50 



HOME AND FLOWERS 



parks were originally copied after them. The 

 owner of a handsome private estate, in fact, 

 ought to feel that he is under an obligation 

 to transmit it unimpaired to a successor, and 

 that by so doing he is conferring a substan- 

 tial benefit on the community." 



Here is an opportunity for patriotic men 

 of wealth. 



"in the great works of architecture we 

 recognize the divine spirit and reverently 

 bow before it. Who cannot feel the sublime 

 power in Notre Dame of Paris? Who does 

 not worship before Reims? Petty cares 

 sink in the serene presence of the Capitol 

 at Washington." — The Craftsman. 



The More Beautiful New York 



New York is evidently really awaking to 

 a realization of the fact that, if she would 

 retain her proud position as the fifst of 

 American cities, she must lead in the move- 

 ments of the time for betterment, as well as 

 in the race for aggrandizement. Even with 

 her fine natural advantages, it v/ill take 

 some years before the vast plans for civic 

 beautifying now fullj^ under way will be 

 evident to the world at large. But New York 

 is gradually bringing to pass a num^ber of 

 small though significant improvements in 

 her civic life. A few of the accomplishments 

 recorded in the newspapers of the month 

 past are: 



President Cantor, of the Borough of Man- 

 hattan, in his last quarterly report to the 

 mayor, suggested the appointment of a com- 

 mission of leading artists, architects, sculp- 

 tors and civil engineers to draw up a com- 

 prehensive plan for improving the appear- 

 ance of the city, as the McMillan Commis- 

 sion is doing in Washington. Among the def- 

 inite suggestions he makes is the establish- 

 ment of a naval park m Blackwell's Island 

 and the removal of the penal and sanitary 

 institutions now located there, permanent 

 public baths and the repairmg of all streets 

 in front of schools, hospitals, public institu- 

 tions, with sheet asphalt, to insure quiet. 

 Most of the newspapers heartily approve 

 these ideas, and they will probably be car- 

 ried out. The mayor and his advisors are 

 in favor of establishing "isles of safety" at 

 street crossings where traffic is heaviest; 

 some have already been established. As- 

 sistant Sanitary Superintendent F. S. Dilling- 

 ham, of the Board of Health, is conducting 

 an earnest and successful campaign for ade- 

 quate, clean public baths. The Citizens' Im- 

 provement League of Brooklyn, a new organ- 

 ization, has offered generous prizes for at- 

 tractive front and back yards. An elaborate 



campaign for the remodeling and better cars 

 of already existing parks and the establish- 

 ment of new ones, originated by the Munici- 

 pal Art Society and vigorously pushed by 

 the Woman's Municipal League, is now in 

 full swing. "The Grand Boulevard and Con- 

 course in the Bronx" has been begun, to con- 

 nect a string of beautiful parks extending to 

 the northernmost limits of the cit3^ Park 

 Commissioner Young, of the Boroughs of 

 Brooklyn and Queens, is opening out and 

 improving all the park lands in these bor- 

 oughs. The 2,000,000 children of the metrop- 

 olis claim much attention. The opening up 

 of the public school roof-playgrounds has 

 been a signal advance. It has been an instant 

 success. Six schools are now utilized for 

 this purpose, and others are being opened. 

 The children are made thoroushly at home, 

 and the policeman is kept in the background. 

 All is music, laughter and the rush of child- 

 ish play. 



Children's libraries are another fine feature 

 of New York's betterment campaign. Two are 

 already established, and several of the great 

 libraries now have "a child's librarian," who 

 waits on the little people and selects and 

 advises upon different courses of reading for 

 them. Mrs. Henry Parson's city farm for 

 children is also a unique feature. To give 

 city children practical instruction in garden- 

 ing and to interest them in outdoor life is 

 the aim of the movement, and already one 

 city park has been set aside for the purpose. 



Commenting on this esthetic campaign in 

 New York, The Outlool- says: 



"It is impossible to secure in American 

 cities the uniformity which exists in Paris, 

 because Americans will not accept the re- 

 strictions which make the imposition of 

 such uniformity possible: but it is possible 

 to educate American public opinion to such 

 a degree that no man will wish to build a^i 

 ugly structure, or, if he is willing to build 

 such a building, he will not dare to face the 

 judgment of his neighbors." 



An authoritative and graphic account of 

 v/hat New York is doing in the way of mak- 

 ing itself more beautiful will be given in 

 Home and Flowers for December, in the 

 form of an interview obtained by Harry 

 Steele Morrison with Mayor Seth Low. 



Though our life mav be but one sm^lT 

 thread in the fabric of the divine purpo=:p. 

 we must weave it in smooth and true, lest 

 God's pattern thereby fail of perfection. 



Apropos of Vacations 



Among some of the great forces of our 

 time and country which the editor of T7/e 

 World's Work regards as "proper subjects for 



