Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-08-05
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 of return. By attractions, We
do not mean elegant furniture and rare
and costly works of art. These, though
not to be despised, are, fortunately
for persons of slender incomes, not essen
tial to a hsppy home. There may be
splendid misery in palace, and substan'
tial happiness in a cottage. Cody con
tentment will bring the truest pleasure to
any abode. If, with godliness, one can
have paintings and statuary, and books
and music, ana 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
Yulsions 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 on 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.
,,,I faNh IN a
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.
The intiuen nee of woman on 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. 1t may be nearly
if not entirely neutralized by the counter
| influeKce of the husband and father
There are beautiful homes made wretchec
by the conduct of the head OF the family
! We refer not only to men who, in spite o
the attractions of their homes, go astEay
in the ways of sin, spend their nights II
drinking and gaming, and reel home a
late hours, cursing wife ana cnlluren II
drunken frenzy. Such men do, indeed
make their abodes the dwelling place Q
misery they are to be pitied much, thei
families TO be pitied more. Nor do W
allude TO those men who, though sober
are shiftless, lazy and improVident, com
pelling their families to live in tremblin
proximity to the starvation point no
vet to Others who are neither intemperat
nor indolent, but who live by habitu'
dishonesty, 50 that every knock at tn
door suggests the approach OF the pollc'
and strikes terror to the soul. The elias
Of men we refer to are. to b
found among sober, Industrious an
honest citizens some OF them men
bers of the Church, and, it ms
be, even preachers Of the Gospe
They may be described as family tyrant
and often become so from sheer though
lsssness. With the best possible motive
and possessed with the singular MOTTO