Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-12-06
Duty of Living at Home.

What is home II is a fabric Of congo.
nial society, Of the domestic affections. 4
man buys or rents a house does this make
la homer He puts into it furniture and
pictures does this make it home? lie
brings to preside in it, to beautify IL with
her presence aud womanIy skill and taste, a
true aud gentle wife does even this make it
a home 1t furnishes the outward coudi.
tions Of home. Home is made up Of the af.
iectiouate society Of husband and wile-pcr.
haps, Of grandparents in due time, aud as
rs very bloom and fragrance, Of children also.
| believe in children
II is a community of interest to which all
parties contribute their appropriate share.
\ husband, father must live at home. in
order to contribute his share 4 wife must
live at home ia order to contribute her share.
by living at home, | mean more than taking
two or three meals day there mean the
making Of the place where other members of
the family reside, the center of ones social
life, rotating around it, returning to it the
ir opportunity, lingering lovingly there, as
long as other duties will permit.
For this reason am against ndulging in
anything there that cannot be enjoyed so
cially.
/ do not believe in smoking, because it is
an extravagaut habit | do not believe in it
again because it is unsocial-unIess man
is prepared to encourage his wife and chill.
dreu in the same indulgences, as our Celtic
citizens do. If a man Is Inclined to read let
him take something that he can read or have
read aloud. If the children are present,
let him cater to their tastes and capacities
II the children are absent, let him select with
reference to the common taste and preference
Of himself aud wife.
The opposite TO this life at home is club.
room life, life at hotels, life at lectures, aud
soirecs aud concerts There can be no homes
among our people without living at home.
without sedulously guarding the interests Of
home. The home is the unit of social power,
LOT conservative power, Of purifying power in
our civilization. There is a rage for indvid.
ualisim as though to have the greater number
Of individuals participate in the election of
officers, in the making and execution of laws
were about to perfect our political system
My own judgment is that we need to look
more after social centers Of influence The
men and women that will engage in the effort
to constitute and maintain true homes, bes, of
all, Christian homes, will prove the greatest
benetactors Of the nation and this can only
be done 10y living at home, by living in and
for those that have agreed with us to cousti-
tute this sacred community
Some Of the best husbands whom know
have some one or more evenings which they
assign to home life. They consider them.
selves engaged to spend such allotted hours
with their wives and children. Why not ?
What claim or engagement should interfere
with t2 Moreover, these model husbands
and fathers are always iuventing topics, or
games or occupations that shall make the al
loted time they spend at home as pleasant
and instructive as possible. Why not p
Should man devote all his genius to making
money, or sermons, or lectures, or editorials
or Inventions and never try it on home life
on the nature Of his children, on the comfort
Of his wife There are various opinions
about what is the great question of the day
| think it is the home question And ouI
homes are to decide the future of American
civilization. Let us look to them.