The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-01-09
Home, Sweet Home.

'o'e''9 anu ocCnpatlouS, ana there !!
not very much to bind then. together
Especially is this true in cities, where
so soon as the evening comes a dozer
different ways of spending it is sug
gested to the youthful mind. Fathe,
and mother may he contented to STAY
qnletiy at home, but the boys 60 of
somewhere soon after supper, and are
seen no moro till bedtime, when they
go at once to their rooms, and the
girls, II they are not occupied with
their lovers in the parlor nor DRESSING
10 attend concert or party, are quite
likely to proceed to theirs verv soon
after tea. Homes which ought to he
stimulating to every power of the soul.
and satisfying to every need of the
heart, are dull and tedious, and their
inmates come to regard them as mere
conveniences for lodging and sleeping.
How different from all this is the
picture Burns gives us, in his immor
tai "Cotter's Saturday Night" or that
equally attractive one which Whittier
has painted for US ia his beautiful
"SnoW Bound" In each of these DO
ems the central thought, that which, ia
the motive of the whole, is the sense
OF principle, of religious faith, which
binds those around the hearth togeth-
er, as children of a common Father, to
whom they owe devotion and graf
itnde. There is far too little of this in
our fastening, impetuous, restless
American life. Too frequently parents
and children 90 to different churches,
and 80 lose one great advantage, that
of worshipping in the same sanctuary,
and being instructed by the same pas
tor. And in too many homes there is
no family altar. The tender fellow
ship of the soul which springs from
united prayer and praise, is sacrificed
to the claims of this world, and only
when sorrow or death visits the house
are the children ever brought together
to kneel and ask the grace of the
Saviour's presence.
This ought not to be. If so, dear
friend, in your home, will you not be-
gin to-day better way7 When tile
evening meal is over, and before the
family has had time to scatter ask
everybody to wait little while, and
then taking the Bible, read few ver-
ses, and offer prayer. you have not
courage to pray in words OF your own,
you can at least repeat the familiar
"Onr Father, who art in Heaven,"
dear to you in childhood, and request
the household to say it with you.
As steadying, so'tening, strengthen
ing influence, there is no single thing
which compares with regular morning
and evening worship in family. Nor
is there anything which exceeds it in
educating power. One reason why the
people of the elder generation know
their Bibles better than some of their
Juniors do, is not that they have had
more years to devote to the sacred
but that day after day, week alter
week, and month after mouth, through
all their childhood and youth, it was
readin their hearing.
There should be beside this. direct
and positive showing forth of family
religion, and effort to make the winter
evenings pleasant and profitable. Do
not, even though your means are
small, be too frugal in the use of light.
Save somewhere else. Give up pies
and buildings and rich sauces at the
table. Wear your clothes little longer.
Walk instead of riding so frequently
| in the cars. Look over the household
economy, and if there be srperfuity
which, can afford to cut of, do Sc. Be
assured that you can not afford to
grope about the honse, nor to sit in
room feebly illuminated by one glim-
mering candle, or a gas jet partially
turned on. Let the bright CHEEKY
lamp send its rays to every nook and
corner of the department where the
family ought to sit, if they have fallen
out of the way of doing so, they will
soon take it up again, provided the
room gives them an invitation. Let
the piano be open, and send for the
young people next door once a week
or 80, to come in and help you sing.
Have some good book selected, and be-
gin a course of reading. There must
surely be one of the family who can
read aloud clearly and intelligibly;
aud if there happen not to be, no tai
ent is more quickly cultivated By use.
Every family should go through at
least one good strong book this winter
in this way. 1t is not necessary that
the book should be new Que. Most
of us have some excellent volumes in
our possession, in which we have not
looked for years. Take something,
history or travels, or biography, which
can interest and instruct minds of
every age, and as it is read in your
hearing talk it over, and make COM
ments. You will be surprised to see
how very mpch this will elevate and