The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1897-10-27

ness is the only bliss of paradise that
has survived the fall" If that is so,
and l reckon it is, what an awful sin 1t
is for man or his wife or a son or
daughter to break it up. 1t is worse
than murder, for there is then only
one victim, and he is dead; but the de-
stroyer Of domestic happiness brings
misery - the family, and they must
live on in their sorrow. II domestic
peace and love could be purchased
with money, what a price it would
bring, and yet it can be had without
money if every member of the family
would do right. [ was Illuminating
about this and wondering if even the
devil was mean enough to take pleasure
in destroying the peace Of household.
The book of Job does not make him
that mean, for Job suffered no sorrow
from any bad conduct of wife or child
rem. Satan wants worshlpers, and
even dared to try to scduce the Savior
to his allegiance; but he did it in an
open and manly way, and lost. He is
an adversary-a bad cne-a powerful
one ever since he was thrust out OF
heaven; but according to scripture he
has not yet lost his power or lis con-
sequence, for the Lord talked to him
in Job and the Savior had q conference
with him in Mathew, and Michael, the
archangel, had dispute with him about
the body Of Moses. He is bold, self
poised, defiant spirit and uses many arts
to seduce mankind from their aile6l-
ance; but surely he wouldn't take away
aud destroy the only bliss of paradise
that is left us. He hasent done it from
Ingersoll, for that notable man has a
most loving household, and so have
many infidels and atheists and skep-
tics. My opinion is that our original
sin has more to do with bad conduct
than the devil. We are born to sin as
the sparks fly upward, and the devil
urges us on and apologies for every
mean thing we do and tries to comfort
us, but believe that it is in the power
Of every man and woman and son and
daughter to preserve the family peace
and to make home the most attractive
place upon the earth. Then, why
don't they do it? It sickens us witt
sorrow to read the family troubles il
the daily papers. Sometimes it is thu
husband, sometimes the wife, some
times the daughter, but oftener thai
all together it is the son that bring
the blight and darkens the doors ant
makes parents and sisters seek to hid
from the gaze of men. What make
the young men do SO? Every da,
there is a new case somewhere-mur
der, suicide, embezzlement, and all i
mixed up with the jails and courts ant
pictures in the papers and the miser,
of kindred aid the worlds cold crit
cism. How many families that one
moved proudly with the social swell
ing throng have retired from it t.
grieve over the crushing fate of way
ward son or daughters shame. Ho,
many families have been broken dow
by reckless sons-in-law. know som
aged parents whose hair has grow
prematurely gray, whose brows az
furrowed with lines of sorrow an
whose smiles are always sad, if the
smile at all.
Young men, please stop and think
The happiness of home is worth mill
ions of dollars. 1t beats the Klondike
and is right close by, and no froze
hills to cross. The pleasures of
happy home excel anything upo
earth, and can be had so cheaply
father and mother and children wi
make it so. "He that troubleth hi
own house shall inherit the wind"
cross husband, contentious, com
planning wife, selfish son or an in
dolent, disconnected daughter can dc
stroy the peace Of tie household
There are some things that are wort
so much. they cannot be valued. Healt
of body is one Of them, but peace {
mind is worth more than that. Som
years ago there was a verdict rendere
in our court at Rome giving S35, 900 t
young man because of q fall from til
train at night and permanent iniur
to his spine. He was q man of brillial
, mind and high ambition and splendi
prospects, but the doctors testifie
that he would be a mental wreck, an
his eloquent lawyer drew such a So
: picture Of the wreck that the jury gay
this large amount as compensation
No bones were broken, nor did
suffer any pain. He walked about an
visited his friends, and showed I
sign of imbecility, but his ment
! force was impaired, his high ambitic
gone, and this verdict was only an a
9 Proclamation of the damage.
I What, then, is the peace of famil
worth? Not merely peace OF mine
: but OF heart, for the heart outranl
the mind as the mind does the bod
was Illuminating about these il
assorted, unhappy marriages that see
in these later years to be more freuue
than III the olden time, and are Il
prolific source of so much domest
trouble. The poet says:
"How sad and dreary is the home
Where love, domestic love no long
nestles,
But stricken by some cruel doom
Its corpse lies on the trestles"
1 wonder how many modern ma
riages' may be called happy-in he
many families do peace aud love III
the household. Not many among Il