The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-12-10
DO OUR HOUSEHOLD GODS, NEED
REGILDING.

al meeting ofthe Library Dec. 6.
How distant seems to US, in these nine
teenth century days, the homes Of the Ro-
man women of long ago. Yet they were
real homes, containing the essential ideas
of saciedness, purity and love. Nor was
the longing for some divine presence to
abide within the home, and bless the
hearth, wanting in minds always reaching
after the infinite, and always unsatisfied.
1t was not enough that there were public
goods many and lords many" gods and
goddesses of sea and land, rain and sun
shine, hail, vapor and stormy wind, war,
peace, love, friendship, gods for "all sorts
and conditions of men," merchants, sailors,
smiths,--even thieves owning special del
ty-but each family must possess house
hold gods. So, when the Roman maden
put on the serene and graceful dignity OF
matronhood, and was brought in triumph
to her home passing through portico and
hall into the innermost chamber. she found
above the hearth, her own household gods,
to be hers hereafter, to watch and guard
her, and help her keep sacred and sweet
the trodden paths of home. Beneath these
benignant gods, the fire on the hearth was
kept always burning, never allowed to 20
out, as an emblem of love in the heart,
without which gods might brood and watch
in vain over the household. These gods
were always two, the Penates, supposed to
be Of divine origin. We can fancy the Ro.
man wife, when fretted with domestic cares,
coming into this room as sweet resort,
coaxing the fire an the hearth to burn more
brightly, softly removing the dust from the
Penates, putting little garlands round their
necks for they were little gods, you know;
and decking afresh the dainty little shrines
that held them.
We can fancy the Rnman head Of the
family after breakfast, which was always
family meal, passing through the
room, on his way out to the
busy world. Perhaps they have
been married several years and "litte cares
have sprung up like weeds" and play
around the grateful mstron's chair. They
cling about her now, as she follows her
husband they pause before the Penates,
and salute them with sfiectiorate reveren-
&c. Even the little ones know these
kindly deties by name. AS he looks, per-
haps he says to her; "Delicia, the Latin
word for dsrling-"Delicia, do the House
hold Gods need Regilding2 We must not
forget to keep them bright, you know"
A sad day was it for the Roman wife, when
her husband ceased to look at the beloved
Penatcs; when he no longer watched by
her side the sacred fire; when other interests
and other charms drew HIM from his home,
and his reverence for his household gods
and his love for her, passed together into
the mysterious past, among the many
sweet things that were, and are no longer,
What scattered thoughts have come to
me in scattered hours, about these little
gods | have pinned down to paper, not so
much for those whose household gods are
yet new from the gilder's hand, but more
for those who have moved their gods about,
year by year, from mantle to bracket, from
psrlor to kitchen, from the nursery shelf
near tie cough syrup, to the ledge over the
sewing machine; busting and garlanding
them sometimes; often neglecting them in
the hurried rush of every day life. We all
know how the weight of things that must
be done, whether we feel able to do them
or not, lies upon the soul, "heavy as frost
and deep almost as lfe." We are familiar
with the incessant demands that domestic
life makes upon womans hands and heart
and brain We often feel that we car
hardly take book to rest ourselves, for the
ever. pressing conscience, morbidly acute
that speaks to us TINS: "What right have
you to read and idle and dream to-day
Have you mended those stockingsi Have
you busted that paror9 Have you regulated
that closet1 Have you answered that let
teri know you have left something uu
done. know have not ground you dowr
enough" We all know the three short
straight lines, between the brows, tina
mark an American woman, who has passet
thirty those weary little lines that mear
thought, anxiety aud pain; not so mucl
{ physical pain, as that mental ache, tina
q speaks of duties unperformed, and work il
a done, and precious opportunities unsezed
o which will never pass our way again |
o is to women that speak, out Of hear
b full of the sense Of their disabilities, thei
# needs and their burdens. Burdens which
r. T can nv no meaus lift but which | otter