Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1877-10-17
Home Influences.

and well-Ordered homes OF the peo-
ple," it is especially true Of a republi-
can Nation. Family government is
the germ of all government, and,
other things being equal, that Nation
will be the happiest and best govern
ed where the true idea OF the family
exists in its highest and best develop.
ment. 1t is here that children-the
future citizens and sovereigns of a
Nation-get their first lessons in self:
control and imbibe their first ideas of
Justice, of the endorsements of law and
discipline, OF the rights OF property,
and, in fact, of nearly all the princi-
pies which lie at the foundation Of
good government 1t has been shrewd.
ly said that if a man were permitted
to write the songs of a Nation he need
not care who made its laws but this
is an insignificant power compared
with that of shaping and molding the
minds of the young at that period of
life when all Impressions are deep and
lasting. # follows that the question
how to construct a well-ordered home,
one in which the ideas of discipline
and government shall be happily
blended with those of attractveness
and enjoyment, IS one of great i'm
portarce in a social and political point
of view. A home without discipline
and government is mele bear gard
en-, while one without attraction is
something much worse. These two
ideas, love for home and respect tor
home government and parental au-
thority, should go hand in hand in the
formation of the Model American
home. How to enforce discipline
without making home repulsive or
irksome, how to make 1t delightful
and attractive without relaxing dis
cipline, is a problem in craftsmanship
which parents have to solve, and
which is quite as difficult and i'm
portant as any ever presented to Con-
gress or Cabinet. American ideas on
this subject have undergone great
change during the last generation Or
two, mainly in the direction of re-
Taxation of family discipline aud of
making home more attractive. Faith.
ers, as a general rule, are not so stern
as they used to be, and home govern
ment not nearly SO rigid. Parents
are more companions for their chill
dren. This is an admirable and com,
mendable changelwithin certain limits,
but If it pass the point of enforcing
respect and administering family gov
eminent with firm and steady hand,
bad results must surely follow. Elk
perienced tschool-teachers say they
can tell by the conduct Of pupils at
school whether they are accustomed
to good home government, and that
it is with the greatest difficulty that
they can make children who are I'M
accustomed to home discipline con-
form to that of the school. If chill
dren are not taught obedience aud
submission to law in early life it will
go hard with them to learn it later,
and they may never fairly acquire the
habit. The same may be said of
other habits equally necessary to the
formation of good citizens, as honesty,
truthfulhess, temperance, regard for
the rights of others, etc. All these
and many other principles of equal
must be learned, if learn
ed at all, at the hearthstone, which
may therefore with strict propriety be
termed the school of craftsmanship
and the nursery Of national strength
and greatness. BIT in order to Sc
cure Tor home its greatest influence
and its true position in the economy
Of life, it must be made attractive
Thus only can it be made the ra)lying
place of the affections, the source of
lasting Influence, and the point of de-
parture of all good intents and noble
enterprise To make home so pleas
ant that every member Of the family
shall prefer it to any other place, and
hat children especially shall regard it
as the happiest place in the world,
constitutes along With the idea of
amily government the very perfec-
ion of a true home A great change
for the better has taken place in this
'egard during the last generation or
.wo. Mere utilitarianlsm is less re-
,arded and the esthetic idea has far
greater recognition than formerly
To beautify her home and render it
attractive is now one of the chief de-
lights of every intelligent American !
woman. and in this reoard 40 in