The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-12-03
THE UNITED FAMILY.
BY MARGARET E. sANesTER.

refused to marry her betrothed be-
cause she would not desert her Wild
owed mother and her younger sisters.
Ten years slipped away as swiftly and
silently as snowfakes that fall in the
night. The. lover was patient, but
gradually the romance vanished and
he ceased TO regard with worship the
being whom he saw very often in an
urbecoming print gown, with d
Bingham apron, drudging, drudging.
growing faded and wan. with Creases
upon the forehead and Fuckers about
the eyes. By and BY a pretty younger
sister came home from school in the
lisSOme grace and beWitehing charm
of sweet and twenty; her eyes were
free from care, her cheek had the
bloom OF the peach, her hair was thick
brown, she was what Bertha had been
ten years ago. John promptly for
sock Bertha and fuuiveiy cOurted
Elsie, and one morning Elsie stepped
into his waiting buggy aud the two
went away and We're married, after
an engagement of a single day. Poor
Bertha, martyr and saint. grew old
and angular and after awhile, when
her mother was dead, took care Of
Eisie's children.
\ united family may make such
tragedy possible. Not because of the
family union. but because human ma
ture is much too ready to trample
down those of us who do not remern-
Der that we owe a duty TO ourselves as
we'll as 10 our kindred.
SO far as practicable every family
should stand for something in the
community. \ common aim is desir-
able because, as the old fable tells us,
while you may easily break each sep
aTate stick in q bundle, you can not
easily break the bundle itself.
\ family should stand together for
loyalty 10 whatever is best, Loyalty
10 virtue. 10 citizenship. TO honor. TO
the nag. should be iuculcated as a fam
lily trait. In our history there are
family names that shine from one
generation 10 another, With undimin-
ished iuster. The Quincys. the Adams,
the Hales, the Everetts, the Abbotts,
the Lees. the Grants, the ROosevelts.
carry on from one era to the next the
traditions of integrity. of altruism and
OF high ambition which have been
their distinguishing characteristics
from the first. our president is versa
tile. straightforward. manly and pub
Tic spirited, qualities which have des-
cended 10 him from father and grand
father, and which, let us hope. will be
bequeathed to his children after him.
In the commonplace daily life OF the
home the united family avoids bicker-
ing, fault-finding, envy, jealousy and
the malignant brood which follow in
their train. They do not talk about
one another TO outsiders. There is
quaint proverb 60 the effect that soiled
linen is best washed at home.
No family with the slightest claim
TO decency airs its grievances before
the world, OF goes about retailing the
inhrmities or the sins of those who
bear its name. If the family be large.
there IS every reason. TO expect that
somebody in it may fan short of the
family standard. There is all the
more reason. this being the case. TO
throw the mantle OF charity over the
unfortunate and to keep silent about
what can not be helped. Family pride
IS often carried 10 excess and il may
make US a laughing stock TO our
neighbors particularly if the family
honors are an in the past. and the
present does nothing 10 justify il.
certain family In the south lived
contentedly on the community, accept
ing gifts of food and clothing which
were always delicately rendered. and
refusing 10 do a stroke OF work, be-
cause OF its blue blood. The blue