questionable amusements and worthy substitutes-第22节

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enough　to　resist　the　temptations　of　the　world。　　The　home　must　be　made

more　attractive　than　the　street　or　places　of　amusement。　　The　average

boy　or　girl　who　loses　interest　in　home　and　uses　it　chiefly　as　an　eating

and　sleeping　place；　does　so　with　good　reasons。　　Home　has　lost　its

charm。　　No　provision　is　made　for　his　pastime　and　pleasure。　　Not

finding　this　at　home　he　will　go　elsewhere　in　search　of　it。　　〃An

unattractive　home；〃　says　one；　〃is　like　the　frame　of　a　harp　that　stands

without　strings。　　In　form　and　outline；　it　suggests　music；　but　no　melody

arises　from　the　empty　spaces；　and　thus　it　is　an　unattractive　home；　is

dreary　and　dull。〃　　How　may　home　be　made　attractive？　　We　have

presupposed　a　certain　amount　of　education　and　culture　in　the　home

by　maintaining　for　it　intelligence　and　unselfishness。　　Any　home　that

is　intelligent　and　unselfish　is　capable　of　being　made　attractive。　　In

the　first　place；　in　as　far　as　it　is　practicable；　each　member　of　the　family

should　have　a　room　of　his　own　and　be　taught　how　to　make　it　attractive。

Here；　one　will　hang　his　first　pictures；　start　his　own　library；　provide　a

writing　desk；　and　learn　to　spend　his　spare　moments。　　Recently　we

visited　a　home　in　Chicago。　　The　rooms　are　few　in　number　and　hired。

The　family　consists　of　father；　mother；　and　three　children；　now　grown。

During　our　short　stay　in　the　home　I　was　invited　into　the　boys'　room。

The　walls　are　literally　covered　with　original　pencil　designs；　queer

calendars；　odd　pictures；　the　dresser　and　stand　are　lined　with　books

and　magazines；　with　worn…out　musical　instruments；　art　gifts　from

other　members　of　the　family；　and　ball…team　pictures；　while　two　lines

of　gorgeous　decorations　stretch　from　wall　to　wall。　　This　is　still　these

young　men's　little　world；　their　interests　have　centered　here。　　No　less

than　five　kinds　of　musical　instruments　were　visible　in　this　home。　　The

walls　of　the　living　room　and　parlor　are　made　beautiful　with　simple

tasteful　pictures　made　by　the　daughter；　whose　natural　gift　in　art　was

early　cultivated。　　The　table；　shelves；　and　mantelpiece　are　decorated

with　china　bowls；　plates；　and　vases；　simply；　yet　elegantly　adorned。

This　work　was　done　by　the　daughter　and　mother。　　Not　a　large　but　a

choice　collection　of　flowering　plants　relieved　the　bay　window　of　its

emptiness。　　This　is　an　attractive　home。　　The　children　never　have　cared

to　spend　their　evenings　on　the　street　nor　at　places　of　amusement。　　Games

of　skill；　innocent；　instructive；　and　entertaining；　may　be　used　to　make

home　life　more　attractive。　　Only　let　the　amusements　of　the　home　be

under　the　direction　of　father　and　mother；　and　be　practiced　by　them。

Here　is　a　chance　to　teach　shrewdness；　honor；　interest；　and　by　all　means；

moderation。　　To　overdo　at　games　and　amusements　is　more　harmful

than　to　overwork。



Religion　is　essential　to　happy　home　life。　　A　family　may　get　on　for　a

time　very　smoothly　without　prayer；　Bible　study；　faith　in　God；　and

love　for　Jesus　Christ；　but　no　family　life　is　completed　without　a　storm；

many　storms　of　some　sort。　　Years　may　pass　as　on　a　quiet　sea；　but　one

day　at　high　noon；　or；　perhaps；　in　the　silent；　early　hour；　a　small　cloud

is　seen　in　the　distance；　it　comes　nearer；　the　wind　begins　to　blow；　the

thunders　peal；　the　lightnings　flash；　the　old　home；　for　so　long　an　ark

of　safety；　is　being　tossed　on　the　billowy　waves。　　A　testing　time　is　at

hand。　　Mother　is　gone；　or　father　has　ventured　too　far　and　lost　all；　or

son　has　disgraced　the　family　name；　or　daughter　is　in　shame；　or　the

darling　of　the　home　is　no　more！　　It　makes　a　vast　difference　who　is　at

the　helm　when　the　storms　of　home　life　rage。　　It　is　a　mark　of　highest

wisdom　to　place　the　family　ship　under　the　world's　best　Captain；　Jesus

Christ。　　He　never　lost　a　life。　　He　alone　can　arrest　the　lightning；　quiet

the　waves；　inspire　confidence；　and　restore　peace　and　good　will　in　any

storm。　　But　religion　is　not　only　useful　in　trouble；　it　is　an　ornament　in

peace　and　prosperity；　in　the　making　and　building　of　the　home。　　Tempers

must　be　controlled；　dispositions　cultivated；　conduct　improved；　hearts

softened；　and　minds　purified　and　disciplined。　　To　accomplish　all　of

this；　no　substitute　can　be　made　for　the　spirit　and　faith　of　Jesus　Christ。



〃'Dear　Moss；'　said　the　thatch　on　an　old　ruin；　'I　am　so　worn；　so　patched；

so　ragged；　really　I　am　quite　unsightly。　　I　wish　you　would　come　and

cheer　me　up　a　little。　　You　will　hide　all　my　infirmities　and　defects；　and；

through　your　loving　sympathy　no　finger　of　contempt　or　dislike　will　be

pointed　at　me。'　　'I　come；'　said　the　moss；　and　it　crept　up　and　around；　and

in　and　out；　till　every　flaw　was　hidden；　and　all　was　smooth　and　fair。

Presently　the　sun　shone　out；　and　the　old　thatch　looked　bright　and　fair；

a　picture　of　rare　beauty；　in　the　golden　rays。　　'How　beautiful　the　thatch

looks！'　cried　one　who　saw　it。　　'How　beautiful　the　thatch　looks！'　said

another。　　'Ah！'　said　the　old　thatch；　'rather　let　them　say；　'How　beautiful

is　the　loving　moss！'〃　　So　it　is　with　the　religion　of　Christ；　it　adorns　and

beautifies　the　life　who　really　wears　it；　so　that　the　plainness　of　that　life

is　covered；　its　ruggedness　softened；　and　its　〃pain　transformed　into

profit　and　its　loss　into　gain。〃



Charles　M。　Sheldon　gives　as　an　essential　for　a　permanent　republic；　〃A

true　home　life　where　father；　mother；　and　children　spend　much　time

together；　where　family　worship　is　preserved；　where　honesty；　purity；

and　mutual　affection　are　developed。〃



J。R。　Miller　beautifully　sums　up　the　secret　of　happy　home…making　in

one　word〃Christ。〃　　Christ　at　the　marriage　altar；　Christ　on　the　bridal

journey；　Christ　when　the　new　home　is　set　up；　Christ　when　the　baby　is

born；　Christ　when　the　baby　dies；　Christ　in　the　pinching　times；　Christ

in　the　days　of　plenty；　Christ　in　the　nursery；　in　the　kitchen；　in　the　parlor；

Christ　in　the　toil　and　in　the　rest；　Christ　all　along　the　years；　Christ　when

the　wedded　pair　walk　toward　the　sunset　gates；　Christ　in　the　sad　hour

when　the　farewells　are　spoken；　and　one　goes　on　before　and　the　other

stays；　bearing　the　unshared　grief。　　Christ　is　the　secret　of　happy　home

life。〃





THE　HOME…MAKER。



Just　as　a　surly　husband；　a　dissipated　father；　or　a　reckless　son　may　blight

a　home　and　destroy　its　happiness；　so　may　a　thoughtful；　virtuous；　and

kind　man　in　the　home　change　its　very　atmosphere　and　help　to　make　it

a　heaven。　　As　a　home…maker　man　has　the　ruggeder　part。　　It　is　his　to

provide。　　The　man　who　falls　short　of　this　in　the　home　does　not　do　his

part。　　No　woman　can　respect　a　man　much　less　love　him；　who　places

her；　her　work；　her　life；　her　home；　her　world　under　constant　embarrassment

by　a　scant　and　niggardly　provision。　　She　loses　her　ambition；　ceases　to

make　her　self　and　her　home　attractive；　disorder；　filth；　unwholesome

food；　lack　of　spirit　on　her　part　is　the　result。　　She　can　not　be　to　him；　most

of　all；　what　he　expects　her　to　be；　a　companion；　a　counselor；　a　comforta

home…maker。　　Also；　it　is　the　part　of　the　man　in　the　home　to　shield　the

woman　from　the　heavier　burdens　and　responsibilities。　　Let　him　count　the

cost　of　his　enterprises；　secure　himself　against　hazardous　speculations；

and　give　his　wife　and　children　to　realize　that　his　shoulders；　and　not　theirs；

are　to　bear　the　load　of　financial　obligation　and　material　support。　　This

leaves　the　woman　with　her　finer　instincts　and　sensibilities　to　make　the

home　the　dearest　spot　on　earth　to　husband；　children；　and　to　all　who　cross

her　threshold。　　The　house　is　her　dominion。　　　There　she　is　queen。　　What　a

tender　and　beautiful　one　she　may　become！





SOME　PRACTICAL　HINTS。



The　true　home…maker　does　not　spend　all　of　her　time　with　her　ducks；

chickens；　pigs；　and　cows；　nor　yet　with　her　neighbors；　her　club；　nor　her

Church。　　She　finds　some　time　to　cultivate　her　intellectual　nature　and　the

finer　feelings　of　her　children。　　She　does　not　degenerate　into　a　mere

household　drudge。　　She　is　not　the　slave　of　her　husband；　but　his　companion。

If　she　has　musical　ability；　she　keeps　up　the　practice　of　her　music；　if　she

is　inclined　to　literature；　she　reads　some　every　day。　　Whether　literary　or

not；　every　woman　should　spend　some　time　each　day　in　reading　that　she

might　keep　abreast　with　the　world；　at　least　with　her　companion；　in　the

movements　and　thoughts　of　every…day　life。　　The　true　home…maker　plans

to　have　a　few　minutes　each　day　which　she　calls　her　own；　in　which　she

may　do　as　she　pleases　regardless　of　call　or　duty；　that　she　might　relax

herself；　remove　the　strain　of　intense　effort；　rest；　give　her　nature　its　free

bent　and　inclination。　　It　will　pay　her　in　every　way。　　She　will　accomplish

more　and　better　work　in　the　busy　hours。　　A　spirit　and　a　force　will

characterize　every　effort。　　The　women　of　to…day　are　overworked。　　They

can　not　do　themselves；　their　families；　not　their　homes　the　true　spiritual

service　that　it　is　their　part　to　do。　　Plan　for　a　few　minutes　rest　with　the

daily　routine　of　care。　　But　how　is　one　to　do　this　with　so　many　demands

made　upon　her？　　For　she　is　expected　to　be　seamstres