The Grand Haven news., 1861-05-22
The Family Sitting Room.

The following article is copied from the
House and Garden, a monthly magazine
published in Ohio:
"This is the pleasantest room in the
house. 1t is that TO which the absent or
homesick child always turns; it is the
Caaba of every domestic Mecca. 1t is
the room that makes home; and hence
we call it the family room. There is the
fountain of household life; hence to many
of us it is known as the living ROOM
Though these words are not found in any
dictionary, they are found in every heart.
Here the family sit togethor--here those
domestic accomplishments, writing, sew
ing and reading, are carried on. This is
the only room that is found in every house
large or small. There may be no par
lor, no dining-room, no bedroom, no
kitchen, but family room there always
is. II may be used as drawing-room,
or dining-room, or sleeping room, or
even a kitchen, but it always remains the
family room. All other uses are tempo
rary and exigent, this is permanent and
perpetual. AS this is the pleasantest in
the heart, it should be large and airy; its
location should invite the sunshine and
air. The furniture should boplain enough
not to be formal, and not too plain to be
comfortable. If there is space enough q
few fower-pots should grace one Of the
windows. A bookcase is Indispensable,
and children's books to fill one or more of
its shelves. Robinson Crusoe, Arabian
Nights, and Pilgrims Progress should not
be wanting in any family chat can afford
them. Engrnvings. now SO cheap and
good, and particularly steicoscopic views,
ought TO be the aim of every household.
And here let us say, that every one can
afford TO get what he really wants.
What we cannot afford 10 get, is what our
envy or vanity Graves. The best things
for us are those which our heart desires
which we can appreciate-whch ex-
press ourselves. Whether such things
are books, pictures, or flowers, we can get
them; aud these, as belonging to the
heart, belong to the family room. The
windows of this room should have u good
outlook; for from it come in many tho'ts
and suggestions to stimulate aud adorn
the inner life. From the window Of this
room the children first study nature
Here, eagerly crowding TO the panes,they
listen TO the monotonous rain, or watch
the falling leaf. Here they follow the
snow as it comes down in exciting whirls ;
or dreamily, and with disteDded eyes,
gaze at the large flakes sinking TO the
ground SO pure and noiselessly, as if shak-
en- from the wings of an angel. Here it
is, that each day starts afresh the stream
of household life. Here, after breakfast,
when the larger children have gone to
school, and the father to his business, the
mother, with the smaller children playing
about her, sits doing her more quiet
work peacefully and evenly the current
flows Oh past noon till tea time, when the
larger children, with stronger voices and
louder tread, have come from school, and
the father from his business; then the
stream deepens and widens, and the fam
| ily life is again at full tide. From this
point it begins to ebb. One after anotl-
er of the tributaries dries up. Little
hands grow still, little voices are hushed,
little eyes closed; the roar of the crate
hushed, its eyes of flame grow dim, and
one by one the red Goals are quietly sink
ing to sleep, under the gray ashes; the
candle is near the socket, and the mother
thoughtfully laying aside her work, gath
ers up tho loose things, putting aside the
children's toys, and little shoes and stock
ings, quietly takes the candle, and like q
guardian angel, passes out of the family
room, aud the day is done. Who can for.
get the family-room9 II is the family
school room, and should be made the
household shrine. Let the parlor, with
its finery and formality, be forgotten; the
thought Of the bedroom may never wake
in the mind Of the absent child, but lei
not the sitting-room, the family-room die
out in the heart of your children, fol
from that sacred cell is the future house