The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-04-07
The Happy Home.

Whose home is hOpPyl Is II his who is
the owner of hundreds of thousands of dol.
lars-whose walls are bright with exquisite
pictures, and whose parlors are furnixhed
like palace Perhaps so it may be that
his is a very happy home but the wealth
and the pictures, and the costly furniture do
not create that happiness. They may, in.
deed, add very much to the enjoymen: of the
heart which is at peace without them, but
such things are not indispensable TO happy
home. Is il his home who is elevated above
the heads Of his felow.men by extraordinary
endowments Of mind, or by great uttainments
in learning! Is i! his who has so fine and
critical an eur, and eye, and judgment, that
he can find faults in everything, whether
earthly or heavenly! Is it his who is refn-
ed and sensitive beyond measure who can
hardly endure the grossness Of elting, or the
literalness OF life in the body who, although
not at ell too superiue to perform acts whose
consequences are anything but romantic and
delectabie, is infinitely disguised at the re
aults of his own conduct!
Not by any means. This mans home Is
a perpetual scene of trial. In this world,
and in domestic life, there are many most
undignifed and even absurd necessities laid
upon persons; and il one in family greedily
oppropriates all that is possible Of the agree.
able and refined experiences, throwing of
all that he can Of his own share of the re.
verse, somebody suffers. There is always 0
martyr where there is selfish monster, Of
such refined, super-delcaie person is. Af
ter the best is done there is just SO much
common placeness, in elegance. homeliness
and grossness to be endured in this fcshly
life.
Not one Of US can quite escape these ri
diculous and uncomfortable necessities ; ant
if we ore determined that we will escape
then we only injpre, burden and tormen
others, and do not escape them after ALL
We do, however, render ourselves more alb
surd than are the things which we despiae.
A refined man, who does not know how
to bear with what is not refined, or roman
tic and sentimental man, who doesn't know
how to come pleasantly down to mere mat
ter-of.tact, and 10 bear with that which il
void of sentiment, never makes home happy
But his is hnppy home. even if it be bu
IN single humble room, who has dear friends
or, at least, one friend, awaiting him, an,
who loves him 70 that every effort is mad
to render it comfortable and pleasant VIII
meets him with glad face, and is true il
, the very hearts core to him. His is Ii
) happy home who carries to it an unsel6s
I and affectionate disposition, and tempe
:, sweetened and made gentle by the disciplin
. of life. Thore may be no picture on th
walls, no carpet on the floor, ond the furn
ture may be scanty indeed--it matters not
if love and peace are there, the home of III
man is happy.
Love is the basis Of all true joy and pleas
ure. Selfshness is the bane of life-th
darkener and destroyer OF home. Why wi
not men believe it I! Why, at least, wi
9 not the poor believe it !! How superlativel
foolish in those who have nothing else thert
to cast out love and loving.kindness frol
their homes. II the rich man who has h
4 portion in this world can rfford to do thi
, the poor certainly cannot.