The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-05-12
MOTHERS CLUB.
Rev. Augustus N. Lord Reads Interesting
Paper on The Home Makers"

'"The Homo Makers" was the subject of
a most helpful and inspiring paper read
by Rev. Augustus NJ. Lord before the
Providence Mothers club at their closing
meeting for the season, held in the Classi-
cal high school yesterday afternoon. The
paper was in part as follows:
What is the most dangerous class
among US today?
Without question the homeless class.
the class that drift from the cheap lodg-
ing houses OF one city to the cheap lodg-
ing houses OF another city. II is from
this class that our criminals mainly re-
cruit themselves. But this last malig-
nant expression OF homelessness Is only
the end OF n long process already shading
backward by mpercepitble degrees.
There are those whose homes are dismal
and sordd-repel rather than attract
and. clear at the other end OF the line
from those who are homeless because OF
poverty or shiftlessness but none the
less i'm the same line so far as sinister
and degrading influence goes-are the
practically homeless rich, whose cynical
Indifference. irresponsible luxury and
shallow folly drain the life and threaten
the health OF community as deeply,
though more subtly. than does the frank
brutality OF those at the other extreme
of the dangerous class.
II am concerned chiefly, however. with
the point at which the need and duty
come in contact with the life OF every
one OF us and so shall touch upon these
extremes only secondar!y.
Most OF us are neither poor nor very
rich; neither the pinch OF necessity nor
the pressure of great temptation
threatens us. nor does the possession Of
large opportunity. the power to give at
once and generously, inspire and cheer
US.
But each OF us can turn to his own
home. What are we doing with IL? Are
we making the most OF il? How large a
place does IL fll In our days thought and
purpose? How much OF our best life.
our clearest thought. our strongest inn
pulse and ambition do we bring back
to IL?
THAT community is the safest and best,
that nation is the greatest and most pow
erful in which is the largest number of
homes that are centres OF fine associa-
tions. refreshing pleasure, ennobling in
fluence. Certainly this has been the
strength and glory of English stock"
duty to the home life as paramount To
all things else I'm the larger life OF the
world. mo faithfulness elsewhere shall
make up for unfaithfulness at home" he
declared. "and no lack OF opportunity
elsewhere shaI~ be able 10 shut the door
OF infinite opportunity here.
'"rhe opportunity, the duty presents it
self in the simplest way. impossible TO
understand. | am to concentrate all the
best experience, thoughts. feelings OF my
life on my home. am TO try to make
the household OF which / am a part the
daily fellowship Of which l am con-
slant membcr-a home.
II am 10 keep my thoughts that way
all through the day. That does not mean
that my thought or my effort Is TO stop
short with the home; ~ means simply
that it is TO be made sharp. practical.
coherent there; it Is TO find its first ex-
preston there, not necessarily Its last.
The best that comes TO me day by day,
OF what am, OF what j learn what ]
see. what read. what hear-all should
pay it's first and richest tribute 20 the
household. the personal Fellowship. how
often this is not the case.
"A mans business or his books. or his
club, or what is commonly called socl-
ETY. are his pet recreations. and get the
best OF his life. his freshest energies. his
unwearied thought and his household
gets what Is left which isn't much. The
parable hits the mark. a man should
build his home on the best stun there
Is I'm him. the very strongest and nrmest
and most enduring elements I'm this char
acter and life: the rock bottom and the
rock heights OF his experience and his
thought. not on the shifting sandy sail
of the next best. the commonplace. the
half good. the shiftless thought and indo-
lent feeling OF which all OF us have an
abundance. No man runs counter 10 the
teaching Of that parable do not care
how great and wise he is-that he does
not sooner or later pay the penalty I'm