New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-25
"VOUE. SWEET HOME"

Turing tho four or five months when New
VII, bouses ore closed and families are away
spending the summer" the average New iorhea
fully APPRECIATES the words home, swee' hoihe'
The fortunate man who has his country nome
near the city TO which he may go every evening
ofter his office has been closed, the man WIN
goes TO the mountains the seashore OF 10 'he
North Woods with his family, and remains there
until all signs OF summer nave dlshppeareu'
must not be considered In the appreclatVe cihss'
because he takes his home wherever he goes ana
simply transplants his vine and fig tree But
the man who has been separated from his fam
ily because the baby could not stand the heat, or
because his wife simply could not remain In
town" or because his credit or social standing
might be injured II II became known that his
house was open all season-he Is the poor Great
IRE who thinks about "home sweet home
II took many weeks Of careful deliberation 70
docide the question rs TO where the family
should 90 for the summer. and then came 'he
oouollv important one as TO the abiding place OF
the head of the house The advantages OF Nv
ing at n hotel or at the club during the summer
were discussed in the family circle and frequent
reference vas made TO the comic paper stories
about the sprces and larks of the poor man In
frauds. sort Of Germansilver lining to
black cloud and unless the man was con
frmed optlmist he looked forward to life in
hotel room and meals for months In restaurant
with dread and disgust. Why not keep the
house or the fiat open and have home! Wheh
that course was finally decided upon the family
went away In the firm belief that the HUSBAND
and father would be well taken care Of during
the summer The lone man smiled grimly wheh
he said goodby to his family. and. Ike convict
beginning his term, began to calculate on us
duration.
In most instances the house or the hat is
closed up for the greater part, the furniture Is
covered, pictures and ornaments are swathed IN
gauze and only a living apartment Is left hab-
tia bic for the left-behind man. lf all goes wei
the servant keeps the rooms In order ana pro-
vidcs breakfast, and the man does the best ne
can for uncheons and dinners. AT night he re-
turns 10 his habltation, which has become bur
lesque on home.
If the servant grows dissatisfied or II bet
ter place is offered the condition becomes serl-
Gus. and the lonely man receives his first lesson
in the servantgrl question. He learns what II
means to look for a girl" aud begins to appre-
cate the fortunes Of the disease which the
women Of the household call "servan'gitis. lie
finds no suitable servant, and is compelled to
look for Summer homo away from his own do
main Then the days aud the weeks drag slow
"; roof gardens clubs and outings become bur
dcns: the summer is longer ard the weather
warmer than ever before; the meals at the res
taurants become less pantab!e and the exile
from domestic comforts signs for home.
And when the end comes at last. when the sea
son has closed and the house has been opened,
when the sound OF baby prattle and the presence
of a hostess have transformed the drcary apart
ments into home once more, the man thanks his
stars and figures the cost and discovers that the
cherries summer was an expensive one.
But there is no remedy for the Ills Of the left
at -homc man. Resolutions will be made In the
autumn that under no conditions VIII he be al
lowed to remain ut home alone another year. ana
when the robins nest again the pous resolutions
will be broken and next summer the army OF
men TO whom n summer home Is thing I'M
known Will be as large as ever before.