The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-12-09

the rooms so common. in q short time
they would no: be fit for company, you
know" $40
Mrs. Lewis made no reply. She
looked at the handsome things about
her on all sides, and while her hostess
ratified away glibly on the subject of
wall decoration, dados aud fresc0ing,
was pisying the owner of all this splen.
dor, from the depths of her heart.
"Oh"' she thought, "this IL not .
home-this is only a house; merely q
place where husband, wife and children
can eat. drink and sleep. This mother
has no appreciation of the blessed uses
of q real, true home. The best and
cheeriest of all she possesses is denied
her own household and reserved for
strangers"
II would not exchange places with
Mrs. Newton for the world" she said,
while speaking of her afternoon visit
that evening to her husband. as they
sat by their own cozy sitting-room fire
before the lamps were lighted, while
the shadows danced and chased each
other like merry sprites over wall and
ceiling, giving occasional glimpses of
chintz-cushioned easy-chairs, pretty
mantel ornaments made by her own
hands, bright rug before the hearth,
q bracket here and there. few pict-
ures ON the walls, and a scarlet table
cover strewn with books and papers
just as childish hands had left them.
Il like elegant things, too, but l do
not want anything too fine for use"
she continued. Haven't any pa
thence with people whose vanity leads
them to dedicate all their choice pict-
ures and elegant sofas to strangers,
while they think cracked furniture and
dingy, bare walls are good enough for
the family. A parlor that serves its
highest uses when the children and
flies are excluded would better not be
built, and it seems to me the most alb
surd of all follies to build huge house
and furnish it elegantly only to close it
up and live in one or two rooms in the
back part. No, wouldn't exchange
our little home and cheerful sitting
room with its pretty ingram carpet and
cretOnne curtains for Mrs. Newton S
raw silk set and Irish lace window
hangings!''
1T must be a comfortless place for
Newton and the children" responded
Mr.. Lewis, land Mrs. Newton will find
out, if she lives long enough, that she
has made a great mistake. If she
wanted to teach them to hate their
home, she could not employ a surer
method. pity those boys of hers
they are bright little fellows, but their
mothers foolish vanity is already max
ing shadow that will lengthen far out
into their future. Sunlight is as requi-
site to childs happiness as it is to the
life of flower, and l don't wonder
that boy or girl grows feverish and
cross. and discontinued, who is COM
PEELED to live in q house that is kept as
dark as dungeon. l tell you, Kate,
that bright, sunny home is the best
safeguard for boys ever discovered"
Years verified the truth of Mr.. Lewis
remarks. Sam and Jack Newton
learned to seek abroad, in questionable
places, the cheer the handsome stone
house had never offered them, and
grew up profligate and worthless. Mary
and Lily married early, glad to get
away from the prosaic, unlovely place,
while Jenny lived alternately with each
sister, finding the atmosphere of their
palmer homes more agreeable than the
gloomy elegance of the unused double
parlors and comfortless, dingy breakfast
room of her childhood's home.
And thus the mother was left in the
big house, old, gray and lonely. Wha,
solace now was the thought that the
furniture and carpets still looked new
and bright as when they were bought,
since deserted hearthstone was the
price of their preservation?-Co Country
Gentleman.