The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-01-22


Wanfed-EFeBings at Home.
There is no greater want in these
days. in all the households of New
England, than evenings at home. W.
have lamented the loss of the old
fashioned open fireplace, with Its
cheerful wood fire roaring up the
chimney, and its outposts of apples ano
cider. But they would do little good
in these days, when nobody would
stay at home to enjoy them. Every
body aud every institution seem 10
have conspired to make it impossible
to gather the family at home for a
quiet evening. There are lectures and
concerts and fairs-to say nothing Of
opera and theatre and ball-WhIch
are not yet quite of the past. If a
family belong to the Church and do
not turn aside to the frivolities, and
but occasionally to the public social
and intellectual entertainments, there
are prayer meetings and confer
ence meetings, there are preaching
meetings and special meetings and
revival meetings. And then there
are reading rooms and Christian asso-
Citations and unions for Christian
work. and the lyceEm and the singing
school and the glee club. 1t is not
easy to say which of THESE institutions
of civilization or Discrimination
should be given up. Rather the
effort of society is to invent and or
ganize new appliances for pleasure
and profit. The church adds lyceum,
the literary association a prayer meet
ing, or the Christian union q billiard
training room. We are not sitting In
judgment on these notifications OF
society, nor inclined to write our
selves old fogy by lamenting the de-
eeneracy of the times. Yet one may
be pardoned for desiring to find room
in these crowded days for SO good an
institution as an evening at home.
Worship is good. whether it be in
the Sunday congregation or the even
ing lecture, the class meeting or the
covenant meeting. But then we won
der whether an evening at home
would not be a profitable thing to
mix In with these. There are tradi-
tons of good old days; some old peo-
pie think they remember the time
when mothers used to gather their
children for evenings at home, and fill
up the few hours before bed time
with instruction in such old-fashiOned
lore as catechism and command
ments. Might not an occasional
evening of that old-style instruction
furnish a basis upon which to build
IN the numerous religious meetings Of
these days?
Christian associations and unions,
and reading rooms are good so far as
they afford safe and pleasant retreats
for strangers In the city, who are shut
out from the privileges of the home
circle, and lure the wandering from
the temptations of vice. But so far as
they lead our youth from the quiet of
home, and create or increase the crav-
ing for publicity, they are not bless
ings. Better the few books and we'll
read of our fathers in quiet homes,
than all the crowded shelves of great
libraries, than reading rooms filed
with the trashy sensational literature
of the day, with the loss of the home
atmosphere. Our merchants and
wealthy employers ere princely in the
bestowment of their means to build
up public Institutions for the home
less. Would they not do more good
at less expense by making their homes
free to their clerks and employees. and
providing for them pleasant social ev-
enings at home?
Lectures are good things when they
arc good, and we are ready to applaud
the zeal of rival associations to fur
nish the most brilliant array of talent
Cor their courses of lectures. Albeit
we must confess that on the whole
the modern lecture has more of chat
than wheat, that sense has less chance
than sensation, that smartness and
sarcasm are more in demand than
strong thought. But good or bad,
thew take evenings.
Now, what shall be done? There
are only about SIX evenings In the
week-Sundays excepted-and if a
man is public spirited and a Chris
tIan-as every man ought to be-and
active in all good Work-if he attends
the conference meeting and the
church meeting, to say nothing of the
vestry or committee meeting, and is
an active member Of the ward temper
anee society; if he attends the lectures
OF our course and concerts of our club
the Philharmonic Mozart Handel
Hayden MendelssOhn Society and
gives an evening to the reading room
committee of our Christian Associa-
ton for Work, how is he to find time
to take tea and spend an evening with
neighbor Jones, who was married
the same Winter he was, or to
invite the Browns to spend an
evening with him. or to have
4 coed time with the young folks at
home, even if he isn't an Alderman
or member of the Common Council?
We know an excellent lady who posi-
lively declares that when her husband
gets rich and retires from business,
she intends to get acquainted with
him. We doubt her success, unless
before that time evenings at home be-
come fashionable.
Cannot some good genius. in these
days of invention, contrive a week
with about ten evenings in it, so ar
ranged as not to infringe upon the
original hebdomal week? By some
such means we might possibly secure
the much needed evenings at home
Providence Journal.
Stowe "ODES