Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-10-03
DIR HOMES.

After day of continuous haraSSment
in Jerusalem Jesus needed the repose
which only confiding friendship could
furnish. By the light of the stars he
found his way to the little village of
Bethany, two miles distant, and enjoy
ed the hospitality of household con
sisting of Martha, Mary and Lazarus.
1t is left to the Imagination to picture
that group of four, for history has Civ
Ell us only broad outlines and is neglect
full of details. What comfort came to
that tired heart, what subjects were
discussed, what hopes or fears were in
dulged in during the evenings CONVEX
sation, We shall never know. But we
may venture to say that this Son of
God found rest and strength within the
walls OF that happy Hebrew home. 1t
was like q strain of soft music to the
traveller who has sought his couch, and
He sank into dreamless sleep under its
soothing influence.
The home is our asylum, and the love
of dear ones is our defence. In the plan
of divine Providence the home occupies
a position of conspicuous Importance.
A happy home is the prophecy of use
full life for every child reared under its
benignant watchfulness; home in
which discord prevails seuds its boys
and girls into the world handicapped
aspirations.
The child who carries sweet memories
with him carries also a shield for pro-
lection. but he who bears embittered
memories falls easier prey to the evils
which will attack. A happy home in
the background throws a radiance on
each succeeding day, even though the
day be stormy and tempestuous.
A good father lives in the life of the
boy long after that father has crossed
the threshold of a cemetery, and the
good mother still speaks to the daugh
ter when that daughter has children
of her own.
No moral can have a better starting
point than pious and sOul-satisfying
home. 1t is a thousand times better to
have an honest fatherand true neart-
ed mother than to inherit riches or So
cial position. An empty wallet and a
fathers blessing, bingham gown and
a mothers love are safer equipment
for the attainment of happiness than
millions of money without the blessing
and the love.
We are making some serious mistakes
on this subject, and they will cost us
many a heartache by and by. We are
too ambitious for our children in the
direction of social prominence and too
neglectful of them in the direction of
character.
Daughters are brought up to believe
that the chief end of life is to marry a
bank account and an equipage rather
than a man. When the surplus be-
comes deficit, however, as it some
times does, and the equipage is sold
under the hammer, the poor girl wakes
up to the discovery that she has had
an establishment for few years, but
not e home. The logic of events is re-
lentless, and mutual affection, which is
the only thing worth living for, since
it sweetens and deepens with adversely
is found to be wanting. A love that
depends for it's continuance On good
fortune has very small value, and yet
marriage vows are taken every day
which have their origin in avarice, and
will certainly be broken unless the
avarice continues to be satisfied.
There is no other foundation for 9
true home than the union of two souls
by the bonds of holy affection. Other
experiments have been tried, but nc
substitute for that affection has yei
been found, nor is it likely that it viii
| be.
The end to be sought is happiness
and if you fail in that you fail in every
thing. A wounded heart is not healed
by costly medicament, and riches nevel
vet suppressed sigh. Grief over with
cred hopes cannot be assuaged by dia
monds and splendor, and many a wo
man has been driven to desperation
and wrong doing because, in spite O
her credit at the bankers, she found i
impossible to live on indifference an(
neglect.
We must throw our financial theorie
to the winds and be brave enough tt
obey natural law. A man is man. anC
a woman is women. Whatever els,
he needs, the man needs love most O
all, for this is hard life and love alon,
keeps him in trim for the contest. |
he cannot have it he takes excitemen
instead, and then the end is not far off
! Whatever else the woman Graves, it j
all subordinate, whether she knows i
or not, to the confding affection of ;
manly man, and if that is denied he
her nature becomes volcanic and ire
pressible.
Without the restraining influence o.
love we all become more or less demo
mac But if we have it we can par
with everything besides and still b
content That is the verdict of tn.
generations, and it cannot be reversed
! In your home, therefore, and regard
ing your children, you should SO teacl
the boys and girls that they will dc
velop independence of character anC
moral principle. What the world ma,
say should influence them very little
but what they themselves think is RICH
should influence them a great deal
Plain and solid common sense is worth
more than anything else. Of two lover
a good poor man is better than a ba(
rich man. Pictures and furniture ant
rugs and footmen are desirable in thei
way, but you cannot afford to give
human heart for them. 1t may be I'm
pleasant to live in a side street, but {
side street with peace is better than tn,
avenue with misery. Your acquain
tances may shrug their shoulders-it il
their privilege to do SO if they choose
but if the home is bright and cheer
full what care you?
If fathers and mothers would see t,
it that their homes are made happy
and have no other desire than tina
their children should make happ.
homes for themselves, this barter an(
sale which enters so largely into gu
views of marriage would cease and th
millennium would come this way.
What this cid world needs is sterlin,
and unwavering moral principle, ant
the independence to stand by it. Thes
grand qualities of character must b
taught in the home by parents who be
lieve in them and exemplify them il
their own lives, or they will never b
| acquired at all.
After that you can trust both son
and daughters to reach a safe conclu
sion when they are called upon to leav
the hearthstone of their childhood AM
make a new home for themselves.
They will have already learned tina
though riches and happiness sometime
go together, it is better to depend Oh
happiness rather than riches for SAT
journey through life.-Neao York Hea
aid.
| Some one as said to have invented
substance that can be seen through
more clearly than glass. We don
know what it can be unless it is
mans excuse to his wife for not re
turning home before A. M.
The belt where artificial irrigation
| empIOVed to aid in the production @