The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-05-22
For The Nation,
THE TW 0 H0 M { S
BY MINNIE MYRTLE.

It's woman's province to make homes. Men
buy lands and houses, they buy furniture and
occupy rooms, but not all the men in the world
could make home. Why is not every woman
educated and fitted for her Office? While all
are aspiring to the honor, how few have any
idea OF the real elements which form pleasant
and happy home-of the qualifications which
are necessary in order to preside over one.
All expect to get married, and to have a
house; 10 place in it sofas, chairs, and tables
to prepare breakfast, dinner, and supper; to
have fires and lights to entertain company,
and train children; aud many do this without
imagining that they have failed in one thing
who have yet never made home
sometimes think it is my special province
10 inspect them, so many pass in review before
me-
" A wise son maketh a glad father, but a
foolish son is the heaviness. of his mother
Who is responsible for this household wreck I
We cannot tell, as we did not look in upon il
all the ruin was complete; but it is one of the
saddest family pictures we were ever called tc
paint
The poor, shivering. crouching, wailing crea
tare, that we see in this decaying, poverty
stricken dwelling, was once the mistress of an
eslablishment-the wife of man of wealth and
The leader Of fashion. Her youth was one OF
prosperity, as the world defines prosperity. She
was endowed with beauty, with refined and
cultivated taste, and possessed many accom-
plishments lie who sought her hand in mar.
rage desired one who could adorn his elegant
dwelling who would preside with grace at his
entertainments who would be content that Jew
ais and Gne dresses should supply the place OF
love and personal attention.
When he asked her to be his wife, she refused
with naughty disdain--" she had no idea of
marrying one old enough to be her grand.
father"
Bat kind friends answered, I" He is rich Ell
len. He will give you an establishment; you
VIII have carriage, aud every luxury heart
can desire. How foolish you would be to reject
such an opportunity"
An opportunity for display, for gratifying
every selfish desire, for exciting the envy of the
Eorld it these things were necessary for her
happiness, it was a fine opportunity, indeed.
10 she accepted it; and little time saw her
The enYied of a giddy throng, the courted and
admired by all who wished to appear at her en-
'-riainmeIts and be numbered among her sat-
elites. How brilliant were her parties, how
'ehereae' her dinners, how elegant her saloonsl
and yet what a vacaity in every department
what an absence of all that constitutes an Eng
"sl Or American idea of BoNEi
FOR twenty years her house was gay and
,"nsht and beautiful, children were reared an
luxury, without thought that adversely would
f'er east ITS blight upon their fortunes or their
NSAr's; and. like the house in the parable,
Nhel' the winds blew, and the floods came, the
the fall
First came the failure in business, which the
'"Ah who had all his life revelled in riches
Uu" not survive, and son, who should have
ougHt, :" how can L retrieve the losses, and
@is'aiii a widowed mother and orphan sisters y
P'uased luto dissipation, wasted his substance
ally i.o'ous living, and came to an ignominious
mere was no foundation for moral or physi
,N heaiih. They could only float on the un
Ia AN breeze of prosperity, and one after
~ ~a was cut off, till eight had paid the
Se~'ty OF the false principles and education Of
grave. W ~ 1'''
o., Two " are left, son and daughter and how
thon ney to be suppCEted-they who have never
I'm OF labor but to scorn it, and never
Of 'A D: enough of any art to make it the means
str; canning bread? Oh, desolate and poverty
fr "en Somani that she were taught to look
.nS 1 t TO day when riches may have fed
he husbands and fathers failed in providing
irn.p5 PROJECTION and support-to the day when
for. Itiaht, trail, and helpless, she must come
sn, ,u '"lo the world, and shield herse!f from in
II and guard herself from want.
bsd nfs; u there was only one way. She
tba not education, and she had not gifts, sc
b. Doaiuing' house became her refuge, and it
has, appointments her care. But, though she
Afhed to arrange a parlor, she had not