5 ° 
Old Time Gardens 
front yard and flowers were both too much respected. 
Only formal visitors entered therein, visitors who 
opened the gate and closed it carefully behind them, 
and knocked slowly with the brass knocker, and were 
ushered in through the ceremonious front door and 
the little ill-contrived entry, to the stiff fore-room or 
parlor. The parson and his wife entered that portal, 
and sometimes a solemn would-be sweetheart, or the 
guests at a tea party. It can be seen that every one 
who had enough social dignity to have a front door 
and a parlor, and visitors thereto, also desired a 
front yard with flowers as the external token of that 
honored standing. It was like owning a pew in 
church ; you could be a Christian without having a 
pew, but not a respected one. Sometimes when 
there was a “ vandue ” in the house, reckless folk 
opened the front gate, and even tied it back. I 
attended one where the auctioneer boldly set the 
articles out through the windows under the Lilac 
bushes and even on the precious front yard plants. 
A vendue and a funeral were the only gatherings 
in country communities when the entire neighbor- 
hood came freely to an old homestead, when all 
were at liberty to enter the front dooryard. At the 
sad time when a funeral took place in the house, 
the front gate was fastened widely open, and solemn 
men-neighbors, in Sunday garments, stood rather 
uncomfortably and awkwardly around the front 
yard as the women passed into the house of 
mourning and were seated within. When the sad 
services began, the men too entered and stood 
stiffly by the door. Then through the front door, 
