The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1856-12-06
Home Influence.

Let US look into several cottages Inhabited
| oy working men and women. Here is one
where there is health and strength, and re-
guar wages and little children, and kind.
hearted husband and an affectionate wife
'n Mhat prevents it from being happy home ?
What sends its master cross and discomfort
eo, evening after evening to the jovial tavern,
ana orlnss him back, night after night, stag
gerlhS and brutal The want of comfort
Instead of a bright little fire-side, COM
iortaoie armchair, singing tea kettle, a
'lug room and merry children, which would
make the weary mans return pleasure and
comfort, he finds the fire out, no God pre-
pared, the children squaling, every chair
hiied with dirty clothes or candlesticks, or
unwashed dishes-the wife dirty and for
iorn, changed, oh, how changed, from the
smiiIng Jean OF his carly courting days. He
mas lew pence in his pocket The tavern
is not Tar of. Whiskey is cheap and raises
TIE spirits. Whiskey is cheap and does in
stead of wood or fire. Whiskev is cheap
and the sellers and buyers thereof are COM
Portable and merry. Little wonder then.
that tie working man takes up his hat and
is off 70 odrcwn his cares in poison Yet the
husband is blamed and the wife ptied
Very likely the want of order in the midst
OF this uncomfortable home proceeds from
want Of knowledge Perhaps she did no.
thing but dress, and visit and gossip. So
she was ignorant Of cooking, darning. wash
ing and managing house and she haG no
time to learn since.
The consequence is, that instead Of having
nice, wholesome, hot dinners, her husband
dimes upon bread and cheese or oatmeal or
potatoes. His porridge in the morning is
iuil oi knots and SCOT and tastes Of ta!low,
and is as salt as brine; his tea at night is
made with unboiled water, in dirty tea
,'ot; the washings last twice as long as .hev
ne. : do the fire smokes because the Chin
Iey is .'ever swept; the stockings are full Of
holes, and the Sunday clothes iil-kept and
moth eaten.
Let US tr, another cottage, and we find an
active busting MISTRESS the wife wanting
in al good influence. the husband drinking
away the wages which wou'i lit hi. family
above hunger and misery. Hcre, the cause
is want Of temper. The husbaui comes
home tired and irrta'ed 10y the unplc cssant
tolls Of the day, and instead Of being soo'h-
ed and comforted, he finds his wife in what
is popu,arly known as-the dorts" The
poor children are slapped and scolded until
they cry-the husband iuterferes auyrilv.
a''N - a'AS ~ tISi WIN ILus anu TDu-H
proaches for some offence Of the day before
and so comes on a miserable quarrel, and
tue husband rushes to e good tempered
host Of tho tavern. Perhaps he is not given
to drinking, but hs cannot sit by the bright
fire and JON in the merry talk without taking
al cast one glass for the benefit Of the
house; and oh the thousands who are ru-
incd by the beginning of Just one glass"
Wives and mothers Of our working men.
when vii. ye learn that unhind words and
rude manners are crimes. because they pro-
dnce crimes, awful and eternal in their CON
sequences: When viii ye remember that
the way 10 convince husband of his wrong
and unhindness is not To scod but TO love
not 10 repulSe-but to win:
\ godly woman who lived fifteen hundred
years ago, used 20 say tAat /: the fists Of the
uusbanAs were rough, the tongues of their
wives were sharp, and that sle knew the
truth Of the rroyerb. that "a soft answer
tnrneih ~'~ay wEssa-. Il h,l- dae.hedr af saas
described in these words.
W hen my lord and nlas,er sccids, pray;
when he is angry, forgive him, or give him
kindly words; and thus have not only
Gained his anger. but 1t has come to this
blessed issue, that he has been converted and
i Christian. '-.SuHje.ssss IN tie Cottage.