Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1897-11-12

mes which we may after while gain, but
the ail-ahs0rbing question with YOU and
with me ought TO be: Lord. what Wilt
Thou have me now and here to dor"
There Is one word in my text around
which the most OF our thoughts will this
morning rcyolye. That word Is Home
Ask ten different men the meaning of that
word. and they will give you ten different
definitions. To one 1t means love Mt the
hearth. IL means plenty at the table, in
dustry at the wOrkstand, intelligence AT
the books, devotion at the altar To him
II means q greeting at the door and a smile
al the chair. Peace lowering like wings.
Joy cappine It's hands with laughter. Life
tranquil lake. PilloTed ON the ripples
sleep the shadows.
AK another man what home Is, and he
will tell you 1t Is want, looking out Of a
cherries iire-grate, kneading hunger In an
empty bread tray. The damp air shiyering
with curses, No Bible on the shelf. Chill.
dren robbers and murderers in embryo.
Every face picture of ruin. Want In thu
background and sin staring from the front.
No Sabbath wave rolling over that door.
sill. Nestibule OF the pit. shadow OF In.
fernal walls. Furnace for forging everlast.
ing chains. Awful word! It Is spelled with
curses. It weeps with ruin, II chokes with
woe, II sweats with the death agony Of de.
spair.
The word Home" in the one case means
everything bright. The word Home 10
the other case means everything terrific.
shall speak to you this morning Of home
as a test Of character, home rs n refuge,
home as political safeguard home as q
school, and home ~ u type Of heaven.
And in the first place ! remark, that
home Is a powerful test Of character The
disposition In public may be in gay cos
tune, while In private it Is IN dishabille.
As play actors may appear In one way on
the stage, and may appear In another way
| behind the scenes, so private character may
| be very different from public character.
| Private character is often public character
| turned wrong side out. A man may re-
ceive you into his parlor as though he were
q dIstillation OF smiles. aud yet his heart
| may be a swamp Of nettles. There are
| business men who all day long are mild,
! and courteous, and genial, and gOOd-na-
| tured bin commercial life, damming back
their irritab!lity, and their petuIance, and
| their discomfort; but at nlght-fall the dam
| breaks and scolding pours forth In floods
| and freshets.
Tho reason men do not display their bad
| temper in public Is because they do not
want to be Knocked down. There are men
who hide their petulance and their irrita-
| bility Just for the same reason that they do
not let their notes go to protest. II does
| not pay. Or for the same reason that they
! do not want man I'm their stock company
to sell his stock at less than the right price,
lest 1t depreciate the value. As ut some
times the wind rises, 50 after n sunshiny
day there may be a tempestuous night.
There are people who in public act the
phllantErOpist, who at home act the Nero
with respect to their slippers and their
gown.
Now, that man who is affable in public
and who Is irritable IN private Is making q
fraudulent Oyerissue Of stock, and he Is ~
bad rs Il bank that might have four or five
| hundred thousand dollars Of bills in circu.
lation with no specie in the vault. Let ~
learn to show piety at home. II we have il
not there, we have 1t not anywhere. II We
have not genuine grace In the family circle
all our outward and public plausibiIity
! merely springs from q fear OF the world Oi
from the Shiny, putrid pool Of our own sci.
lishness. tell you the home II II mighty
test u character. What you are ut hOmC
you are everywhere, whether you demon.
strate II or not.
Again. remark that home Is a refuge
Life IL the United States army on the ma.
toDal road to Mexico, a long march witt
eyerand anon "A skirmish and Il battle. Al
eyentlde we pitch our tent and stack the
arms, we hang up the war cap and lay Oul
head Oh the knapsack, we sleep until the
morning bugle calls us TO marching and
action. How pleasant It Is TO rehearse the
victories, and the surprises, and the at
tacks Of the day, seated by the still camp
fire Of the home circlel
There Is the place where we may talk o.
what we have done without being charged
with self-adulation. There is the place
where we aylounge without being thought
ungraceful There Is the place where w
may express affection without beiDl
tIsnght silly. There Is the place where w
may forget our annoyances, and exaspera
GRIM no home? Then die. That IS better
The grave is brighter, and grander, ant
more glorious than this world with NJ
tent for marchiDgs, with no harbOr from
the storm, with no place Of rest from thi
scene Of greed, and gOuge, and loss, anC
gain. God pity the man or the woman WIN
has no home.
Further, ] remark, that home ia a politI
cal safeguard. The safety Of the Stat
must be built on the safety Of the home
Why cannot France come to q placid re
publicf Ever and anon there is threat 0
National capsize. France as a nation ha
not the right kind Of q Christian home
The Christian beartbstone f. the only cor
Der-Gtone for a republic. The virtues cul
tured in the family circle are an absolute
necessity for the state. II there be no
enough moral principle to make the fami
adhere, there will not be enough pOitfca
principle to make the State adhere. IN
home" means the GOths and yandals
means the NOmads Of Asia, means til
humideans Of Africa, changing from plac
to place, according as the pasture happen
to change. COBfOunded be all those Babel
Of iDiguity which would 0vertower and dc
stroy the home. The same storm that NJ
sets the ship in which the family sails wi
sink the frjgate 81 the constitution. jail
and penitentiaries and armies and Davies ar
not our best defense. The door Of the HON
is the best fortress.
Further, remark, that home Is school
Old ground must be turned up with sui
soil plow, and II must be narrowed and RI
narrowed and then the crop will not be a
large as that Of the new ground with les
culture. Now, youth and childhood ar
new ground, and all the influences throw
over their heart and life will come up
after life luxuriantly. Every time on hay
given smile Of appreciation, all the goo
cheer oil your life will come up again In tn
geniallty Of your children. And ever
eDnnition Oh anger and every uncontrolt
Pc display Of Indignation WIN be fuel t
their disposition twenty, or thirty, or fort
years from now-fueI for bad fire qua
ter Of century from this.
On, maze your home the brightest plae
on earth, IL you would charm your chi
dren TO the high path Of virtue, and rect
tnde, and religion. Do not always tur
the blinds the wrong way. Let the High
which puts gold on the gentlan and spot
the pansy pour into your dwellings. D
not expect the little feet to keep step to
dead march. Do not cover up your wal
with such pictures az Vests "Death on
Pale Horse" or TintorettO's Massacre