The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-04-25
For THE UNION
MAKING A HOME HAPPY.
BY 9. M. MULLEN.

On the first page of a recent issue
of THE UNoIN brief, but beautiful,
description appeared of how to make a
home happy. Making a home happy,
like ship, has two sides to it. It
seems strange, nevertheless fact,
that ship built as near alike on one
side as the other will sail better on
one side than on the other under sin1i-
lar conditions of wind, weather, etc.
In making this comparison, want
to show that the home is like ship.
Everything must be in order on ship
board. In absence of order, moth
ing but disorder, confusion, disaster,
and death is sometimes bound to
occur. The ship has one master,
whose authority is absolute. He is
like an emperor, his word is law. No
man can disobey the orders given byI
the captain. If they do, it means
mutiny on board. In such cases the
master, if his ship is on the high
seas, has full power, according to law,
to subdue his mutinous crew, even if
he has to kill them to do it.
The ship has, in addition to the
master, another commander first
mate, in the absence of the captain.
The mate, very often called the first
officer, has entire charge of the ship.
If anything goes wrong during his
temporary charge he adjusts it ac-
cording to his best judgment. Ifany-
thing serious occurs during his time
on deck and he feels he would prefer
to let the master pass judgment on
the case, he at once goes to the cap
tain's room and consults him about
what is best to be done. Both of
these commanders put their heads to-
gether and decide on a plan of action,
which is agreeable to both and very
profitable to the ship, as it strength
ems the good order already Inaugural
ted on board and finally brings the
ship, passengers and cargo safely to
the port of destination.
1t will be seen from the above,
which is true picture of what occurs
on shipboard, how imperative it is
that those in charge shall work to-
gether harmoniously for the safety
and guidance of the vessel and cargo.
Since the vessel in actual, practical
navigation cannot always keep on
her best sailing side, she is very often
obliged to alter her course in order to
reach her destination. The same
calm, cool, earnest consultation takes
place between the master and the
mate, which I have already described
above, with the result that harmony
prevails among the ships company.
Many time I recall with pleasure
the happy days, months and even
years have spent on board vessels
where we were strangers to each other
and yet lived in the highest sense as
f6e sane order, the Same discipline fIdIi
in the home, especially if it is Chris
tian home? The husband, like the
master of the ship, is the highest au-
thority in the home, and should be
respected as such. The wife, the Sec
ond in command, should look to the
husband for earnest support and COM
fort. Both of these home commanders
should have but one object in view,
and that, the safety and we'll being of
the home company.
AS the ship has two sides. and yet
only one ship, the husband and wife
are of necessity one in spiritual
sense and should also be one in a
worldly sense. If one of the home
commanders should be better man
ager than the other, the superior
knowledge of the one should be util-
lied in promoting the welfare and
happiness of both home and its little
company Of passengers and crew.
AS 'order is heavens first law"
and must of necessity be the law on
shipboard, it is of equal, if not greater
Importance, to have order in the
household, as we are told in the sa-
cred writings that house divided
against itself cannot stand. The faith
ful, fond wife and loving mother seeks
to make home happy by the majesty
of her mien, by the gentleness of her
command and general department.
In conclusion, few lines from the
poet which read as follows:
Happiness may soon be found,
Though far the seekers roam,
With truest, purest glory crowned
At Home, sweet Home"
TOwcON Mn A Dri1 Too1