The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-02-12

being satisfied until the husband mas gi7er
up the tanning of the hides. Or the turning
Of the banisters, or the building OF the
has nothing to do but smoke cigars
and drink wine, and get himself
into habits that upset him, GO
ing down in the maelstrom, taking
his wife and children with him. There
are a good many trains running from earth
to destruction. They start all the hours Of
the day and all the hours Of the night.
There are the freight trains; they go very
slowly and very heavily; and there are
accommodation trains, going on toward
destruction, and they stop very often, and
let man get out when he wants to. But
genteel idleness is an express train; Satan
is the Stoker and Death is the engineer;
and though one may come ont in front Of
it and flying the red flag Of ''danger'' or
the lantern of Gods word. it makes Just
One shot into perdition, coming down the
emhankment with a shout and a wall and
q shriek-crash. crash! There are two
classes of people sure of destruction-frst,
those who have nothing to do: secondly,
those who have something to do, but are
too lazy or too proud to do it.
I have one more word OF advice to
give to those who would have a happy
home. and that is. let love preside in
It. When your behavior in the domestic
circle becomes q mere matter OF calcu-
lation; when the caress you give is merely
the result of deliberate study Of the posi-
tion you occupy. happiness lies stark
dead on the hearth stone. When the hus-
bands position as head Of the household
is maintained by loudness Of voice, by
strength Of arm. bv fire of temper, the
republic of domestic bliss has become q
q despotism that neither God nor
man will abide. Oh. We who prom
ised to love each other at the altar,
how dare you commit perjury! Let no
shadow of suspicion come on your at
lection. 1t is easier to kill that flower
than it is to make it live again. The blast
from hell that puts out that light. leaves
you in the blackness of darkness forever.
Here are man and wife: they agree in
nothing else. but they agree that they will
have home. Thew will have a splendid
house. and they think that if they have a
house they will have a home. Architects
make the plan. and the mechanics execute
it: the house to cost 100000. 1t ia done.
The carpets are spread: lights are hoisted:
curtains are hung: cards of invitation are
sent out. The horses in gold-plated har-
ness prance at the gate: guests come in
and take their places: the flute sounds: the
dancers go up and down: and with one
grand whirl the wealth and the fashion
and the mirth of the great town
wheel amidst the pictured walls. Ha! this
is happiness Float it on the smoking
viands; sound if in the music; whirl it in
the dance: cast it on the snow OF sculp-
ture: sound it up the brilliant stairway:
fash it in chandeliers! Happiness. in
deed! Let US build on the center OF the
parlor floor a throne to happiness: let all
the guests. when they come in. bring their
flowers ard pearls and diamonds and throw
them on this pyrami!, and let it be a
throne, and then let happiness, til. queen.
mount the throne. and we will stand
around. and. all chalices lifted. We will say,
"Drink. o queen! live forever" But the
guests depart, the flutes are breathless. the
last clash of the impatient boots is heard in
the distance and the twain of the house.
hold come hack TO see the queen of hap
piness on the throne amidst the parlor
floor. But. alas! "a they come back the
flowers have faded. the sweet doors have
become the smell OF CLEARINGHOUSE. and
instead OF the queen of happiness there
sits there the gaunt form OF anguish. with
bitten lip and sunken eve. and ashes in her
hair. The romp of the dancers who have
left seems rumbling Vet. like Earring thun-
ders that quake the floor ard rattle the
glasses OF the feast, rim to rim. The
spilled wine on the floor turns into blood.
The wreathes Of plush have become wrig-
Cling reptiles. Terrvrs catch tangled in
the canopy that overhangs the couch.
A strong gust of wind comes through
the hall and the drawing-room and
the bed Chamber, in which all the
lights so ont. And from the lips
of the wine-beakers come the words:
Happiness is not in usv And the arches
respond, ut is not in usr' And the si-
fenced instruments of music. thrummed on
by invisible fingers. answer, Happiness
is nos in u.s." And the frozen lips of an
guish break open, and seated on the throne
Of wilted flowers, she strikes her bony
hands together and groans, ut is not in
me-"
That very night clerk with Q salary of
81 900 . year-only $1,0OC-goes to his
home. set up three months ago, just after
the marriage day. Love meets him at the
door: love sits with him at the table: love |
talks over the work Of the day: love takes |
down the Bible and reads of him who came |
our souls to save; and they kneei, and |
while they are kneeling-right in that !
plain room. on that plain carpet-the an.
gels of God build a throne, not out Of flow-
ers that perish and fade.
HE GOT EVEN.