St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-12-24
THE HUSBANDS SPHERE IN THE
HOME.
BY REV. c. L. GooDELL. D. D.

since the Garden of Eden ; but 1t does
not make itself, nor come by chance.
In building a glad and happy house
hold, each one has q part to perform,
and Gods choicest blessing comes only
when all the members stand in their
place and do their duty. The happy
home grows out of union of hearts
and hands toward one cherished end.
One person alone may do much, but no
one can do all that is required. The
best is only when there is sympathetic
and harmonious blending together,
like the different parts of music. When
either part fails, there is discOrd and
loss.
Complete concert of action between
husband and wife is Il necessity in any
well-ordered home. Perfect confidence
and affection must exist between them.
To draw apart, tears. To make the
home the happiest and most helpful
place in the world, each must give the
best to it. Not to society, not to bust
ness, not to outside intimates, but to
the family circle, must the choicest
gleanings be brought from all the fields
OF life, us the bee brings to his hive,
and not elsewhere, honey from all the
sweetest flowers.
The husband has an important
sphere. The more he gives to the home,
the more it will give to him. The
more he is to it, the more it will be to
him and to the world. His dividend
will be in proportion to his investment.
Some complain that their home joys
are meagre. Let them remember how
mean and beggarly are their cOntribu-
tiOns. They cannot reap where they
do not SOW. If they will, they can
make the home Il source of perennial
comfort to themselves, and the means
of blessing to many. 1t should be a
bright beacon in this worlds night.
The word "husband" means house
band u band of strength around the
home, uphOlding, protecting, and keep
ing it together. The home was the
first institution God made. The germs
of the state and the church are i'm it.
The husband, as the head of the home,
stands at the beginning of all the
wOrthiest elements of society. In the
household he plants the seeds of reli
giOn for the church, and of authority
for the state. The family is the spring
head of the nation, the source of its
purest spiritual and civil life. 1t is
plain what manner of man the husband
ought to be.
The husband in the model home
must love his wife. st. Paul says,
"Husbands love your wives, and he
not bitter against them" These are
strong words Bible words. The Bible
is the marriage ring. Marriage, begins
in love. 1t must continue and end
there. The husband must see that the
early, tender affection never fails; that
the gentle tone of life's morning does
not grow harsh. He must love the
wife down through old age, and on
through fading youthful beauty, to the
sunset years, with love that makes
wrinkles beautiful, and infrmities seem
precious. Tell her how much you love
her still. Tell it more and more, as
the years go on. Never allow the
white roses of affection to fade Oh your
lips, and your mouth to grow dumb.
A cold silence is a mildew. Some wives
would be surprised to hear expressions
of endearment from their husbands
now. All that ceased long, long ago.
Let the husband show his love by his
presence, not leaving her, and desert
ing the home the long evening through,
when he can help it.
Let the husband cherish his wife,
and appreciate what she does, causing
her to feel that he sees and esteems
her service. Let little attentions never
cease, nor delicate thOughtfulness for
her welfare.
Let the husband shelter his wife I'M
der his strong arm, and smooth her
path. Let him protect her and stand
by her in her cares and trials, and
know that she will never look to him
in vain.
Let him provide for her reasonable
wants, that she come not into embar-
rassment, and feel that he demeans
her. Ill-temper and hasty words on
his part-these are not for the happy
home. Some seem to be more cOnsid-
crate of their horse and dog than of
their wives, but many a husband is a
mule.
The true husband will be mindful of
his wife's good and not Indifferent to
her, for in his smile she lives, and in
his frOwn is chill. A husbands love is
the sunshine of the wife. 1t brings out
her beauty of soul, as a spring morn
ing opens the flowers, and sustains her
i'll her deeper needs. Selfishness and
disregard to the interests and happi-
ness of the wife, planting ones own
self in the centre, and absorbing every
good thing in ones own greed, the
wife drudging and denying herself for
her husband, as the slave for his lord !;
running to serve his every whim-this
is not found on heather ground alone.
There are home heathens. Genuine
love casts out selfishness, and ennObles
the heart. 1t makes it generous and
self-denying for all others sake.
Husbands, love your wives. These
are some of the benefits that flow out
of domestic love, and in proportion as
this love ceases, these benefits fail.
What if love has ceased alreadyP Do
these things and it will come back, as
the seeds begin to open when the
spring sun shines again.
Let the husband honor his wife.
Peter says, aye husbands, give hon
or unto the wife, as being joint heirs
of the grace of life" Honor her by
caring for her needs. In the hard
places of life, stand by her side, and
give her true sympathy. When chill
dren are i'll, and burdens press, let her
feel that she has stronghold in you,
and give her your comfort. Because
she is your wife, you owe her what,
without you, she can never have.
Bland and polite as treacle some are
to guests and outsiders, while in their
homes they are dOmineering and ex-
acting, finding fault with the wife, and
criticising her before the children,
blaming her for the mishaps. with sell
dom kind word. "Oh, it is only my
wife ~ This is the gilt edge of mar
ried life, in a guilty age.
IN ynn saw Won have m time for all
these tritles? In the perfect home
there are no trifles. at is trifles that
make perfection and perfection is no