St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-02-25
ENEMIES OF HOME HAPPINESS
BY c. L. GOODELL, d. d.

The family, the choicest creation of
God, is the most offensive, if it be
broken down. When it's altar is re-
moved, the light of it's love-fires dark
ened, and the links that bind are snap
ped, no calamity is so great. The
family is to be cherished in proportion
to it's worth to the joy it imparts, and
its power OF achieving good. Every
evil that menaces it is to be guarded
against, and all the approaches of dan
ger warded off. The Christian home
is building not made with hands. 1t
has in it the wisdom of God and the
Joy of angels, The heart of the new
bride is luminous above the shining of
stars, and the CLEAN of the home win
dows on the worlds darkness, is like
that from above. What cheer is left to
men like the warmth of it's hearthstoneq
What glow like its fireside
But the family has many enemies;
some are ancient as Eden, and some
are new and subtle, and terrible as dy-
Mantle The most sacred things need
care the most tender. There must be
care in the small things, so great il
matter will a little fire kindle. One
must be careful, also, in the large
things. When the beautiful vase is
broken, how hard it is to mend it.
The first enemy to the happiness of
the home, that shall name is, "striv-
ing for the last word" 1t is "a hornet
with strokes and sting, but no honey.
One wife conveying her trials to
another in this, said: 81 was so vexed
at myself, at what | had said, | wanted
to pluck out my tongue" Won MOltke,
it is said, could keep secret in seven
languages. 1t would be so good for
husband and wife to keep silence in
seven languages. Don't seek the last
word stop before you begin.
The second enemy to home happi-
ness is i'm telling each other their
faults. A husband said to his wife
"Let us tell each other our faults"
"Well," she said, "yOu begin, and tell
NINE" SO he went on and told One-a
trifling thing. "Well," she said, ego
on and tell another" and he did, and
then another. A tear glistened i'm her
eve, but she was cheerful. "NOw,"
said he, "tell mine" "Why, Henry"
she said, "yOu haven't fault in the
world You are just beautiful in my
eyes" He did not tell her any more.
He went round the neighbOrhOOd say
ing he had got an angel for wife.
The third enemy of the home joy is
selfishness. 1t is the bane of the home.
Planting ones self in the center, and
making all things minister to him.
Some wives are always seeking self
laudatiOn and praise, and working to
have all things, sun, moon and stars
revolving about them. Some husbands
can't spend moment in the interest
of their wives, SO anxious are they to
turn everything to themselves. A
passenger noticed to be lonely on an
ocean voyage, said he was on his we'd
ding trip. He did not take his wife,
because he couldn't afford it. She was
at home alone, waiting and pining.
He was solemn and melancholy, like a |
pelican in the wilderness. Selfishness
did not make him happy. His wife
was happier at home alone, than with |
such q husband.
The fourth enemy of home happi- |
ness is failing to truly sympathize with
each other i'm time of need and enter
deeply into each others interests and |
welfare. 1t chills and kills the heart
life, to walk independently, mum and
dumb, and silent and cold about all
that most early concerns each other.
Many wife goes with row of icicles
around her heart, frozen and heavy.
Many husband on the other hand,
comes to his wife in an hour of need,
gets chill, but no fever.
The fifth is the flat--which is very
sharp and hard on the homeland the
house enemy. Much over
half of the families in great cities have
no home wife idle and tempted, and
spreading her fancy wings, sailing
round as Il butterfly 4; husband delving
for support. They cannot realize in
this way the cheer and comfort of
home. There is temptation to live
or nearly so, when one is
without home. Children are costly.
Landlords don't like them-no room
for them. The customs of society are
against children, and shut them out.
Hence there are not. so many children
rs formerly. Tenement-hOusec children
are feeble, and die early in great mum
bers for want of air and light and earth
and water. These four things they
must have. They are the angels of the
physical home. There are more chill
ilren of foreigners than of natives.
Foreigners children are increasing on
Us greatly, and the others diminishing.
See where it must end Bad for pa 3,
rents, and bad for the church. and bad
for the State How true has it become
IN some parts of the land, where child
rem have almost ceased and the homes '
are going into the hands of foreigners.
As Jeremiah the prophet foretold