The Columbus journal., 1879-10-29
Mems Part In Home-uaking.


have been aimed at the women. This
is natural enough, for they are the
home.makers Of the world; and in
future number we shall "join in the
chorus" and also say something TO
the young folks about their part in
work from which no responsible
member of the family can be excus-
ed. But just now we desire to
nudge the heads of the households
and ask them how they are perform
ing their responsible part in the
realm of home. Their forte lies in
breathing and enjoying the atmos-
phere after somebody else has made
it-and not few can't get along
and make known their authority
without "raising a breeze" in it.
Men are too busy, too impatient and
thoughtless, and-it must be said of
some of them-too selfish to do their
fair share of that pre- eminently
millennial work, the creating of
happy home, wherein love reigns
supreme, and amiabi!ity, affection,
cheerfnlness, joy and peace, are the
natural conditions of family life.
I Now in certain things man has
been a constitutional shirk from the
time of Adam-if the scientific gen.
tlemen have left us any Adam
down 10 this day. Men will fight
for their homes, and make slaves of
themselves to their business to MAIN
tain them; but like the proyerbial
man who would die for a woman,
but would never bring up a scuttle
OF coal, they can't tell what their
children are studying at school, who
Their mates are, what they are learn
ing Of good or evil, nor hardly any,
thing else that a father ought 10
Know concerning his offspring. Ii
rs so sad fact as 10 spoil the satire. |
when il is said that many 4 father /
nnds his Sundays and holidays too |
few TO enable him to become ac-
quainted with his boys" But we |
maintain that man who hasn't time
to be a father TO his children, with
all that includes, has no right TO
have any. He wrongs them, robs
himself puts an unjust responsible.
ity upon the mother, and neglects
his highest duties, human and d.
vine.
There are so mary ways in which a
father may contribute to happy
home-life that il seems strange the
number of houses should so exceed
the homes. IL takes so little TO make
children happy at home, that il is
wondrous pity so many little ones
are miserable, or uneasy, or discon-
tented. If for an hour after the
evening meal the father should give
himself TO his children, would the
mother wear out so fast, or the chill
dren be so lawless, troublesome. and
uncomfortable? What a ministry
Tor good to both parties is papa's
frolic with the babies! What an
interest is added TO the books. the
drawings, the games, or even the
studies If the father enters into
theml
Aside from the children, and in
homes where iaply there are none,
men still have a more direct part
than most of them are ready to bear,
in making the daily life pleasant.
We hardly need say that a man
should set the example for the fam
lily in patience, cheerfnlness, courte-
sy, forbearance, and all the amiabIe
moods and graces that are the soul
of home happiness. The sort of
men who display all their suarity
and politeness OF the street or at
their business places, and save the
storms, and sulks, and souruess, and
all the evil brood of devilish dispo- ,
sitions that they characterize by The
convenient euphemism of"moods"-
well, we have our opinion of them.
and IL they will come within range,
we don't mind expressing il private
ly; but we are afraid it would not
look well in print!
The whole tribe of home tyrants--
men who make the entire household !.
revoive around them as the center:
whose tongues are chronically
"furred" in the morning, and nerves
so upset in the evening that the
family must keep silence while they
read and smoke; who "can't bear
the noise of innocent and natural
who have 10 be toad Z
led and tended and humored; they
ought all of them to be doomed to
pass their days In g shabby -genteel
boarding house, without sight of
wife or children; With hash for
warmed lover pancakes
for lunch, and lean msckerel aud
hens for supper. with the :
lodger overhead always learning d
The trombone and servant girls that
steal the hair-oil. They don't de-
serve q home, aud no rnao does who S