The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1880-03-27
Father and Husband at Home.

and rs 1t were, rclntroauce us 10
our wives and children! We have
not left our homes, indeed it is
not quite with Us, in this respect,
IS it was with Moses and Zipporah,
who had been separated from
each other for many months. We
live beneath the same roofs as our
families; we do some Of our eating
and all our sleeping in the home
besides them; We pay the bills;
We say now and tIsn an honest
word Of commendation to one or
other Of the household band; We
preside at the brsak(as table and
the dinncr-tablc and what else?
We cannot honestly add much
more. Yet We lay 1.-THE ilattcring
junction." to our souls that We are
model husbamls and fathers; and
we imagine, too, that we arc train
ing our children into habits Of i'll
dustry and frugaIity What IL
miserable delusion! Business is
important enough in its own pluce.
and public work for the city and
for the country is not to be neglect
ed. But it seems to he that in
these days mcn-ay, even Chris
tian men are too largely forget
ting TINT their first obligation is to
their homes. When the Apostle
wrote, 1T Mmaineth that those
who have wives he rs though they
had none" he dill not mean that
when YOU sit down to the morning
meal You should bury in the news
paper, and become entirely 0bI!vi-
0us to those whu are seated at the
table with you, and Of her who is
even at the moment ninistcring
to your comfort; neither did he
mean that You should come home
after your weary business day,
cross, testy and cautamkerous,
such ii son Of Belial that YOU can
not be spoken to; and that when
dinner is over You should 20 to
sleep on Il sofa, or adjourn with =
masculine friend to the smoking
room, utterly lorgettul Of her
whom YOU have solcmnIy vowed
to make the companion of your
life and the Sharcr Of yorr lot;
and Indifferent, also, To the welfare
of the children, who Arc left TO he
dragged up by some foul'tongucd
nurse or some cynical tutor. How
many of the domestic tragedies
which are constantly shocking the
community and rendering house
holds in twain inve had their ORR
gin in just such th0HghtIess indif-
ference rs that! Oh, my friends,
we could do with little less court
ing before marriage, if We only had
Il good deal more after it; and il
parents we're to he slightly solicit.
nus about getting the very mos,
oat of every bargain they made III
the store, and Il great denl more
anxious to become acquainted
with their own children, and to
lead them into ways of holy hap.
niness. The profting would appear
unto all men. What is the good Of
your money 10 you if you neglect
your son, and let him grow up un-
regulated and rcvengciul, so that
at the least provocati"n lie shonts
down the imagined author Of the
offence? Would you not, when
TINT occurs, willingly offer the
half Of your fortune to wipe OF; lis
consequences? And yet it would
have hcen far more sensible to have
sought to prevent its cause: even
il you should not have made the
half Of those thousands which
YOU now rall your own. Let me
ask every father and husband here
to ponder well the appeal which !
nm now making. Your wife and
children are Of infinitely more I'M
portancc tEan success in business,
or the gaining by you Of some pub
lie office; yet is it not true that
YOU are largely Il stranger TO those
under your roof? You give them
no condolences; YOU never say Il
word Of enllearmcnt to them; you
only want 10 he lei alone and left
to Yourself when YOU come home =;
aad so you know just as little Of
the inner life and disposition, jus!
rs little of the dangers and tempta-
tons just us lilIlr Of the ap!itudeE
and ttsirs Of tie members Of your
own family, us if they were in
KamtchmtkN and you in New
York. Think how the sons Of Eli
brought his gray hairs with sor-
row to the grave; remember that
the sons evcn Of Samuel lived 10
shame the ramc of llIcir father
and learn, | heSceclI you, this great
lesSon--that even public u$crull-
ness. MS well as business success, is
TOO dearly purchased by the sarri.
free of the highest welfare Of YOUR
chiIdrcn.-l''. ". Taylor.