The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-09-02
NY FAMILY.
I had q prejudice against my family

house much too small for a man OF
his means, and that was deprived OF
many advantages to which was justly
entitled. often told my father of this.
but it seemed to make no impression.
He was always willing that should
associate with more pretentious people,
and when I declared, at sixteen, that !
was going away from home and to a
fashionable school. he made no resis-
lance. Indeed. a. I now interpret it,
he heaped fiery Goals upon my head;
for. besides paying my regular tuition
at the school, he often sent me, unsoli-
cited, packages of currency which per-
mtted me Gas was boy to travel far
during my summer vacations. and see
the country. This. it would seem.
should have reconciled me. but it did
not. It made mo worse. The family
grew more unpretentious in my eyes
each succeeding year, and the climax
was reached when my father decided to
leave the city, and take up his residence
on farm. There was pretty stream
running through the farm, and woods
and hills, and numerous sleek cattle,
which our new neighbors praised as be-
ing of the best blood of any in the
county, but 1 looked contemptuously on
all this. and only thought of the differ
ence between the way we went about,
all in one carriage with father driving
instead of coachman in livery, as my
friend Harry did in the city. l conde-
scended to visit my people occasionally,
and sometimes, in the excitement OF
shooting and fishing, forgot our dis
graceful position.
But at night, upon my return from
shooting, as we gathered in the sitting
room, only to read the magazines and
play whist it would come back to me
how we should be attending brilliant
receptions and making witty speeches
in full dress in the city. and would
fall to upbraiding my father for deny
ing me and my sisters the advantages
of city life.
The most curious part of all this, as
look back upon it now, is the compla-
cency with which all my criticisms
were received by my family; and the
abscene acrimony, of any chickering's
or strife. on the part of any of the 9TH
er members. My sisters and my moth
er always agreed that the way I was
deprived of what other boys had was
outrageous, but it seemed to be tacitly
understood that having given me their
sympathy, they could do nothing more
and the most friendly and loving rela-
tons existed between us all; they
spending much of their time manufact-
uring presents with which to surprise
me, and constantly sending to them
fruit and novelties from the city.
That my father bore with me SO pa
tiently illustrates a peculiarly of many
American homes. Whether the Eng
lish strait-jacket system might not have
been better, leave you to debate with
yourselves. Sometimes he would
gently reprove me for being so fiery
and impairment, but as rule he al
lowed me to do all the talking, and
seemed satisfied that I should th.nk
what I pleased, SO long as did well at
the school, and kept in good health.
If he proceeded on the theory that
only time and experience were needed
to convince me of my folly and his wis
dom, he would be eminently satified if
he could talk with me now: A decade
has passed, and the impetuous and am
bilious youth has lived among the
fashionable and pretentious people
whom he used so much to envy.
Moreover, his profession has brought
him in contactwith their family secrets,
family jars, and family griefs. How
often has he found. beneath the honeyed
words and liveried servants, which
strangers admire, an existence OF
selfishness and greed and hypocrisy OF
which he never dreamed!
If any youth from farm or shop, with
unpretentious home. shall read this
sketch, beg to remind him that, as the
human body changes every seven years
so does the mind.
Let none Of us imagine that what to-
day is to us all important, will be so
next year or the year after. The most
intelligent and the most successful men
Of all ages have recorded their convic,
tons that no ambition, no success,
gives the lasting satisfaction of peace
full home and a loving family.
And as I review with familiarity the
palatial homes in the great city where
| I now live, and witness the relations
of the members of each family as they
move about and address each other,
remember with great gratitude the
happy relations which existed with the
exception mentioned) at the old home
farm.
And if you ask me to-day where and
how / best enjoyed myself, / must adj
NIT that no ambition achieved, no
wealth acquired, gives me the pleasure
that the contemplation gives me OF the
return services which afterwards rem
dered Gas partial retribution) to my
kind old father and the happy and UNI
selfish relations that have always exist
ed. by reason of my fathers early in
f1uence, between my sisters and myself.
Such of you as are philosophers can
take up the thought where l leave oil
and make much more out fit. That
scores of such homes as mine was, ex-
list all around us have no doubt. II
some Of the dissatisfied members will
be brought to reflect that experience
only, as rule, brings wisdom and that
liberation and unseltishness arc, after
all, the badges of a strong mind
and good heart, shall be paid for
my trouble in writing. After many
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