St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-09-28
Family Letters.

When John and Mary leave home
for school or to 90 into business, the
intercourse between them and the cir
Gle they leave must be continued, if at
all, by the interchange of letters. These
messengers are the shuttle that still
weaveS the fabric of family affection
across whatever space may be between
those who have parted. And curious
as it may seem, sometimes finer
fabric is woven by letters than by per
sonal association. The tlmid, the
reticent, the Self-cOntaincd, often eX-
press themselves more freely with the
pen than with the tongue, and entrust
to the sealed letter expressions they
would hesitate to use if speaking.
Many a boy and girl feel better ac-
quainted with their father and mother
after corresponding with them year
than if they had been for the time assO-
ciated personally together. With
others, absence from home sunders for
the time all communication, and only
memory keeps alive the flame of family
affection. 1t is Il great task for some
people to write, Il task they cannot
easily bring themselves to perform.
Hands ut home with the hoe and the
| hammer, the axe and the trowel, the
churn- handle, find the pen quite too
| slender IL tool to he managed deity,
and the forming of sentences and the
| phrasing of ideas awkward work. But
even with these habit and custom
would make letter-writing easy.
Those who have been away from
home in early life know how cheering
and stimulating are cheerful, sunny
| letters from home; letters assuring
them of constant love and remem-
brance, and breathing IN atmosphere
of trust and confidence i'll the absent
ones. They may know, some of them
at least, how dark the world seems
when their nearest friends appear
cold, Indifferent, and even doubtful OF
their good intentions. The world is a
very frigid and dark place outside the
home circle, and when a boy or girl
goes astray, there is little danger that
censure will not he quick to put a
finger on the error. If in such an
hour the home is found place of re-
fuge and forgiveness, and letters from
home are winning and encouraging
and persuasive, rather than severe and
censOrious, further error may be pre-
: vented. The love of God is the saliva
ton OF the world. The love of the
parent is the salvation of the child
Boys and girls away from home can
d. not realize the tender sOlicitude which
follows their every movement. Per
: haps it is as well they cannot.
} The more full and frequent are the
letters that pass between home and ItS
? absent ones the more perfectly will the
gulf of separation be brdged, and the
l less will there be to make up wher
5 the family circle is one again. The
mother NAV so surround her absen
: son or daughter with her presence 10y
: frequent letters that she shall seem t'
, them to he always with them, and Sc
they feel her constant protecting care
t sustaining and comforting them an'
| keeping them from the paths wher'
. temptations lie in ambush.
= Regularity in family correspondence
, is extremely desirable, and habi
t once formed of writing at certain stat
ed times, no difficulty is found i'll keep
I, ing up the regular Interchange of let
+ tcrs. Sunday afternoon or evening II
a perhaps us good ii time as one can tiN
y upon to converse with absent flmll.
u friends. Letters O1 business are neNc
written on the Sabbath 10y those wh'
. try to keep it holy, but letters betweel
= children and parents are certainly al
r lowable, and of all days in the weeI
T the Sabbath is the one that naturall
o brings and keeps the family together
The absent child who writes regularl
: every Sunday to his parents and know
?. they are writing to him at the sam
y time will be reminded 10y that yer.
= fact of Il great many things unspoke
that will help keep him in the path
y he has been trained to walk in, an
:. shield him from the unfriendliness q
q the great world.
c The proper preservation of famil
=, letters is very much neglected b
| many people. The letters as they com
I are tucked away i'll some drawer, G
behind the looking glass and not file
d as they should he. Two pieces {
d pasteboard the size of commercial not
e with an elastic band around theI
'r make very good receptacle in whic
e letters may he placed in the order {
their dates as they are received. A
II old book cover answers the purpos
p also very well. Thus filed they Occup
Ie very little room, and one may he SUI
of finding them without search. Sue
T. file is in the nature of a biOgraph
d and may become of inestimable valu
Il New York Tribune.