Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1903-11-06
FOR HOME THOUGHT
ARE CONTENT
"The Chic Want IN Life Is Some One
To Make Us Do What We Can"
Emerson.

OF. which comes clearly within the
score OF Emerson's thought. and
ought 10 be he source of unending
good and helpful energy. We are too
soon content with what those we love
achieve.
There is always an element OF pride
in our personal affections; we find hus-
bands and wives charming and Iowa
BILE. strong and faithful, tactful ana
delightful. We are satisfied. Very
few of us make any endeavor to slim
ulate these dear ones TO grow into
larger and finer manhood and woman
hood: very seldom are we ready to
sacrifice enjoyment of husbands So
ciety that he may enlarge his per-
sonal influence or increase his power
TO do good. The pursuit Of profession
al knowledge or Of a favorite study,
II at all engrossing, very often breeds
discomfort at home. Seldom does a
wife hold herself ready to sacrifice the
hours which are hers by right, in
order that her husband shall do honor
to himself and help the world.
And If wife is lovely and tender
and delightful, few husbands urge
that she shall keep her mind abreast
of the times; that she shall count her
accomplishments as possessions that
must rot be neglected or lost. The
selfsatifying daily happy-go-lucky In
tercourse of the ordinary married life
of young men and women, who find
their Joy In each other, lacks stimulat-
ing force of any kind, and neither
helps the other to attain or even to
keep sharp and keenly ready for use
what made them so attractive in their
youth. The outcome OF this condition
reaches to minor, but in their results
important things. The toilette is less
carefully made; the little courtesies
of domestic life grow fewer; both hus-
band and wife are content without
to life and keep up the traditions OF
chivalric devotion between the fair
lady and her knight.
And we fail to grasp this power to
help each other when we lower any
of the closer intimacies of life by let
ting them descend to mutual neglect
Of anything that beauties and uplifts
friendship and kinship The whole in
fiuence of household is based on
this demand of love that each shall
be an incentive to the other to do his
or her best for themselves and for
the general good. There are homes
now in my mind that are constant
means of drawing out the best quail
ties of every one affiliated with the in
innate daily life of the family. Less
than mutual respect or consideration,
or any coarseness of thought or
speech; any lack of Difference to age
or tenderness to childhood; any fail
ure of reverence to God or truth, de-
bars intimacy. There is a silent but
imperative demand on each member
of the household. on every friend and
welcome guest that they shall give OF
their best and live at the highest mark
of their attainment.
Especially are we too soon content
for our children. We are so smiling
ly enchanted with their grace or
strength-their beauty or their ath-
letic victories-so complacent and
gratified when we hear what a charm
ing, high-bred girl our daughter is
accounted, or what a favorite our son
is at his university The thought OF
what Is latent In either young heart
for the expansion of its power to up
lift itself or bless mankind, Is slow
to move in our satisfied and loving
minds. What they chiefly want in
life is some one to make them do what
they can"
"Never hath a soul been known
To reap a harvest never sown."
Not by lovely looks and fascinating
charm of manner, nor yet by pleasant
ways at home and the charm or amia-
bility, is young girls nature expand
ed to the noble preparation for good
wife and an inspiring motherhood. All
these fair qualifications are but as the
delicate draperies with which she adds
to her maidenly lovliness; she Is in
deed to be accounted poor who has
had no one to arouse in her a thirst
for something higher and better than
external attraction and negative good
ness.
The son who goes out of his fathers
house with no better equipment than
q well-deserved diploma and the repu.
tation of college favorite, may and
probably will pass pleasantly through
a few years Of a young mans pleasant
life, and pass into the treadmill work
of some ordinary avocation, without
anything especially to be regretted in
his career But when he passes out
OF the arena of life's struggle. no one
will mark his exit-the world will be
no poorer for his going. Things that
he could have done have long ago
passed out of his reach from want OF
the knowledge of the power that was
in him. Neither desire to achieve nor
understanding of what he could do,
have ever been awakened in him.
Content, more than content-satisfied
his parents have been his warmest
admirers and never raised doubt I'M
his mind that he had fulfilled an ideal
of manhood.
remember the disappointed expres7
sion upon a lads face, when, coming
out of an applauding audience of
friends and school fellows, he showed
his gold medal to one of his masters
who loved him. "All very beautiful