The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-09-02
Domestic Concord.

ann Is 10 pIOuttC6 dlLuOIJ III A"lihJ
life find themselves oftenest confronted
by these dire foes.
Irritability may be physical or spiritual;
in either case it results from some abnor-
NAL condition If this is removed and
good nature restored, peace smiles again.
A highly organized nature is sure to be
sensitive and will easily, under pressure,
take on abnormal conditions. In man
aging irritability it is necessary to know
its causes in order to apply with skill
and success appropriate remedies. As to
physical causes, the chief are diet, ill
health and the weather. The first may
be regulated, the second treated, but the
third must be endured. When the wise
person has become acquainted with his
digestive and assimilative powers he will
not knowingly eat that which will turn
the edge of his temper, or if he does, he
will give due notice, SO that those around
may take warning. d" will eat this
piece of mince pie" said lady who was
pressed by the solicitations of her host
ess, ''but mince pie always makes me
cross, so you must all look out for
trouble" This frank warning, of course,
ayerted the threatened war-cloud. Many
children are made fretful and peevish,
and so become fruitful sources of irrita-
bility by unwholesome and unsuitable
food, or by irregular meals and INSULT
cient sleep. Punishment inflicted for
faults thus induced is mere cruelty. 1t
is true, child should be taught to re
strain himself and not to give way to
| peevishneSs, butin this, as in many other
cases, an ounce of prevention is worth
pound of cure.
A great many people are by nature
| full of discord and inharmony. They
have aspirations, ambitions, lOngings
that they don't know what to do with;
they have internal tossings, diStrusts,
conflicts, and being thus at odds with
themselves it is easy for them to become
at odds with others. Such unfortunate
people may train themselves by the aids
of philosophy and religion to keep the
peace with themselves and with others.
In dealing with such people it is well to
remember that the bail of pail meas
ures no more lying down than it does
standing up. 1t is often nearer around
the base of a mountain than over the
top. If we are talking with q person
who is cross-eyed we look at the straight
eve and not at the crossed one. SO in
dealing with eccentric and ill-natured
people wisdom suggests that so far as
possible we approach them on their good
side and ignore what we cannot mend
and do not like.
SelfishnesS is r more dangerous foe to
family concord than even irritabiitv. 1t
takes, among various forms, those of
Self-indulgence, self-assertion, love of
domination, jealousy. Parents cannot
be too quick to see tendencies to these
vices in their children, and to apply such
counter influences as shall prevent the
destruction of domestic harmony Many
children, by parental indulgence, are
made selfish and eXacting that under
different regimen might develop self
sacrifice, generosity and nobility of dis
position. INDUCING a child in his whms,
his moods, his morbid desires, is not the
way to make him ministrant to the
harmony of the family or valuable
member of community when he becomes
an adult.
There are some texts that deserve to
be framed and hung on the walls of
every household and to be wrought into
the web and wool of the family life.
Among these are "a soft answer turneth
away wrath, "No one should do what
all may not do" ''She openeth her
mouth with wisdom and in her tongue is
the law of kindness, " ''Do to others as
We would have them do to you, blessed
are the peace makers, for they shall be
called the children of God" Where
these rules govern family life, there must
be concord.
DiscordS have their uses, but for them
we should not half realize the delight of
cOncords, And there is good in even
quarrelling. ''In the world we shall
have tribulation'' is prophecy sure to
be fulfilled in every life, and if children
learn at home how to quarrel and not
fight, how to differ and not get angry,
how to forget and forgive, how to bear
and forbear, the lesson will be of service
to them when they are grown and all
through life. One peace-maker in Jar
ring family can accomplish great re-
suits. The atmosphere enveloping such
a person is most potent for good. Each
member of the family knows of one who
will be lenient, kind obliging, unseliish
and this leaven will work until the
hIiOl1 lulH lllOlC VI lcSS, Is ledNcneu.
The peace-maker will bear contradic-
ton, will wait for time and circumstance
to vindicate his ways, will reconcile lar
ring elements, will combine opposing
forces, will harmonic conflicting inter
ests, and by direct and indirect meas
ures bring about results that to any one
else would beimpossibe.
The genuine lady, the genuine gentle
man, the genuine christian, is the same
at home and abroad; has the s.tne man.
ners, the same dignity, the same piety
everywhere. These stick to him as his
skin does, and he cannot get away from
them even if he would. But there are
| people who are not at all the same at
home that they are abroad. They save
their fine manners for strangers, their
kind words for strangers, their smiles for
strangers, and make their families as
the recipients of their ill-humors, their
moods, their own passions. Now, if we
must wear masks to hide our ugliness
and dcformity shouldn't we rather hide
them from those nearest and dearest TO
us than from those who care little for
us, and for whom we care as little? If
this were done, many families would be
happy that are wretched now, and many
| sasl~ hat H., I