Tlio Progressive Farmer, April ? , 1902.
mmwrnmm m . .
The Home Circle.
THE LAEQE3T LIFE.
I lie upon my bed and hear and see.
The moon is rising through the glistening trees ;
And momently a great and sombre breeze,
With a vast voloe returning fitfully, , t
Comes like a deep-toned grief, and stirs in me,
Somehow, by some inexplicable art,
A sense of my soul's strangeness and its part
In the dark mar oh of human destiny.
What am I, then, and what are they that pass
Yonder, and love and laugh, and mourn and weep?
What shall they know of me, or I, alas I
Of them? Little. At times, as if from sleep,
We waken to this yearning, passionate mood,
And tremble at our spiritual solitude.
Nay, never once to feel we are alone,
While the great human heart around us lies ;
To make the smile on other lips our own,
To live upon the light in others' eyes ;
To breathe without a doubt the limpid air
Of that most perfect love that knows no pain ;
To say, I love you, only, and not care
Whether the love come baok to us again,
Divinest self-f orgetf ulness, at first
A task, and then a tonic, then a need ;
To greet with open hands the best and worst,
And only for another's wound to bleed :
This is to see the beauty that God meant,
Wrapped round with life, ineffably oontent.
There is a beauty at the goal of life,
A beauty growing sinoe the world began,
Through every age and race, through lapse and strife,
Till the great human soul complete her span,
Beneath the waves of storm that lash and burn,
The ourrents of blind passion that appall,
To listen and keep watch till we discern
The tide of sovereign truth that guides it all ;
So to address our spirits to the height,
And so attune them to the valiant whole,
That the great light be clearer for our light,
And the great soul the stronger for our soul :
To have done this is to have lived, though Fame
Remember us with no familiar name.
Archibald Lampman.
SOME DUTIES OF HUSBANDS AND WIVES.
There is no doubt that nine-tenths
of the unhappiness of married life
is due to the thoughtlessness with
whioh young men and women enter
into the .marriage state, without se
riously considering how much of
happiness or misery depends upon
the wise seleotion of a life compan
ion ; and a misunderstanding of the
responsibilities which marriage en
tails. To the other tenth, which
goes to the making of the sum total
of human unhappiness we may set
down a misconception of the true re
iations of husband and wife, and
the failure to understand that they
-cannot with honor, enter into the
privileges of the marriage state
without also assuming its responsi-
iVUI
A handsome face and form and
fashionable attire and a certain
amount of style are no guarantee of
integrity of character or of those
-qualities whioh go to the making of
an agreeable and congenial husband.
And protestations of love and affeo
tion are not a surety for a comfor
table home or even for the necessi
ties of life. Neither is wit and
'beauty, showy accomplishments and
social graces an assurance of a tem
perament or disposition capable of
Tnaintaining a home in the highest
'sense of the word, or a oaring for the
;physical,mental and moral well-being
of a family. And as the comfort
quite as much upon thepraotical and
real as upon the spirt ual and ideal,
it is the part of wisdom, on the part
of young men and women, to con
sider these questions seriously in
choosing their yoke fellows.
A Tefined and educated wife can
"never expect to be happy with a
111 -3 11111. A. 1 V 1
uuaree, liiureu ur niitorttbo uusuauu,
however handsome or well-to do he
may be. And a quiet, home lov
ing man will not find his greatest
happiness with a wife whose tastes
and inclinations lead her to place so
ciety and social position before her
home life and the welfare of her
family. And, too, the man who fur
nishes a comfortable home and pro
vides well for his family, and then
-swears at his wife and uses coarse,
-vulgar language before his children,
is no better than the man who has
some regard for the proprieties of
life, and yet fails in some other re
spect to do his duty as a husband
and father. These truths only go to
show how essential to future happi
ness it is for young people to oonsider
well the wisdom of their ohoice before
entering into a bond which reads,
'Till death do us part," for true it
Is that many a smiling face oonoeals
atn aohing heart because of a lack of
fehe proper consideration of these
prime factors of matrimonial felicity.
When a man eleots to take to him
self a wife, he should expeot to as-
ThU is No. 33 of our series of the World's
Bet Poems, arranged especially for Thb Pbo
fRKSsivs FiEXEK by the editor. In this
eries selections from the following authors
Ktve already appeared: Barns, Bryant, Mr. and
Mrs. Browning, Lord Byron, Campbell, Eugene
Field, Goldsmith, Leigh Hunt, Holmes, Omar
cShayyam, Kipling.
same the responsibility of the main
tenance of a home and a family. He
should have some visible means of
support and the disposition to pro
vide those dependent upon him with
all of the comforts, and as many of
the luxuries of life, as his means
will allow; and he should do this
willingly and gladly, instead of oon
sidering it a hardship to discharge
the obligations whioh he voluntarily
has assumed. The ideal husband is
the one who takes a certain kind of
pride in being the head of a family
and seeing to it that the family in
come is fairly divided, and that his
wife' has her rightful share, and his
family are reared in comf ort and re
sspeo lability, even if he oannot pro
vide them with luxuries.
When a woman marries she should
expeot to accept the natural restric
tions of domestic life, and the possi
bilities and probable contingencies
of maternity, and she certainly has
no right to oomplain of the obliga
tions it may entail. And even when
the means are limited, and the work
sometimes wearisome or seemingly
unappreciated, under favorable con
ditions she need not develop into
into an automatio machine which
runs in rats and grooves and goes
to pieces at the least disturance of
the usual routine.
The ideal husband will see to it
that his wife shall have all the
rights and privileges which belong
to her, not only as his wife, but as a
woman. And that marriage im
poses no more restrictions or obliga
tions upon her than it does upon him
self . He will treat her as his equal,
his oompanion and as his friend,
and he will make his personal life
and conversation as clean and pure
as he desires hers to be. The wife
should respect the individuality of
the husband, and the husband should
remember that his wife did not lose
her identity when she took his name
and became his wife. And when
differences of opinion shall arise,
each should be be willing to disouss
the matter calmly and kindly with
the other without ranoor or recrim
ination, for be it remembered, that
whenever there is difference between
husband and wife, the trouble must
fall most heavily upon the wife, from
the very fact that the husband is
free to go abroad, and among his
friends or casual acquaintances, to
live down or forget the irritating do
mestio disturbance, while the wife
muat stay at home and brood over
the subleot until mole hills become
mountains and clouds of dissensions
obscure the sun of domestic happi
ness The joys and the sorrows, the
privileges and the obligations, the
benefits and the burden-bearing
should be mutual, in order that mar
riage may bring the happiness and
contentment whioh was designed by
the Creator when he saw that it was
not good for man to be alone. Mrs.
Clarke-Hardy, in Farmers' Voice.
Life is too short for mean anxieties.
C. Kingsley.
FASTNESS.
Mrs. Lovell's favorite niece was
getting ready to marry. Mrs. Lov
ell had quietly rejoiced over the en
gagement, and she spent much time
and money preparing for the wed
ding and the new life to follow.
But she was a strong, self-oontained
woman, who seldom made an exhibi
tion of feeling, and the young man
in the case, being a little afraid of
her, hardly knew whether to regard
her as a friend or as an enemy when
she suddenly "opened on him" one
day.
"Well, Joe," she said, "what's
Nettie going to be a beggar, a hired
girl, or a partner?"
"Why, Mrs. Lovell!" the young
man gasped, "I don't understand 1"
"Will she have to oome to you for
two cents every time she wants to
buy a postage-stamp, or shall you
make her an allowance every week,
pay her wage, as you do the hired
man, or take her into partnership,,
and let her help spend money as well
as help earn it?"
"Honestly, I hadn't thought about
money, or much of anything but
Nettie herself;" the young man an
swered. "Time to begin 1" said Mrs. Lovell,
briskly. "It's because young mar
ried folks don't think that they get
to falling apart sometimes. You don't
want Nettie to lose her self-reliance
and turn into a woman like Mrs. Col
labor, drooping and dependent and
afraid to say her soul's her own?"
"Of course not I"
"Better to make her a weekly al
lowanoe than to break her spirit by
having her beg for every penny,
you think? Yes. The allowanoe
system is correct in principle ; it's a
recognition of the fact that the wo
wan earns money as well as the man.
The trouble is, the man may fall into
the notion that his duty ends when
he pays, and a woman is liable to
think her responsility ceases when
she spends the allowance wisely. Then
sentiment revolts at the notion of
putting your wife on wages, don't
you think? In fact, considering that
Nettie is a good business woman, it
seems to me your wisest oourte is to
make her a partner."
"Tell me how."
"Have a common purse, that she
shall feel as free to go to as you are.
Talk over your affairs with her. Let
her have a voioe in deciding how to
invest a little surplus, whether in a
new range or another cow. Trust
her to help you save for the tax bill.
She won't go out and buy caramels
at a time when she knows you need
money if she knows, mind. But
if you keep her in the dark about
things, how can you blame her for
wastefulness?
"Of course if a woman is a spend
thrift cr a fool, my system won't
apply. But there are not so many
spendthrifts of my sex as there are
skinflints of yours. The average
woman can do more with a dollar
than the average man can, and if
she feels that she has an equal inter
est in the firm, so as to speak, she'll
do wonoers in spending and saving,
both. Take your wife into your
confidence, Joe ! It's a sure way to
get ahead and be happy." The
Youth's Companion.
QUE TERRIBLE ENGLISH.
"The other day," writes Eli Per
kins, I met a Frenoh gentleman at
Saratoga, who thought he had mas
tered the English language.
" How do you do?' I said, on ac
costing him.
" 'Do vat?' he asked, in a puzzled
manner.
" 4I mean, how do you find your
self?' 4 'Saire, I never lose myself !'
" You don't understand me; I
mean, how do you feel?'
" 'How I feels? Oh, I feel smooth ;
you shust feel me.' "
ONE ON S0ES0N.
The Chicago Journal tells this
story :
"Robson, do you know why you
are like a donkey?"
Like a donkey?" echoed Robson,
opening his eyes wide. "I don't."
"Beoause your better half is stub
bornness itself."
The jest pleased Robson immensely,
for he at once saw the opportunity
of a glorious dig at his wife. So,
when he got home he said :
"Mrs. Robson, do you know why I
am like a donkey?" He waited a
moment expecting his wife to give
it up. But she didn't. She looted
at him somewhat pityingly, as she
answered, "I suppose it's because
you were born so." New Orleans
Times-Demoorat.
SHAKESPEARE IS AN EDUCATION.
XIr. Habie Sayi to Enow the Great Drama
tist ii to Gain a Fine Conception of Life.
Everyone ought to know his Shake
speare ; for the plays constitute, on
the whole, the foremost text-book
whioh our race has given to the
world. The matter of supreme im
portance is his conception of life and
the noble art in whioh it is embodied
To live with the poet in familiar in
teroourse, by constant reading with
an open mind and heart, responsive
to the power and sensitive to the
beauty whioh penetrate and inform
the plays, is to reoeive from him the
most searching influence and the
deepest pleasure. The end cf art is
to deepen and intensify the sense of
life and this end is missed when one
becomes absorbed in the study of
language, form, conditions and oir
oumstanoes. Some knowledge of
these things is essential, but the
emphasis of interest and of study
ought to rest on the invisible soul
and body of a work of art. Hamil
ton W. Mabie, in the April Ladies
Heme Journal.
Some men deal in faots, and oall
Bill Jones a liar. They get knocked
down. Some men deal in subter
f uges, and say that Bill Jones' father
was a kettle rendered liar, and that
his mother's name was Sapphira,
and that any one who believes in the
Darwinian theory should pity rather
than blame their son. They get dis
liked. But your tactful man says
that sinoe Baron Munchausen no one
has been bo ohuok full of bully remi
niscences as Bill Jones ; and when
that oomes back to Bill he is half
tiokled to death, beoause he doesn't
know that the higher critioism has
hurt the Baron's reputation. That
man gets the trade. "John Graham's
Letters."
THE DECOBATIYE POSSIBILITIES IN
' VINES.
Vines, indeed, may oover multi
tude of sins foundations, bare walls,
unsightly board fenoes, often cov
ered with signs, and un pain ted sheds ;
vines may serve as a screen, and
give privacy to the yard ; vines may
give a shady nook in the little cor
ner that has so often worried us to
care fcr. But above all, vines may
make our houses homes indeed,
adding grace and beauty to even the
stateliest mansion. There is suoh an
endless variety of vines, and most of
them are so easily cultivated that
they appeal to the veriest novice or
the busiest housewife. In planting
you man have all of one kind or
choose many varieties. For quick
effects over balconies, fence or
soreon the morning-glory, moon
dowers, nasturtiums, Cobseascandens
and cypress-vine give most pleasing
effects. For slower and more per
manent results are the ivies', wood
bines, honeysuckles and their kind.
E. L. Shuey, in the April Woman's
Home Companion.
LIKELY TO BE MISCONSTRUED.
A writer in an eastern periodical,
after recounting General Brooke's
experiences as a soldier andmany of
them were thrilling says :
"The general has been twice mar
ried. It will thus be seen that his
war record is a distinguished one."
We have no wish to be hypercriti
cal, but it does seem as if the sen
tences quoted ought to been kept a
little iurther apart. Cleveland
Leader.
AN EFFECTIVE FEBOBATION.
Sheridan was one day much an
noyed by a fellow-member of the
House of Commons, who kept crying
out every few minutes, "Hear!
hear!" During the debate he took
occasion to describe a politioal con
temporary that wished to play rogue,
but had only sense enough to aot
fool. "Where," exclaimed he, with
great emphasis, "where shall we
find a more foolish knave or a more
knavish fool than he?" "Hear!
hear !" was shouted by the trouble
some member. Sheridan turned
round, and, thanking him for the
prompt information, sat down amid a
general roar of laughter.
A RAILROAD MAN.
This is the way the railroad man
heard the conundrum :
"At what time shortly before
noon is it three o'clook? At a quar
ter of twelve, beoause a quarter of
twelve is three."
And this is the way he worked it
off on his friends :
"At what time shortly before noon
is it three o'clook? At eleven fortv-
five, because eleven forty five is
three. It doesn't sound right, either,
blame it. but that's the war I heard
i . ' Chioago Tribune.
Our Social Chat.
KPITKP BY AUNT JKNNIK, RALEIGH, N. O.
AS CONTKIBUTOKS to this department of
The Progressive Farmer, we have some of the
most wide-awake and progressive young ladies
and young men and some of the most entertain
ine writers among the older people of this and
other States, the ages of the members ranging
from sixteen to more thon sixty.
YOU ARE REQUESTED to join by sending
vlb a letter on some subject of general interest,
and writing thereafter as often as possible.
WHEN WRITING, give 11 name 'and .post
office address for Aunt Jennie's information.
If you do not wish your real nameto appear
in print, give name by which you wish to be
known as a Chatterer. . ,
TWO WEEKS OR MORE must, as a rule,
elapse between the time a letter is written and
the date of its publication.
ADDRESS all letters to Aunt Jennie, care of
The Progressive Farmer. Raleigh. N. O.
AT7HT JENNIE'S LETTEE.
There is no part of oui oountry so
folorn or poverty-strioken bnt
Mother Nature has endowed with
beauties incomparable, if indolent
man only can be induoed to aid her
efforts.
A house set on a bare hill with no
trees surrounding it and no lawn, no
flowers, but just the weeds or perhaps
a cotton patch within a few feet of
the door steps, is no home for a wo
man whose very soul longs for
beauty.
Have you ever thought how muoh.
you, individually, could do to make
the house and surroundings attrao
tive? Even if you have no money
to spend for flower seed the yard
could be made pretty with grass.
Despised grass that troubles you so
muoh while you are cultivating your
crop, is a thing of beauty when it is
allowed to oover nature's soars near
the home. Grass and flowers in the
yard seem really congenial compan
ions. One is incomplete without the
other. The deep dark green is a fit
setting for the brilliance of the flow
ers and many oolored foliage.
One yard that I thought especially
pretty had the green lawn broken
only by two ciroles of coleas, one on
eaoh side of the front entranoe.
All of us may have ferneries ; and
what is daintier or prettier than
a fern? The trouble of uprooting
and planing them is all they cost us,
and any shady nook about the yard
will oonstitue an ideal home for
them, provided you place a few
rooks for them to cool their roots
under.
Did you know that the lovely little
forget-me-nots grow wild in some
parts of our State? Look and see if
you can find any, and be sure to plant
a few pieces with the ferns.
Another shady spot can be filled
with nasturtiums ; indeed they grow
vigorously and bloom profusely all
summer in almost any plaoe ii you
allow them good soil. I am almost
ready to say that there is more satis
faction in one paper of nasturtium
seed than in any half dozen other
less known varieties of flowers.
There is nothing prettier than the
old fashioned pink, unless we except
the magnificent new ones of the same
family ; and and they all delight in
the sunshine.
Roses are pretty, but unless they
are properly pruned and mulched the
finest varieties will deteriorate un
til you will emphatically declare that
the rose you see in your yard is not
the one you thought that y ou'bought .
Zinnias will pay you for the space
they occupy, and are almost all col
ors save blue and purple. These
tints the asters will supply, indeed
there are no flowers that I admire
more than the aster family.
For an old stump or tree whioh
often may well remain where it is,
plant Japan Ivy and Virginia
creeper. . rne creeper is especially
good for a brick or stone surface, as
it needs no tying and verv little
training.
For verandas, porohes, fences, etc.,
set woodbine, wisteria, clematis,
hardy hop, climbing roses or honey
suckle. Let us have a flower garden for
flowers to look at, to work in, and
enjoy and to supply our homes and
friends. Just here let me suggest
that eaoh ohild be allowed a space at
least a yard square in which to plant
and oultivate his or her favorite
flower? . You will be astonished at
the interest they will manifest and
the success that will crown their
efforts ; besides it will awaken a love
for nature study whioh may in after
years avail tnem muon and lessen
your anxiety. Those who have not
sown or lovingly tended a flower gar--
den have missed a rich feast of
real rest and enjoyment.
I regret that there are not a
larger number of contributors this
week. Mrs. Z B. P. has a good letter
on " Contentment." and Mavbelle
talks interestingly of personal influ
ence.
The competion for the book offered
as a prize by the Editor of The Pro
gressive Farmer expires to-day. and
in next week's paper I hope - to be
able to give the name of the success
ful competitor. Aunt Jennie.
CONTENTMENT.
j
Dear Aunt Jenntk- t
eee ft 1
Editor Poe has offered a book f0
best letter on Social Chat writt6;
February or March. I j0
where he has given us any
uuujuv. , Buc88f6
to cnoose our own suDjeots and
Ah
as we please.
ChJ
I would like to give the
few thoughts on " Contentment
whioh is in my estimation "raft!
to be desired than gold and 8ilye,4
For gold and silver cannot and il
not bring contentment, neither d )
it bring the happiness that oontej
ment does. I do not mean the coj
tentment that is born of laziness
settle down with anything or n0V
ing and not try to do any better ; fcJ
the oontentment that is born of GqJ
that does the very best it can for j$
self and friends, and then is contend
ed with the results, be it little
muoh, good . or bad ; that profits )
mistakes instead of worrying
fretting over them. I
When misfortunes come do no'
give up and say we were born forbad
luck. I for one do not believmJ
luck. But remember we have a lo
ing Father who loved us sufficient
to give His Son for us, who
our destiny ; and if he chastens m
is for our good here and hereaf
We should try to get the lesson i
wishes us to learn out of eaoh trial
and testing. Then give it all to His
and trust Him to help us and be coa.
tent. Instead of worrying over oi?
poor crops and misfortunes last yen
and giving up in despair and grumb
ling, let us count our blessings and
see if we did not get more than wj
deserved. Then thanking God thai
we have as muoh as we have, let ns
go to work with renewed energy ud
faith, and ask God to give o&
proper rain and sunshine for our 1
crops this year.
Instead of worrying andfrettai
over our positions in life, and desir
ing some one else's chance and
means, let us remember we are in our
place and should endeavor to make it
bright and happy. When we see
some one else prettier or hotter
dressed than we are, instead of coy
eting their beauty or dress, let w
remember that we would be a misfll
in her place, but we have orar place
and by doing the best we otsfa and &
ing content, we can not only make
ourselves happy, but those around
us.
One of the greatest men the world
has known had found true happiness
when he said, ' Be content with such
things as ye have : f or he hath said,
I will never leave thee, nor forsake
thee." Heb. 13:5. " Having food
and raiment let us be therewith con
tent." 1 Tim. 6 :8. " Godliness with
oontentment is great gain. 1 Tim.
6:6. 44 1 have learned in whatsoever
state I am, therewith to be oontent."
Phil. 4 :11.
Mrs. Z. B. P.
McDowell County, N. C.
POWEB OF INFLUENCE.
Dear Aunt Jennie : I have
a silent reader of the Sooial Chat for
sometime and I am now going to
ask permission to join.
The subjeot I have chosen is a very
broad one for an inexperienced
writer. But it is one whioh I think
should be impressed upon our mind8-
No doubt many of us go from day
to dav and nnvflp nnoe stOT) to
think
that our influence either for good or
evil, is being felt by all around ttf.
No matter how poor we may be, or
what may be our station in life, thai
wonderful power of influence v
still be felt by some one. Therefore
we should be very careful what 8
do and say. Some times we feel that
our lives are of very little impr
tanoe and that what we do and 1
will affeot no one but oureelvei.
This is a mistake. We should re
member that our influence will Uv
long after we have passed away.
Little deeds of teD exert great influ
ence, and we should never let an op
portunity pass to speak a kind word
or do a kind deed, thereby makM
our own lives happier, and perhap
causing some one else to follow our
example.
Muoh love to Aunt Jennie and aU
the Chatterers. May bells.
KEEPING HIS PLACE.
Irate Mamma "Why didn't y
get the things I sent you to the store
for?" ,
Son "I had to wait so long I or'
got what you wanted."
Mamma "Then why didn't J
oome baok and And out?" .
Son "I was afraid, you know,
I left, to oome back I would lose m
turn."