The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1906-07-07

Whose Family Goes Away.
BY MARGARET E. SANGSTER.
Copyright, 1906, by Joseph B. Bowles)
A cat in strange garnet, a dog
that has lost it's owner, fish out of
water, each in turn symbolic the ex-
treme of discomfort and misery. Dis
content with ones environment is
Wretchedness.
Nobody who is intensely lonely can
be anything but forlorn, although he
may put brave face on the situation
and hide from the people he meets the
yearning he has for home companion
ship. Men often feel the pangs Of
inconsistencies and rebel against the
dullness of solitude when their neigh
bors suspect them of no tedium and
suppose them to be quite free and
easy in their independence. A mar
ried man whose wife and children
have gone away for summer holt
day, leaving him to hold the fort
alone, picking up meals at clubs or
restaurants, and sleeping in house
that echoes to the tread and has
ghosts prowling about in every shad-
owy corner, is much to be pitied.
Scores of such men go to business
every day during the heated terms in
our cities, and at night return to sleep
in houses as silent as the tomb. They
do not complain, they write jovial let
tiers to the absent ones, and they make
a pretense of engaging in such pas
times as are open to them, but the
summer wears on their nerves.
A boy or man away from home for
the first time, missing the familiar
chores at morning or evening, and the
mother brooding that has been so con-
slant and so sweet from childhood on,
finds a boarding house among entire
strangers as desolate as the desert.
What diversions are there for the
lonely man? What shall Adam do in
an Eden where there is no genial COM
rade to take him by the hand and
make him feel that he is of much ac-
count?
Eve, left to herself, finds plenty of
occupation for brain and fingers. She
may busy herself with delicate laun-
dry work not to be entrusted to the
rough handling Of servants. Stocks,
lace handkerchiefs, cuffs and collars
and the various etceteras of a fem
mime toilette, may be periodically
renovated in her own room, if she
have the needful apparatus. She has
stockings to darn, mending to do,
shirt -waictc tn to &o
embroidery to fill her leisure, and al
ways endless letters to write and
sometimes books to read. A woman
has the advantage over a man in
multitude of small resources, tri1ing
in themselves, but essentially worth
while in their results, and excellent as
things that pass away time that might
be empty and lonely.
Notwithstanding a general opinion
to the contrary, a man is more de-
pendent on the society of others and
on the friendship of his EQUALS than
is the average woman.
When man has fad or a hobby
or some knack at cabinet making or
upholstery, he is vastly better off than
his neighbor who understands only
the single round of the days work.
A fellow who plays musical instru-
ment, whether it be banjo, mandolin
or piano, can always while away soli-
tary evenings, but the man who is
most to be envied is the one who can
take an old, disreputable and broken
down bit of furniture, desk, table. a
sofa, and spend long and patient hours
on rubbing it down, polishing and re-
storing it, so that he serves a double
purpose; not only does he save the
enormous expense charged by the
trade for renovating antiques furni-
ture, but he makes his wife or sister
the envy of all her friends by the
marvels of his workmanship.
In plain little parsonage in tho
mountains, never mind where, there
are chairs and dressing tables that
anyone in the smart set might covet
evolved from the rubbish heap by the
deft hand and skillful labor of a mem.
Der of the family, who never finds
time hanging heavily or knows The
meaning of solitude, except in the
sense of privilege and benefit.
A naturalist, whatever his field is
master of moods and often considers
companionship superiuous. If one IS
devoted to the study of birds or but
terfiies or beetles, one need not dread
hermit life. Although ones home
be in crowded town, there are SUBJ
urbs within reach ano the man who
would amuse his leisure by any de-
partment of scientific Investigation
however humble, will not complain Of
loneliness.
Strange to say, although reading no
ones passion, it is apt to pail in .
house where one is the solitary occu-
pant. The fire on the hearth in win
ter may give cheer and take away the
sense OF absolute seclusion, and a pine
is good deal of company, but in
summer, with windows open and a
flreless hearth, even the pipe is a dis
appointing makeshift for familiar
household presence. One loves to
read if there are people moving abo,t
If somebody sits near with a hit of
needlework, or If In another room
there is the low-voiced talk OF young
people who are q world to themselves
or II in the nursery above there are
little rosy children fast asleep. But /
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