Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-03-03
CHAPTER Y.

7 y I'r- t'iar # tn,' second empire. i'll
one of our rl,.~ant"st SiIhlrriec-
lures Of the Provinces a little way
L from some baths frcqUcnted by
tie emperor, there was n mayor. a very
worthy man and intelligent, too. whose
head was suddenly turned by the
thought that his sovereign might one
day descend upon lis home. Up TO this
time lie had lived In TIE house of his
fathers. Il son respectful OF the slight
est family traditions. But when once
the all absorbing idea of receiving the
emperor had taken possession Of his
brain he became another man. In this
new light what had before seemed suf-
ficIent for his needs. even enjoyable.
all this simplicity that his ancestors
had loved, appeared poor. ugly, ridicu-
lous. Out Of the question to ask an en-
peror to climb this wooden staircase.
sit in these old armchairS. walk over
such superannuated carpets. SO the
mayor called architect and masOns:
rickayes attacked walls and demolish-
Cd partitions. and a drawing room was
made out Of all proportion to the rest
Of the house in size and splendor. He
and his family retired into close quar-
tiers, where people and furniture in
commoded each other generally. Then.
having emptied his purse and upset his
household by this stroke Of genius, he
awaited the royal guest. Alas, he soon
saw the end Of the empire arrive. but
the emperor never.
The fully of this poor man Is not 80
rarc AS mad as he are all those who
sacrifice their home life to the de-
mands of the world. And the danger
n such sacrifice is most menacing in
times OF unrest. Our contemporaries
are constantly exposed to it and con-
stantly succumbing. How many fami-
" treasures have they literally thrown
away to satisfy worldly ambitions and
conventions, but the happiness upon
which they thought to come through
these impious immolations always
e.udes them.
To give up the ancestral hearth, to
vt the family traditions fall into des-
retude, to abandon the simple domes-
tic customs, for whatever return Is to
make fools bargain, and such Is the
place In society Of family life that II
this be impoverished the trouble Is felt
throughout the whole social organism
TO enjoy a normal development this
organism has need Of we'll tried indl-
viduals, each having his own value, his
own hall mark. Otherwise society be-
comes flock, and sometimes a flock
without shepherd. But whence does
the individual draw his originality,
this unique something which, Joined to
the distinctive qualities of others, con-
stitutes the wealth and strength Of a
community? He can draw it only
from his own family. Destroy the as
semblage Of memories and practices
whence emanates for each home an
atmosphere In miniature, and you dry
up the sources Of character, sap the
strength Of public spirit.
1t concerns the country that each
home be a world, profound. respected,
communicating to its members an in
effaceable moral imprint. But before
pursuing the subject further let US rid
ourselves Of Misunderstanding. Fam
lily feeling, like all beautiful things, has
Its caricature, which Is family egoism.
Some families are like barred and bolt
ed citadels, their members organized
for the exploitation Of the whole world.
Everything that does not directly con-
Germ them Is Indifferent to them. They
live ike cOlOnists-I 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 So
cieties formed from time to time
through the ages which possess them
selves OF universal rule and for which
no one outside their own community
counts. This is the spirit that has
sometimes made the family seem q re-
treat Of egoism which 1t was neces-
sary to 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 clannishness.
Here we are talking Of right family
feeling, and nothing else in the world
can take its place, for in it lie in germ
all those fine and simple virtues which
assure the strength and duration of
social institutions. And the very base
Of family feeling is respect for the
past, for the best possessions Of a
family are its common memories An
intangible, 1ndivisible and inalienable
capital, these souvenirs constitute q
sacred fund that each member Of a
family ought to consider more pre-
cious than anything else he possesses.
They exist in a dual form, in idea and
In fact. They show themselves in Ian
guage, habits Of thought, sentiments,
even instincts, and one sees them ma
terialized in portraits, furniture. build
1ngs, dress, songs. To profane eyes
they are nothing; to the eyes Of those
who know how to appreciate the things
of the family they are relics with
which one should not part at any price,
But what generally happens in our
day? Worldliness wars upon the SEN
timent Of family, and I know Of no
strife more impassioned. By great
means and small, by all sorts Of new
customs, requirements and preten-
sions, the spirit Of the world breaks
into the domestic sanctuary. What are
this strangers rights, its titles? Upon
what does it rest its peremptory
claims? This is what people too often
neglect to inquire. They make a mis-
take. We treat the invader as very
poor and simple people do a pompous
visitor. For this incommoding guest
Of day they pillage their garden.
bully their children and servants and
neglect their work. Such conduct is
not only wrong: it is impolitic. One
should have the courage to remain
what he is In the face Of all corners.
The worldly spirit is full of imperti-
nences. Here is a home witch has
formed characters Of mark and is FORM
Ing them yet. The people, the furnish
1ngs, the customs are all in harmony
By marriage or through relations Of
business or pleasure the worldly spirit
enters. 1t finds everything out Of
date. awkward. too simple, lacking the
modern touch. At first 1t restricts it.
self to criticism and light raillery. But
this is the dangerous moment. Look