National Baptist world., 1894-10-26
THE AMERICAN HOME,
Family Obligations Which Conduce I
Household Happiness.

Household Happiness.
ably nowhere in the world is the
genuine harmonious home, the real
family circle, SO perfect in all respects
as in this land of the free and home
of the brave"
All over the country are dwellings
more or less spacious and commodius,
where live families larger or smaller as
the case may be, but each little in.
dependent principality, with it's own
individual government, it's own rules,
Its own laws, interests, amusements
and labors. 1t is the miniature type OF
the great land we live in. Here there
is no arbitrary rule, no absolute mon.
archy, no slavery, no control by fear,
no infexible system by which the weak
and the innocent are sacrificed to the
will of the strong, and timidity is
crushed and destroyed because it has not
the. power successfully to cope With
brute force
The American family circle at its
best is an interesting example of intel
ligent equality. Because the father is
older and more experienced and has
SAAN PAAJ OASnA cU1 III W w 81. lie uOGS
not imagine it to be his right to abuse
and ill-treat his wife and children. On
the contrary, his superior muscle and
Drawn and brain are ever enlisted in
the endeavor to shield his loved ones
from the storms and rough phases of
life and to help their inexperienced
footsteps over life's pathway that they
stumble not therein. The mother has
her deepest interest in the happiness,
health and general welfare of her
household and is never weary in her
labors for their highest good. No task
is too difficult for the parents to un-
dertake, no obstacles are too great and
nopain or suffering Or sorrow counts for
anything by the side of the present and
future prosperity of the family. To
train the children up to healthful, in
telligent and useful maturity is their
high ambition; and surely no aim could
be more praiseworthy and no occupa-
ton more honorable. To this end they
often deprive themselves of present
luxuries, and grow weary and prema-
turely old with anxiety and overwork.
But the future of their little ones is so
much to them. How they build
''castles in the air. about the time
when the youngsters will be grown up
and able to take upon themselves the
duties and responsibilities of life! And
then they will try to get a little of the
rest which for long years they had
denied themselves. When the boys are
in business and the girls are snugly
settled in homes of their own,
how delightful it all will bel
They will live over again their
early trials and triumphs, and
rejoice that their children are spared
the privations and hardships which
they endured For parental love is
unselfish and seeks the welfare of the
child first. Whether this unselfsh-
let the records of ingratitude and the
ill-treatment of those who have de.
voted their lives to their children an
sWer.
But in this wisely-managed, well-or-
dered home this does not happen. Each
and every child has it's duties and re-
sponsibilities, and is taught from it's
earliest infancy that it owes some obli-
cations to the family, the world and to
humanity. The family does not exist for
it alone, but every member of the lit
tie community is responsible for some
part of it's well being.
In country homes this is even more
important than in towns and cities. for
there the youngsters have wider
field. Everything in nature appeals
for care and protection, and an init
mate acquaintance with the works of
the Creator always broadens the mind
and makes the thoughts and ideas more
comprehensive.
Selfshness narrOws the soul, and it's
free and long-continued Indulgence de-
grades it's victim, and destroys all no.
BILE and generous sentiments
Kindness and consideration for 9TH
ers should be among the earliest les
sons of life. The child in its mothers
arms is not too young for such lessons,
and thorough education in this por-
tiOn of the training of the young will
save much regret in after life, and will
do much toward elevating the senti
ments and raising the standard of the
American hOme.-N. Y. Ledger.