The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-06-05


anoe The greatest danger of home life
springs from ~ familiarity. Kindred hearts,
gathered at common treside, are far too
apt 10 relax from tho proprietes Of social
life, Careless language aud careless attire
are too apt to be indulgd In when the eye
of the world 10 shut Of, aud the ear OF the
world cannot hear counsel no stiffness Of
family etiquclte-no slernnoss Of family dis
cpliuo-like that which prevailed IN the old
en- time IN, day II past for that, but the
day for thorough respeoliuness among the
members Of a home--lhe day for careful pro-
prety OF dress and addreas--will never pass.
For Il h here that the truest and most fault
less social life Is TO bo lived Il ia here that
SUCH life IL 10 be learned. home in
which politeuoss reigns is home from which
polite men and women 20 out aud they go
out directly from no other,
The ordering Of home life is 30 intimate
~ connected with the treatment Of children
that this sul ject should be- treated definitely,
First, every child born 10 you should learn
among the lot things Il IL capable Of learn
ing, that In your home your viii is supreme.
The earlier child learns this, the better
and be- should learn, at the same time, from
all your words and all your conduct, that
such authority is the companion Of the ten
derest love and the most genial kindness
Play with your children as mach as you
please make yourselves their companions
and sympathizcrs and conGdants but keep
nll the time the reins Of your authority stead
ily drawn, aud never allow yourselves TO be-
uiGed with. It is only in this way that you
cnn keep the management Of your home IN
your own hands, aud retain the aGeetionate
respect of those whom you love as you do
yourselves
Again, make your home happy place
"A pleasant place. Much can be done
toward this end by bcautihins /, in the man
ner have already pointed out, Much more
can be done by providing food and amusc'
n mcnt for the minds Of your children. These
minds YOU will find TO be active, restless, and
greedy for new impressions. This restless
ness is hco,on.implantcd impulse, You
have neither the power nor the right TO re-
press ,ti but il is your duty 10 give il drec-
tion, so far as possible, and to guide'is " lc-
g,lmatc ends, You will find one of three
things to be true Of your children. They
will be happy at home or discontcntcd at
home, or they will seek for happiness away
from home, In the ignorance Of the nature
of childhood on the part Of parents has origi-
mated the ruin Of millions Of men and women
Bursting from an unnatural and irrational re-
straint, they have rushed from the release of
roro,,tal auihnrty ~ rstdilioui on. allow ed
to seek their happiness away from home and
away from restraint, they have contracted
habits which curse them and their parents
while they live. So | tell you that the only
Wy for llau 10 salc your lhildren is 70 make
a home so pleasant to thom--to provide such
grateful changes for their uneasy naturts-os
shall make their home the most delightful
spot on onrth,- spot to be loved while they
live in ii, and a spot to be recalled with
grateful memories when tcy leave it. Pro
foundly to be commscrated is that child who
looks back upon his home us upon prison
house upon his youth as a season OF hard
ship upon his parents as tyrnnts. If such a
child ever becomes a good and genial man or
woman, it will BE in spite Of bad home.
I am well aware that the homes Of Amcticn
will not become what they should be until n
true idea Of life shall become more widely
implanted. The worship of the dollar does
more to degrade American homes and the
life Of those homes than nnything--than all
thiugs---clsc. Utility is the God of almost
universal worship. TIE chief end of life is
to gather gold and that gold is counted lost
which hangs picture upon the wall, which
purchases flowers for the yard, which buys a
toy or book for the eager hand Of child
hood. is this the whole of human life p
Then il is a mean, meager, and most unde-
sirable thing a'-chid will go forth from
such home as horse will go from stall
glad to find free air and a wider PASTURE
The influence of such home upon him in
after life will be just none at, all, or nothing
good. Thousands are rushing from homes
like these every year. They crowd into cit
les. They crowd into villages. They swarm
into all places where life is clothed with
higher significance and the old shell Of
home is deserted by everyo bird as soon as il
can fly Ancestral homesteads and patrimo-
NAL acres have no sacredness and. when the
father and the mother die, the strangers
money and the strangers presence obliterate
associations that should be among the most
sacred of all things.
would have you build up for yourselves
and for your children home which will new
-er-hn Lightly -parted- -Xiih.-A-home which
shall be to all whose lives have been associa-
ted with it the most interesting and precious
spot upon earth. would have that home
the abode of dignity, propriety beauty, grace,
love, genial fellowships and happy associa-
tons Out from such a home | would have
good influences flow into neighborhoods and