Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1876-08-01
agricultural,
A Family Journal.

In certain farmhouse twenty wears
ago great blank book was kept, and
labeled alone Journal" Every nigh,
somebody made an entry in it. Father
set down the sale Of the calves, or mother
the cutting Of the baby's eye.tOOth; or,
perhaps, Jenny wrote full account Of
the sleighing party last night; or Bob
the proceedings Of the Phi Beta Club 4;
or Tom scrawled Tried my new gun
Bully. Shot into the fence and Johnson's
old cat
On toward the middle Iof the book
there was an entry Of Jenny's marriage,
and one Of the younger girls had added
description Of the bridesmaids dresses,
and long afterwards there was written,
This day father died. in Bob's tremb-
ling hand. There was a blank Of many
months after that.
But nothing could have served better
TO bind that family Of headstrong boys
and glrls together than the keeping of
this book. They come back to the old
homestead now, men and women with
griZzled hair, 10 sec their mother who Is
still living, and turn over its pages rev.
erently with many a hearty laugh, or the
tears coming into their eyes. 1t is their
childhood come back again in visible
shape
There are many other practical ways in
which home ties can be strengthened and
made more enduring for children, and
surely this Is as necessary and important
4 matter in the management of a house
hold as the furnishing Of the library or
chambers in good taste, or the accumula-
tiOn Of a bric-a-brac. One most direct
way Is the keeping of anniversaries not
Christmas, Easter nor the fourth Of July
alone, but those which belong to that
home alone. The children's BIRTHDAYS,
their mothers wedding day, the day when
they all came into the new home. There
are hundred cheerful happy little events
which some cheerful and happy little cer-
emory will make lifelong pleasure
The Germans keep alive their strong do
nestle attachments by Just such means
rs these 1t seems natural and right 20
their children that all the house should
be turned topsy-turvy with JOY at Water
or Mutter's Geburtstag; while to the
American boy or girl it is matter Of H.
difference when his father or mother were
born We know 4 house in which it is
the habit to give TO each servant 4 trifing
gift on the anniversary Of their coming
into the family; and, as might be expec-
ted, these anniversaries return for many
years. Much Of the same softening, hu-
MANNING effect may be produced By re-
membering and humOring the innocent
uhims and peculiarities Of children
Among hard-working people it Is the Gus
tom too often 10 bring up whole family
IN platoons and 10 marshal them through
childhood by the same general, infexible
rules. They must eat the same dishes,
wear the same clothes, work, play, talk,
according to the prescribed notions Of
father or neither. When right or wrong
Is concerned, let the rule be inexorable
but when taste, character, or stomach only
Is involved, humOr the boy. Be 10 Toms
red crayat little blind make Will the
pudding that he likes, while the others
choose pie. They will be surer Of your
affection than if YOU sentimentalized about
a mothers love for An hour. Further
more, do not grow old yourself too soon.
Buy cheSsboards, dominoes, bagatelle
learn to play games with the boys and
girls encourage them to ask their friends
TO dinner and tea, and take care that your
dress and the table be pretty and attrae-
tive, that the children may be ashamed OF
neither.
"Why should | stay at home in the
evening ," said lad the other day
Mother sits and darns stockings or reads
Jays DevOtions father dozes, aud Mag.
" writes 10 her lover. I'll 90 where l |
can have fun" Meanwhile father and
mother were broken-hearted because Joe
was going to ruin which was undoubt-
eddy the taet.-ISeribner's Monthly.