The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-12-25
THE WORLD AND THE LIFE OF
THE HOME

49, " CiNiID AND The LIFE OF
THE HOME.
~ the time of the Second Empire. in
one Of our pleasantest sub pre-
fecteries of the provinces, a little
way from some baths frequented by
the emperor, there was a mayor. a very
worthy man and intelligent too. whose
head was suddenly turned by the
thought that his sovereign might one
day descend upon his home I'D TO this
time he had lived i'm the house OF his
fathers. son respectful Of the
slightest family traditions. But when
once the all-absorbing idea of re-
Ceiving the emperor had taken posses
sion of his brain he became another
man. In this light, what had before
seemed sufficient for his needs. even
enjoyable, all this simplicity that his
ancestors had loved, appeared poor,
ugly, ridiculous Out of the question
IL ask an emperor to climb this wooden
staircase, sit in these old armchairs,
walk over such superannuated car
pets. SO the mayor called architect
and masons; pickaXes attacked walls
and demolished partitions. and draw
ing room was made, out of all proper
ton 20 the rest of the house i'm size
and splendOr. He and his family re-
tired into close quarters where people
and furniture inCOmmOded each other
generally. Then, having emptied his
purse and upset his household by thk
stroke Of genius. he awaited the royal
guest. Alas, he soon saw the end of
the empire arrive, but the emperor
never.
The folly Of this poor man is not so
rare As mad as he are all those who
sacrifice their home life to the demands
of the world. And the danger in such
a sacrifice is most menacing in times
of unrest. Our contemporaries are con-
stantly exposed to it. and constantly
sUccumbing. How many family treas
ures have they literally thrown away
To satisfy worldly ambitions and con-
ventiOns; but the happiness upon which
they thought TO come through these
1mpiOuS immOlations always eludes
them.
To give up the ancestral hearth. to
let the family traditions fall into
desuetude, to abandon the simple do
nestle customs. for whatever return. is
10 make FOOLS bargain: and such is
the place i'm society of family life. that
n this be impoverished, the trouble is
felt throughout the whole social organ
ism. To enjoy a normal DEVELOPMENT
this organism has need of well-tried
individuals, each having his own
value. his own hallmark. Otherwise
society becomes a flock. and sometimes
a flock without a shepherd. But whence
does the individual draw his originality
this unique something. which, joined
10 the distinctive qualities of others.
constitutes the wealth and strength of
community? He can draw it only
from his own family. Destroy the as
semblage Of memories and practices
whence emanates for each home an at
moSphere in miniature, and you dry up
the sources of character. sap the
strength of public spirit.
II concerns the country that each
home be world. profound. respected.
communicating 10 its members an in
effaceable moral imprint. But before
pursuing the subject further. let us
rid ourselves of a misunderstanding
Family feeling, like all beautiful things.
has its caricature. which is family
egoiSm. Some families are like barred
and bolted citadels. their members
organized for the exploitation of the
whole world. Everything that does not
directly concern them is Indifferent to
them. They live like colOnists. / had
almost said intruders, In the society
around them. Their partiCularism is
pushed to such an excess that they
make enemies of the whole human
race. In their small way they resemble
those powerful societies, formed from
time to time through the ages. which
possess themselves of universal rule
and for which no one outside their own
community counts. This is the spirit
that has sometimes made the family
seem a retreat of egOism which il was
necessary 10 destroy for the public
safety. But as patriotism and jingoism
are as far apart as the east from the
west. so are family feeling and clan
niShneSS.