True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1856-11-19
HOME INFLUENCE.

"a, sr HOME INFLUENCE. .,f ,..
Let us look into several cottages inhab-
tied by working men and women. Here
is one where there is health and strength,
and regular wages, and little children, and
kind-hearled husband, and an affection
ate wife. What prevents il from being
happy home =! What sends its master,
cross and discontented, evening after even
ing, to the joval tavern, and brings him
back, night after night, staggering and
brutal! The want Of comfort. Instead
of alright little fresido, comfortable
armchair, a singing tea-kettIe, tidy
room and merry children, which would
make the weary man's'return a pleasure
and a comfort, he finds the fire out no
wood prepared--the children squalling-
every chair filled with dirty clothes or
candlesticks, or unwashed dishes-the
wife dirty and forlorn, changed, oh, how
changed, from the smiling Jean Of his
early courtiug days. He has few pence
in his pocket. The tavern is not far off.
Whisky is cheap, and does instead of
wood or fire. Whisky is cheap, and
raises the spirits. Whisky is cheap, and
the sellers and buyers thereof are COM
Portable and merry. Little wonder, then,
that the working man takes up his hat
and is off to drown his cares in poison.
Yet the husband is blamed, and the wife
pitied Very likely the want of order in
the midst Of this uncomfortable home,
proceeds IRON want Of knowledge. Per
haps she did nothing but dress, and visit,
and gossip. So she was ignorant of
cooking, darning, washing, and m anaging
house, and she has had no time TO learn
since. .4 n . ~G1. an'a
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 full Of knots and SCOT, and
tastes of tallow, and is as salt as brine !;
his Tea at night is made with unboiIed
water in dirty teapot; the washings
last twice as long as they need do; the
fire smokes because the chimney is never
swept; the stockings are full OF holes,
and the sunday clothes ill-keps and moth
eaten.
Let us try another cottage, and we find
an active, bustling mistress, but still the
same weary story, the wife wanting in
all good influence, the husband drinking
away the wages which would life his
family above hunger and misery. Here
the cause is want Of temper. The hus-
band comes home tired and irrilated by
the unpleasant tolls of the day, and in
stead Of being soothed and comforted, he
finds his wife in what is popularity known
as ".the dorls.'' The poor children are
scolded and slapped till they cry the
husband interleres angrily, and is answer
ed by rude and rough reproaches for some
offence of the day before, and SO comes
on a miserable quarrel. and The husband
rSshes to the good-tem2ered host of the
tavern. Perhaps lie isnot given to drink.
ing, but he cannot sit by the bright fire
and join in the merry talk. without taking
at least one glass for the benefit Of the
house and oh the thousands who are
ruined by the beginning Of 'just one
glass; Wives and mothers of our work
ing men, when will ye learn that unkind
words aud rude manners are crimes, be-
cause they produce crimes, awful and
eternal in their consequences When
will ye remember that The way to con-
vince q husband of his wrong aud unkiud.
ness. is not TO scold but to love-not to
repulse-but to win Z!
A godly woman who lived fifteen hun
dred years ago, used to say that il the
fists of the husbands were rough, the
tongues.of their wives were sharp, and
that she knew the truth Of the proverb,
that a soft answer turneth away wrath.
Her method Of management and success
in domestic life, she described in these
words: When my lord and master
scolds. ! pray y when he is angry ! for
give him, or give him kindly words and
thus have. not only calmed his anger,
but it has come to this blessed issue, that
he has been converted and is Christian
-7Sm'beams IN the Cottage. s.,w
a. Ia -7----77 --------..