The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-04-23
HON Z.


Thank God for Home and all the joys that cluster
round and make it, of all pleasant places, the most
pleasant There are languages of the earth in which
there is no word that corresponds to "Home"
The French have no word like it now. The old Ro-
mans did not know the term Many who have the
word itself are ignorant of its meaning. And it is
not easy to define it. | like the definition which
the child gave when asked by friend, "What is
Homer Looking up at his mother, he replied,
t'Where she is' 'sBe it ever so humble there's M
place like home!' For its pleasures it does not de-
pend on spacious halls and costly furniture,
tended landscape, or surrounding acres. 1t NAV
not be in the most fashionable quarter of the town
nor in rural region where the mingled beauties Of
forest, river hill and dale make the place an Eden
W here LOVE is there is HONS. In the domestic
CIRCLE where the sweet bonds of holy affection unite
all hearts, each seeking the Others happiness and
striving, by mutual acts of self-denia TO make the
rest blessed, there is home there ia she univ
bliss OF Paradise that escaped the Fall" * l.
In the centre of the circle sits the mother radi
ant with maternal pride and hope and iov; around
her play the children whom God has given and the
fond hus band and father looks on with serene and
holy comfort, he blesses God that he is the hap
py possessor of such home. This is the picture
that poets and painters draw. And there are mil
lions OF such groups in this land to-day. Wealth
and hOnors may not be part of their possessions:
but greater riches than all the treasures of Egvpt
are the friends, the companions of ones freside
the lights of his house, the joys of his heart This
is world Of labor, life OF care, a time of toll
We have our business and burdens all of u.s. Few
of the many, none of the useful, have ceased to
work, while yet they have health and strength
But he who returns from his daily labor, tired and
vexed and worn, and perhaps disappointed and
anxious and Responding, aud finds home where
smiling faces and cheerful voices and loving lips
receive him, surely may excaim-and if he has a
heart to appreciate and enjoy the bounties of the
blessed Giver of all good, he will exclaim, ''The
lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea,
of great sorrows can darken such home. The
changes OF this uncertain world may work won
drouS revolutions in the circle, but if the heart be
| true, no change can work the ruin of domestic
| peace. Reverses of fortune may overtake the
house and dry up the streams of wealth, and
all the comforts that wealth brings to
the door (for it is very inconvenint to be DOOR
and doubtless very pleasant to be rich) but love
triumphs over circumstances, and makes the cot
tage happier than lOrdly halls, for 'better is
dinner of herbs where love is, than stalled OK
and hatred herewith" 'Better is a little with
the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and
trouble Herewith" Death itself may spread its
wings over the sanctuary of affections, and
hide from our sight the dearest object of domestic
love, but death Is not destruction Love Sanctifes
such sorrow, and makes the memory of the departed
| 'sweet, though mOurnful TO the soul" And when
Affections yield the fruits of peace and Joy in God,
the home that was despoiled and blighted becomes
fragrant with the odors of Heaven, for angels have
| been there.
! Honored be the custom that prevails so widely
| among US, of gathering the scattered members of
| the household on Thanksgiving day around the
social board bless God in the midst of His good
gifts, for the comforts of happy home. 1t is a
feast of love. Long may it continue to be one of
most cherished halIowed, conservative insitu-
tons! And each and every one that comes to the
old homestead, from the country or the CITY, or
the sea, and sits down with sire or mother, or
wife, or son, or daughter, or brethren and sisters
or friends, rejoicing in the bounes of Providence
and above all in love that makes home an autipast
of heaven shall say: ''The lines are fallen unto
me sin pleasant places, yea, l have goodly heri-
tage."