Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-11-24
CONVERSATION IN THE HOUSE.

The home conversation, pre-eminent-
ly, should be loving Home is the
place for warmth and tenderness, vet
there is in many families great dearth
OF kind words. In some cases there is
no conversation at all worthy of the
name. There are no affectionate greet
lngs IN the morning, or hearty good
nights at parting when the evening
closes. The meals are eaten in silence.
There are no fireside chats over the
events and incidents OF the dav. A
stranger might mistake the home for a
deaf and dumb institution. or for ho-
tel where strangers were together only
Tor passing season In other cases, it
were better if silence did reign; for
there are words of miserable strife and
shameful quarreling heard from day to
day. Husband and vie, who vowed
at the marriage altar to cherish the one
the other until death. keep up an inces-
SAINT petty strife OF words. Parents who
are commanded in the holy word not to
provoke their children to wrath lest
they be discouraged, but to bring them
up In the nurture of the Lord. scarcely
ever speak gently and in tenderness TO
them. They seem to imagine that they
are not governing" their children un-
less they are perpetually scolding at
them. They fly into passions against
| them at the smallest irritation. They
issue their commands to them in words
and tones which would better suit the
despot OF petty savage tribe than the
mead OF a Christian household. 1t is not
strange that under such nurture the
children, instead of dwelling together
IN unity, with loving speech, only
wrangle and quarrel, speaking only bit
ter words in their intercourse with one
another. That there are many homes
of just this type, it is idle to deny. That
prayer is offered morning and evening
in some OF these families only makes
the truth the sadder; for it is mockery
Tor the members of a household to rise
together from their knees only to beoin
another day of strife and bitterness
Nothing in the home life needs to be
more carefully watched and more dill
| gently cultivated than the conversation
1t should be imbued with the spirit of
love. No bitter word should ever be
spoken. The language of husband and
wife, IN their intercourse together,
should always be tender. Anger in
word or even in tone should never be
suffered. Gliding and fault-tinding
should never be permitted to mar the
sacredness of their speech. The warmth
and tenderness of their hearts should
flow out in every word that they speak
to each other. AS parents. too, in their
intercourse with their children, they
should never speak save in words OF
Chr.st-like gentleness. 1t is fatal mis-
take to suppose that children's lives can
grow up into beauty in an atmosphere
OF strife. Harsh, angry words are to
their sensitive souls what frosts are to
the flowers. To bring them up in the
nurture of the Lord is to bring them up
as Christ Himself would, and surely
that would be with infinite tenderness.
The blessed influence of loving speech,
day after day and month after month,
it is impossible to estimate. 1t is like
the falling OF warm spring sunshine and
rain on the garden. Beauty and sweet
ness of character are likely to come
from such home.
ave have known a word more gentle
Than the breath of summer air;
| In a listening heart ii nestled,
| And 1t lived forever there.
| Not the beating OF its prison
| Stirred II ever, nj hit or day:
Only with the hearts last throbbing
Could it fade away
But home conversation needs more
than love to give it its full influence.
1t ought to be enriched by thought The
Savior's warning against idle words
should be remembered. Every wise
hearted parent will seek TO train his
household to converse on subjects that
will yield instruction or tend toward re-
finement- The table affords an excel
lent opportunity for this kind of educa-
ton. Three times each day the family
gathers there. 1t is a place for cheer
fulness. Simply on hygiene grounds
meals should not be eaten in silence
Bright, cheerful conversation is an ex-
cellent sauce. and a prime aid to diges-
ton. If it prolongs the meal and thus
appears to take too much time out of
the busy day. it will add to the years in
the end by increased healthfulness and
heightened life. In any case, howev-
er, something is due to refinement. and
still more is due to the culture of ones
home-life. The table should be made
the center of the social life of the house
hold. There all should appear at their
best Gloom should be banished. The
conversation should be bright and
sparkling. 1t should consist of some
tn NO besides dull and threadbare CON-
mon-places. The idle gossip of the
stree: is not a worthy theme for such
hallowed momentss-S. S. Times.