize 
  on 
  its 
  extinction. 
  Such 
  

   philosophy 
  is 
  apt 
  to 
  be 
  discouraging 
  and 
  is 
  quite 
  unnecessary. 
  

   Is 
  it 
  possible 
  these 
  wiseacres 
  have 
  no 
  homes 
  of 
  their 
  own 
  and 
  

   want 
  to 
  make 
  every 
  one 
  else 
  equally 
  miserable? 
  

  

  In 
  a 
  general 
  way 
  there 
  are 
  two 
  classes 
  of 
  elements 
  which 
  

   help 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  home, 
  exactly 
  as 
  their 
  absence 
  tends 
  to 
  mar 
  it. 
  

   One 
  group 
  constitutes 
  the 
  visible 
  outward 
  signs, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  

   house 
  or 
  apartment, 
  the 
  land 
  or 
  garden, 
  and 
  the 
  funds 
  by 
  

   which 
  life 
  is 
  supported. 
  The 
  other 
  group 
  includes 
  the 
  per- 
  

   sonal 
  elements, 
  the 
  spiritual 
  and 
  intellectual 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  home, 
  

   the 
  intangible 
  things 
  which 
  often 
  count 
  for 
  so 
  much 
  and 
  

   which, 
  quite 
  as 
  often, 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  measured 
  and 
  indicated 
  with 
  

   any 
  definiteness. 
  It 
  is 
  difficult 
  and 
  perhaps 
  unnecessary 
  to 
  try 
  

   to 
  distinguish 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  more 
  important 
  of 
  these 
  factors 
  in 
  

   home 
  making. 
  It 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  live, 
  to 
  be 
  comfortable, 
  or 
  to 
  

   have 
  enjoyment 
  under 
  physically 
  unpleasant 
  conditions; 
  but 
  

   the 
  spiritual 
  life 
  is 
  not 
  always 
  extinct 
  under 
  such 
  circum- 
  

   stances. 
  It 
  is 
  not, 
  in 
  short, 
  necessary 
  to 
  live 
  in 
  a 
  palace 
  in 
  

   order 
  to 
  be 
  happy. 
  

  

  The 
  fact 
  is, 
  so 
  many 
  matters 
  enter 
  into 
  the 
  making 
  of 
  a 
  

   home 
  that 
  no 
  one 
  can 
  be 
  singled 
  out 
  as 
  the 
  one 
  chief 
  essential. 
  

   Some 
  may 
  be 
  more 
  important 
  than 
  others; 
  some 
  may 
  affect 
  

   some 
  people 
  more 
  than 
  other 
  conditions 
  may; 
  what 
  seems 
  

   essential 
  to 
  one 
  may 
  be 
  quite 
  secondary 
  to 
  another. 
  The 
  

   great 
  trouble 
  with 
  the 
  home 
  problem 
  — 
  if 
  such 
  a 
  problem 
  

   really 
  exists 
  — 
  is 
  that 
  many 
  people 
  do 
  not 
  know 
  what 
  a 
  home 
  

   is, 
  do 
  not 
  understand 
  what 
  they 
  might 
  do 
  or 
  ought 
  to 
  do 
  to 
  

   better 
  it; 
  do 
  not 
  know 
  what 
  may 
  help 
  to 
  make 
  it 
  more 
  home- 
  

   like; 
  or 
  are 
  ignorant 
  of 
  personal 
  errors 
  and 
  failings, 
  and 
  look 
  

   invariably 
  for 
  their 
  fellow's 
  mote, 
  ignoring 
  the 
  historic 
  beam 
  

   in 
  their 
  own 
  eye. 
  There 
  are 
  few 
  limitations 
  to 
  the 
  varieties 
  

   of 
  human 
  nature. 
  What 
  is 
  the 
  best 
  for 
  one 
  person 
  is 
  not 
  

   always 
  good 
  for 
  another; 
  and 
  what 
  is 
  the 
  ideal 
  for 
  one 
  may 
  

   be 
  quite 
  the 
  reverse 
  for 
  another. 
  The 
  home 
  is, 
  in 
  reality, 
  an 
  

   ideal 
  state 
  ; 
  or, 
  to 
  put 
  it 
  another 
  way, 
  a 
  state 
  of 
  ideals. 
  If 
  the 
  

   ideals 
  which 
  underlie 
  it 
  are 
  not 
  good 
  or 
  do 
  not 
  exist 
  — 
  as 
  often 
  

   happens 
  — 
  the 
  home 
  naturally 
  becomes 
  an 
  impossibility. 
  The 
  

   cure 
  will 
  not 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  bewailing 
  the 
  lack 
  of 
  homes, 
  but 
  in 
  

   inviting 
  the 
  attention 
  of 
  the 
  dissatisfied 
  to 
  more 
  wholesome 
  

   aspects 
  of 
  the 
  home 
  life. 
  

  

  Furniture 
  styles 
  change 
  with 
  quite 
  alarming 
  rapidity. 
  

   For 
  the 
  furniture 
  man 
  it 
  is 
  good 
  business 
  that 
  they 
  should. 
  

   It 
  promotes 
  trade, 
  it 
  increases 
  buyers, 
  it 
  prevents 
  the 
  old 
  

   furniture 
  from 
  wearing 
  out 
  too 
  soon, 
  for 
  no 
  one 
  will 
  keep 
  

   it 
  long 
  enough 
  to 
  find 
  that 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  always 
  survive. 
  Unfor- 
  

   tunately 
  every 
  one 
  can 
  not 
  have 
  a 
  new 
  set 
  of 
  furniture 
  with 
  

   each 
  change 
  of 
  style. 
  The 
  old 
  furniture 
  is 
  often 
  good 
  enough 
  

   to 
  last 
  some 
  time, 
  and 
  often 
  it 
  must 
  be 
  retained 
  from 
  the 
  lack 
  

   of 
  means 
  to 
  purchase 
  new 
  articles. 
  The 
  housewife 
  should 
  not 
  

   be 
  discouraged 
  by 
  such 
  matters. 
  So 
  long 
  as 
  there 
  is 
  furniture 
  

   factories 
  just 
  so 
  long 
  there 
  will 
  be 
  changes 
  in 
  furniture 
  styles. 
  

   The 
  solution 
  of 
  the 
  difficulty 
  is 
  not 
  in 
  the 
  constant 
  buying 
  

   of 
  new 
  furniture, 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  buying 
  of 
  good 
  furniture 
  when 
  

   any 
  is 
  needed. 
  As 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  fact 
  style 
  in 
  furniture 
  is 
  not 
  

   always 
  nearly 
  as 
  essential 
  as 
  excellence 
  and 
  goodness. 
  These 
  

   are 
  truly 
  permanent 
  qualities, 
  while 
  mere 
  brightness 
  and 
  pret- 
  

   tiness, 
  no 
  matter 
  how 
  fresh 
  and 
  pleasing 
  when 
  new, 
  seldom 
  

   have 
  lasting 
  qualities. 
  

  

  