The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-12-06
OUR HOME LIFE.
A PRACTICAL, COMMON SENSE
SERMON.
The Mistakes of Those Who Seek
Riches Instead of Happiness-Home
Life as it Should Belt is Here the
Foundation of Character is Laid.
New York Herald.

After a day of continuous harass-
ment 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 enjoyed the hospitality of house
hold consisting OF Martha, Mary ard
Lazarus
1t is left to the Imagination to pic
ture that group of four, for history has
given us only broad outlines and is
neglectful of details. What comfort
came to that tired heart, what subjects
were discussed, what hopes or fears
were indulged in during the evenings S
conversation, we shall never know.
But we may venture to say that this
Son OF Cod found rest and strength
within the walls of that happy Hebrew
home. 1t was like a 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 conspic
uous importance. A happy home is
the prophecy Of useful life for every
child reared under its benignant
watchfulness a home in which discord
prevails sends its boys and girls into
the world with Handicapped aspirations.
The child who carries sweet memo
ries with him carries also a shield for
protection, but he who bears embit-
tered 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 tempest
uous.
The good father lives in the life of
the boys long after that father has
crossed the threshold of a cemetery,
and the good mother speaks to the
daughter when that daughter has
children of her own
No mortal can have better start
ing point than pious and soul satisfy
ing home. 1t is a thousand times
better to have an honest father and a
true hearted mother than to inherit
riches or social position. An empty
wallet and a fathers blessing, ging
ham gown and mothers love are a
safer equipment for the attainment of
happiness than millions of money with
out the blessing and the love.
We are making some serious mis-
takes on this subject, and they will
cost US many 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 lite 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 a few years, but
not a home. The logic of events is
relentless, 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 its 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
avarlce continues to be satisfied
There is no other foundation for a
true home than the union Of two souls
by the bonds of holy affection. Other
experim :nts have been tried, but nc
substitute for that affection has yet
been found, nor is it likely that il
will be.
The end to be sought is happiness,
and if you fail in that you will fail in
everything. A wounded heart is not
healed by costly medicament, and
riches never yet suppressed sigh
Grief over wlthered hopes can not be
assuaged by diamonds and splendor
and many woman has been driven tc
desperation and wrong doing because
in spite Of her credit at the bankers
she found it impossible to live on indif.
ference and neglect.
We must throw our financial theo
| ries to the winds and be brave enough
to obey natural law. A man is a man
and a woman is woman. Whateve
esle he needs, the man needs love
most of all, for this is hard life anc
love alone keeps him in trim for tht
contest. If he can not have it he take:
excitement instead, and then the enc
is not far off, Whatever else tn
woman Graves, it is all subordinate
whether she knows it or not, to tn,
confiding affection of a manly man
and if that is denied her nature be
comes volcanic and irrepressible.
Without the restraining influence Q
love we all become more or les
demoniac, but if we have it We Cal
part with everything besides and stil
be content. That is the verdict of tn
generations, and it can not be regard
ing your children, you should so teac
the boys and girls that they will de
velop independence of character an
moral principle. What the world ma
say should influence them very littlt
but what they themselves think is rigt
should influence them a great dea
| Plain solid common sense is wort