Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1862-11-20
er towns and cities Of the loyal States.
we are gradually, though slowly, drift
ing in the right direction. Rg
TO MAKE A HAPPY HOME.

city life, and were now as fresh in
heart and as ruddy in face as when
they prattled about their mothers
knee. We had seen so much of pa
rental sorrow over sons gone astray
corrupted physically and morally tha,
we vcntured to ask our friend, the hap
py father, how it was that he had
been able to save his boys from the
contamination of evil associations and
bad habits. His reply was substan-
TALLY as follows ...... ... sa.H
"The way is simple enough, neither
original, nor in any way rcmarka-
bic. l keep my boys at home eve
nings, by making their home a pleas
antcr place than they can find else
where. | save them from the tempta-
tion of frequenting doubtful places of
amusement, by supplying them with
better pleasures at home. Many things
which | considered improper, or at
least frivolous, encourage now, be-
cause find my sons desire them, and
| prefer that they may crafty their
desire at home, and in their mothers
presence, where nothing that is wrong
will come, and where amusements
which under seme circumstances may
be objectionable, lose all their venom
and become innocent, and even eleva-
ting. / found that the danger is more
in the concomitants of many amuse-
mcnts than in the amusements them
selves that many things which will
iniure young man in club, or with
evil associates, are harmless when en-
gagged in with the surroundings of
home.
So long as children are children
they will crave amusement, aud no
reasoning can convince them that il is
wrong to crafty their desire. When
they hear certain things denounced as
sinful by those whose opinion they
respect, and are tempted 10y the exam
pie of others who defend them to dis
obey their parents wish, and partici-
pate in them, long downward step
is taken /; parental authority and pa
rental opinions are held in less rever-
ence the home that ostraciscs these
amusements, becomes a dull aud tire
some place and in secret places. am
ong companions, they seek for them,
until at length conscience is scared,
filial feeling overcome, and parents
are compelled to sigh over the lost af.
fections and confidence of their chill
dren.
Il have endcavored to join with
my boys, and be a boy with them in
their pleasures. And do believe
there is no companion they are merri-
er with, and delight in, more than the
old boy. If | think place of amuse-
ment is innocen, and will please them,
out we so some evening mother,
boys, girls and fathcr-and enjoy the
world all the more because we are
together and do not go too often.
But we don't care TO be out from
home much. We have way among
ourselves of keeping up a kind of
reading society, and we are apt TO
become SO engaged in the book we
are reading that we do not feel like
neglecting it. We take care to find
readable books, works of travel, es-
says, biographies, and the like then
We read them aloud in the evening,
when we are all at home, each taking
turn at reading. To me it is q pret-
ty picture-mother aud the gils at the
table sewing, Tom reading aloud from
Tom Browns School Days great
book with us, and myself in dress
ing gown and slippers at the fire, and
Fred and Willie near at hand we all
listening to the story of sturdy Tom.
Fred is feeling the muscles of his arm,
wondering how it would compare with
that or the young Rubian. And we
are all, to my thinking, happy, com
Portable family.
At half past nine o'clock | sug-
gest that the time is up; but Tom
bcgs to be allowed to finish his chap
ter, and, nothing 10th myself, | assent.
In few minutes | have my big Bible
and my spectacles, and am reading in
the fifteenth chapter Of John-'I am
the true vine, and my father is the
husbandman.' We sing our evening
hymn. Tonight | start the good old
evening hymn
'Glory to Thee, my God, this night,
For al the blessings of the light.
ave kneel together in prayer to
the Father of us all and then the
children are off to bed and two hap
py people, my wife and myself, are
left to thank God for the many bles-
sings he has granted u.s."
We left this man with many thoughts
and some self-condemnation, deter
mined to see what we could do to cs-
tablish another delighted family circle