Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1870-08-11
The Family Tyrant.

HOME should be to the family the cen
tire of all that is lovely and desirable. Its
attractions should be such that every
member of the family shall feel the loss Of
them when away, and shall hail with joy
the time oflreturn. BY attractions, we
and costly works Of art These, though
not to be despised, are, fortunately
for persons of slender incomes, not essen
tial to q happy home There may be
splendid misery in palace, and substan-
tial happiness in cottage. Cody con-
tentment viii bring the truest pleasure to
any. abode. If, with godliness, one can
have paintings and statuary, and books
and music, and other objects to minister
to refined and cultivated taste, it is mat
ter of thankfulness but if, in Gods
providence, these be denied, there is still
reason for gratitude in the fact that one
may be happy without them
The real attractions of home are to be
found in the moral qualities of its in
mates; qualities not affected by the state
of the money market, the rise and fall of
stocks, or the price of real estate. The
location and the externals. of the home
may be thus Influenced, and in the con-
Vulsions Of trade may be changed, but the
home will be the same. The sweet smiles
and gentle voices, and winning manners,
and uncounted offices of affection, which
bestowed an indescribable charm ton the
old home, are transferred to the new,
and make it an attractive place in spite of
the changes of circumstances. Attrac-
tions like these have wholesome moral
influence on all the members of the house
hold, especially on those of the ruder sex.
The husband and father looks to such q
home as a place of rest from daily toll,
and the sons find no reason for visiting
haunts of dissipation in quest of society
and fellowship. Young men who go to
vile places from such homes must, indeed,
be hardened in sin. t1. H:,f l-.--s.r-s p
The inf1uence of woman home hap
piness has often been spoken Of; we have
alluded to it above. Her influence is truly
great, but it is not the only essential
power to be considered. It may benearly
if not entirely neutralized by the counter
influence of the husband and father.
There are beautiful homes made wretched
by the conduct of the head of the family.
We refer not only to men who, In spite OF
the attractions of their homes, go astray
in the ways of sin, spend their nights in
drinking and gaming, and reel home at
late hours, cursing wife and children in
drunken frenzy. Such men do, indeed,
make their abodes the dwelling place of
misery; they are to be pited much, their
families to be pitied more. Nor do we
allude to those men who, though sober,
are shiftless, lazy and improvident com.
pelling their families to live in trembling
proximity to the starvation point nor
yet to others who are neither Incorporate
nor indolent, but who live by hahitual
dishonesty, 50 that every knock at the
door suggests the approach Of the police,
and strikes terror to the soul. The class
of men we refer to are to be
found among sober, Industrious and
honest citizens-some of them mem
bera of the Church, and, it may
be, even preachers of the Gospel
They may be described as family tyrants
and often become so from sheer thought
lessness. With the best possible motives
and possessed with the singular notion
that they are doing the very best that car
be done, they contrive-quite unintention
ally, we are willing to admit-to make
their homes unhappy. They rule theil
families with the iron rod. With strange
ideas of dignity and propriety, they hust
the blithesOme glee of childhood, put al
end to song, ana laughter, and sport, main
tain an unapproachable reserve, and carry
a countenance that reminds one of a beet
ling crag overhanging valley of dark
ness. The sound of their coming Is th'
| signal for the end of mirth no little fee
| patter through the hall to meet them, bu
| with hushed voice and bated breath tn,
Children stink into a corner, or crowd nea
the mother for protection. No smile from
them lights up the hearthstone5 thei