The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-05-15
American HOme.Life.

and in the structure of civilized society,
the home and its daily life are intended
to be the nucleus and source of all in
ward happiness and higher develop
ment of character. As woman's S king
dom and mans refuge, home should be
the choice garden spot of the soul, the
nursery of every virtue, public and pri
yate, and the earthly paradise of affec-
ton and refined enjoyment. And one
of the saddest features of our modern
life is the tendency which it creates to
shatter and scatter these precious home
Jewels Fierce and destructive excite
ments and the constant friction of out
ward business and social activity are
| slowly consuming the sanctity and the
| sweetness of the retirement and the
privacy of home. Many grievous ene-
mics are working their way into this
| home citadel, silently neutralizing or
capturing its moulding and modifying
| forces, and turning its batteries against
itself In ancient warfare walled cities
that were well prepared to resist every
species of external assault often sue
cumbed to the unsuspected foes that
were harbored within. And so in our
modern life, while the legal home is
stoutly defended against all forms of
attack from without, the inward reality
is, we fear. gradually crunbling toruin
from the deadly influences which are
permitted to spring up and grow inside
the inclosure. The little foxes are said
to spoil the tender vines, and, in like
manner, the unnoticed domestic evils of
our modern home-life are stealthily
robbing it of much of its legitimate
fruitfulness and fragrance.
One view of unhealthy home-life is
obtained by reading the daily and
weekly records of divorce courts.
These records do no not always make
pleasant reading, it is true, but they
never fail of being deeply suggestive to
every thoughtful mind. In them, the
curtains which usually hide the privacy
of home are voluntarily thrown apart,
and we are permitted to get glimpses
of scenes that are being enacted when
husbands and wives and families are
settled down by themselves. And it
would seem from these multiplying dis
closures that true and real domestic
purity and peace are wofully absent
from manv of our American homes.
Discord, contention, strife, mutual sus-
|
horrid brood of consequences, seem to
constitute the regular inmates of cot
tages and mansions whose outer walls
bear no marks of the terrible warfare
going on inside. Home, to some of our
people, must be nothing more than q
lodging and boarding place, a building
or an establishment where they keep
their personal effects. where they go at
night to get some supper and find bed,
and from which they get away as soon
, as possible in the morning. The idea OF
making it the sanctuary of their affcc-
tions, the comfort and solace of their
, hearts and minds at the close of a
weary work-day of business activity,
the one spot in all the world where they
, nunburden themselves of care, anxiety
and sorrow, and retire into the land
! locked haven of repose and Of calm and
| tranquil enjoyment, seems not to enter
i into their plans or desires. In cities,
, men hire or buy houses, marry, and sci
! up housekeeping, and then wish to be
! bothered with domestic duties and re.
sponsibilities as little as possible
: Women marry for support and a place
/ to live. and, having secured these, &C
| outside for the largest part of their ne
l cessities and pleasures. And thus the
n home is speedily transformed into
. mere place of temporary rendezvous
for eating, sleeping and dressing, Nf
wonder that both parties soon get tired
: of home-life and of each other, and ther
! fall to quarrelling until the divorce
court sewers the legal bond that once
made them family unit.
J, An equally unpleasant reflex o
Y modern home-life is witnessed in tn
! shocking exhibitions of youthful Grim
!. inality which are daily coming to light
Murders by children and school-mate
,, are now quite common. Pistols ar
70 carried by bows who are hardly stronl
4 enough to hold one out at arm s length
j Within a very short time regularly
organized gangs of youthful ''cow
~ boys'.' have been discovered and broke
up in the public schools of an Easter
- city. These little culprits had chose
= leader or captain, had place of mee
Z ing, carried pistols, and spent thei
J. leisure hours reading the cheaper an
y wilder sort of dime novels of th
- sBuffalo Bill'' order. What CONNER
~ tary on home-life these facts presen
~ 1t is q lucky circumstance that Amer
ds can families are small, if their neglecte
and demoralized children are to be thu
turned loose upon society. Famil
M government and parental restrainthaN
~ become merely negative quantities
some homes. Parents hate each otht
;. and their neighbors, indulge in all kim
y. of personal and social vice, and the
" " children naturally follow the exampl
~ put before them. And so we 60 (
-. :. toward what?
1t would be perfectly useless to t
ito and lay down set of rules by whi'
nd these growing evils could be remedie
si- as each defective home would be ca
an by itself, requiring specific rather th'
er. general treatment; but the first step
ng be taken in the way of reform is tosho
ab- up existing evils in their undisguis
nd hideousness, and the still greater q
mestic and social calamities to wni
they are constantly leading. No abu
to can be corrected until it is thorough
nat understood and realized, and befc
rid ou1 American home-Iife can be lifted