Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1880-01-15
For the Journal.
The Winter Flre-side at Home.

AS our country is filled with public
schools, academies, and colleges, offer
ing opportunities of extended study te
all, there is danger that some of the
best agencies for correctly forming the
minds and hearts of the young Will bt
neglected. Do we all realize the pow.
er for good that may be exerted in this
direction by right use of our associa
ton around the winter fire-side al
home! A word to the young on this
subject.
II you follow very closely the Gus
toms of society, you will spend entirely
too many of your winter evenings in
frivolous amusement. You will thus
lose an opportunity for educating your
selves that you will find nowhere else,
You lose, in the first place, the proper
cultivation of the domestic affections.
Nothing more beautiful can this earth
show than little band united by the
ties, not only of kindred blood, but of
strong and tender domestic affection.
But this affection will not attain its full
growth or show forth its mature
strength unless cherished. Now, can it
be properly cherished, il the hours
most appropriate to it, are wasted in
alien circles, among those who care
nothing for us except as our presence
increases the gaiety for which they
seek? The home affections and home
virtues are among the greatest needs Of
society, and they thrive only in the
atmosphere of home.
In the second place, you lose the op-
portunity for extended reading, which
you will find alone at home, through
the long evenings. This is an age Of
can not keep abreast of his time. He
must read, and read with care and
thought, or the advancing mind of so.
ciety will part company with him. If
q young person labOrs through the
laboring months. he has neither time
nor strength for this reading. If he at
tends schools, his school hours are oc-
cupied with school books. The reading
which gives extended information, must
then be ilone at home, in the quiet
evening hOurs or never.
Hugh Miller read by the winter fire.
side of a Scotch home; and when he
afterwards became a public man, he
was recognized as being one of the best
informed men In Great Britain. Our
own American history is full OF such
examples, and we often offer to these
examples the tribute of our praise and
But the only proper
tribute that can be paid to a good ex-
ample is imitation.
Young men and women, if you will
deny yourselves excessive amusement,
and excessive indulgence in social
gaiety, you may nourish around the
fire-side of home, home virtues and
affections worth more than any society
accomplishments; and, you may become
Intelligent and well Informed. If you
will not, you may go on, and have for
a few seasons what you call "a gay
time" and then subside into that OH
scurity to which society assigns those
who lack in earnestness and intelli-
gence. You may have a few years
of over-strained, unnatural enjoyment,
and then, for the rest of your lives,
live that dull, unsatisfactory life al
ways lived those who have no inner
source of support and happiness.
A very fair choice is offered you, and
l hope that not all of you will choose
JNO. NJ. DAVIS.
Rio Grande, Jan. l, 1880.