As a Farm Woman Thinks

By Mrs. A. J. Wilder.

In her late book, “Beginning Again at Ararat, “ Mabel E. Elliot M.D., Near East Relief worker, says that among the refugees, in the tumble-down, crowded, filthy Turkish interior cities there “appeared once more that magic of the American woman’s home-making ability, surprisingly revealed by the war and the peace.

“American women are the only women in the world who, far from home, in primitive countries, without familiar materials, set to work with whatever they can lay hands upon and make a home. Somehow they curtain windows, create couches and tables and chairs from packing-cases, make leather cushions of sheep’s skins, table covers of peasant’s petticoats; then they set a flowering almond branch in a pottery jar—and there, triumphantly, is an American living-room, tasteful, charming, comfortable. In every language of Europe and Asia men marvel at this.”

This is the reputation of American home-makers. I had not realized how far our fame had traveled. But I long ago discovered that making a reputation is one thing and living up to it is another story.

Are our living rooms “tasteful, charming and comfortable? If not, why not “set to work with whatever we can lay hands upon” and make them so?

Brightening Up

It is remarkable what an improvement a little paint will make used where paint should be applied. Varnish in its proper place makes all the world look brighter. An added window in a dark corner, letting the sunlight in, will change the whole character of a dull room making of it a cheerful place and helping to brighten our lives.

If there is too much of sameness and monotony in farm life, it is perhaps mostly our own fault. The same things in the same places, the same colors in the same rooms and exactly the same way of living become tiresome in time. A different arrangement of the furniture, a small moving from one room to another will bring to the house a newness and a freshness that will relieve tired nerves and restlessness almost as much as the seeing of new places.

What I think the greatest compliment that Rocky Ridge Farm house ever has received was given it by a neighbor who seeing for the first time the interior of the house, stood where he could look it over and said, “I like your house—I do like your house! It is not so monotonous!”

Mrs. A. J. Wilder. "As a Farm Woman Thinks." Missouri Ruralist,  (January 15, 1924): page 20.

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