Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-03-17
Cheerfalness Ia the Househ oId.

EVERY evening, when the sun sinksin the
West, and the light of lamps or gas Is
needed to enable us to continue our EN-
ployments hundreds of thousands of busy
men cease from labor and turn their steps
homeward. To the women of the family
this return of father, husband, or brother
Is one of the events of the day but how
diverse the influence these workers bring
with them, and how varied the reception
with which they are met If it were poss-
ible to lay aside business annoyances with
our hats and coats when we enter our
homes how we would rejoice to be with
in that charmed inclosurel And yet thus
1t should be- Life is battle, of course, and
those who bear their part in ii must expect
| to give and receive blows; but even pro-
fessional soldiers do not fight without cessa-
ton, and the doughtiest warrior must have
some breathing spell when he can lay
aside his armor Home may be made q
sanctuary, to which we can flee when sore
ly pressed by the rude assaults of trouble
and disaster, and from which we may issue
refreshed and strengthened; but it is too
often just the opposite.
When John arrives at home. he expects
his dinner at once, and good one too, for
has he not been working all day to earn
money enough to pay the bills? AS he Is
| v,
for any body; but if the food Is under-done,
OF over-done, or does not suit his taste, or
is lacking in quantity, how he does scold !
Susan, for her part, has had hard day of
| it. The baby kept her awake good deal
last night, and has been very fretful during
the day, refusing to be queit unless on
mothers knee. Like many American
women, she is excessively nervous, and af-
ter such trying day as she has passed,
Johns Indifference and scolding are little
more than she can stand. So she answers
him sharply, word for word, and the re-
suit of the angry contest is that each passes
a dreary evening, and finally they retire to
rest, wondering why the world is so full of
trouble, and why they were such fools as
to get married.
There are, however. other people who
live very differently. Harry means to ex-
tract happiness from life, and does. He
likes a good meal as we'll as any body, but
he is as reasonable before breakfast as he
is after it and if perchance his dinner is
not to his liking, he does not vent his
spleen on Jane, his wife. He carries sun
shine with him wherever he goes; and
as he always tries to make the best of cir
cumstances, he is welcome wherever he
goes, and nowhere more so than in his own
home. Would there were more like him,
so that there might be less sad-eyed women
and more cheerful, sweettempered wives
that there might be fewer men who prefer
the club the counting-room, or almost any
place to their own homes, so called. II
would perhaps be unfair to select any clas:
of men or women as particularly neglectinc
, cheerfulness at home, and yet we think
farmers as a class, fail to appreciate its i'm
, portance. They have their frolics and en-
, joyments, to be sure, but the average
, American farmer is hardly to be called 1
+ Jolly or even cheerful parsonage. In the
, busy season, he rises with the lark, trudge
all day as faithfully and often more labor
iously than his team, so that when nigh
comes all the snap and spring is out ofhim
He does not make any effort to interest hi
wife in conversation at meal times, nor sh
, him and if when the day is over, she ha
any troubles to talk over, he is too tired Z
be very sympathetic and attentive. 81
T they plod along living hundrum sort o
life, which their bright children mental.
E resolve to avoid by going to the city. AL
: farmers, it is true, do not live so, but man,
!. of them do, and that is one reason why 81
1 many farmers wives break down. They
! have too much work and too little cheer
fulness and it is more than they or an,
body else can stand.
A cheerful household, however, is pc
culiar neither to the city nor country.
;. is found where those who reside beneatl
+. the same roof recognize the obligation o
!, each to contribute to the happiness of al
y the rest, and where love is the rulini
. spirit. A determined effort, coupled witt
much forbearance, is necessary to produc
! this result; but when once it has been al
a tanned, it will well repay every effort, an
). the home thus graced by cheerfulness an
love will ever be cherished as indeed tn
dearest spot on earth - Hearth and HON