, 1892-02-10

and enjoying life today if she had insist
ed upon it, a fought her aches and
pains and kept right on as if she had
none. Believe this, my sister. / assure
you it is true.
A most important thing is to become
a companion to your husband. 1t is
quite possible that your book knowledge
is greater than his. While you had
time and a fathers money to send you
to college and give you intellectual ad-
vantages he has had to be winning his
way in the world to be able to support Il
household. Therefore you can be of
immense use to each other, Tor while
you-if you do not assume the aggres-
sive in these matters-can guide and
help him in delightful ways of intellec-
tual culture, he can teach you n certain
breadth of view that men get from
mingling with the world.
He can help you to become interested
in the politics of u country, in social
questions, in problems our foreign broth
ers are settling with their hearts blood.
Both sides are necessary to a well round
ed character; excessive devotion to either
narrows the life and the views. If you
are not interested in the subjects men
toned, study and become 30. Not to
echo him, but to give intelligent atten-
ton to what interests him and to be
able TO give him the benefit of two points
of view.
You want also to lend you aid in
keeping him alive, to what is going on
in the world of deed, as well as in the
world of letters, in keeping him public
spirited and up to his duty as a citizen.
Na,rnr cn,1 e., alnr, hs~. A. aNr,o.l.us
the weakness of saying las so many Of
our best men do). politics is a hopeless
middle, therefore l will not vote"
which is in effect saying, Dad men
have got hold of the government, the
making of laws, and are doing every
thing possible to ruin our country,
therefore I'll shut myself up at home
and let them have their own way"
Make him feel, on the contrary, that
every good man has n sacred duty-to do
what N man can to purify politics.
The making of n home is your beauti-
full and blessed work. No one else can
do it, and it is because of your need of
wisdom and of the importance of all
these points that l have dwelt upon
them. There can be no real home where
is not affection, intelligence, justice to
the least one, respect for all and a mu-
tual desire to make happy. Grumbling
and debating, f~retting and nagging arc
the foes of the home life, the petty vices
that undermine SO many families. The
first two may be usually laid at your
husbands door, the last two are moro
often our own faults. Could you but
realize the power for good of n true
home, in the lines of both parents and
children, / am sure no fretting word
would eve again come from your lips,
no nagging would ever again drive your
dear ones out into the world away from
you for peace.
One cause of the prevention of these
vices is the belief that has beer in
stilled into women of their responsibility
for all the faults and shortcomings of
their households. How can q wife or
mother who so believes avoid a constant
effort to cure the faults she sees so
plainly? So Dol as she rises out of this
falsity and gtasps the truth that she is
not responsible; that while it is her duty,
as it is generally her pleasure, to do her
best to influence for good, with the re-
suit she has nothing to do, how much
happier will it be for ALI
| Throwing cold water" is, l fear, one
of your pet vices. To dampen the en-
thusiasm of the children, to throw doubt
on the reality of their dear decisions, to
check alike their noisy animal spirits
and their generous impulses; likewise to
see nothing attractive in your husbands
plans, and instantly to pitch upon the
n difficulty instead of trying to find a
way out of it; to mildly scott at his en-
thusiasm. to speak with a superior air of
his love of hunting and fishing, for ex-
ample, as a weakness that must DO
tolerated; or meet his warm praise Of
the sailing of his yacht in a severe man
ner that plainly accuses Kim of selfish
ness or extravaganza in keeping one. 1t
may very likely be both, but that is not
the way to convince him nor to promote
peace and good will, which are of more
value than all the money at his com
mand.
Nor do you always remember that
everything you do to take away from
the perfect freedom and enjoyment OF
home adds an attraction to other places
deadly foes of the home. If you make
q man feel small and mean, what moro
natural than that he should go where
his self esteem is raised? it's SO much
easier than to reform his lifel And re.
member, too, that by the voice of society
and custom he is perfectly justifable in
seeking any refuge from an uncomfort-
able home.
1 will end with the words of a thought
full writer: Love in the family, in the
home, in society and in the world is the