Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-23
Sunday Morning Talk
The Together Spirit In the Home


/, Homes differ less In their externals than
| in their animating and controlling spirit.
The brown-stone front and the wooden
| tenement present many apparent and real
contrasts, but they are not SO far apart as
! is that home where excessive individualism
prevails from that home ruled by the ito
gether idea The former might as well be
a boarding house q hotel, for the home
stands for unity of interests and aims for
subordination of personal whims to the
common welfare. II you want to have all
the individual liberty you can possibly have
in this world, better keep bachelor hail. but
IL you want the privileges and rewards Of
home life then you must be willing to &C.
cept the inevitable limitations and response
bilities involved in association with others.
The Parson received a call the other day
from friend who had just come back from
his vacation. He was much disturbed over
the behavior Of family whom he had
met at a mountain resort. Il never saw
such lack Of unity and cooperation. They
never came in to meals together, never
walked or drove together. 1t was each for
himself. They were far more chummy with
other folks than with one another. They
did not quarrel, but they let one another
severely alone" This was probably an ex-
IRENE case. but I have In mind families
one another, but who go their own ways,
one to his merchandise, another to her
household duties, another to his school.
each apparently absorbed in his or her own
pursuits, seldom comparing notes or Joining
In common occupations. Doubtless there Is
a family feeling, but 1t is altogether
latent.
Far pleasanter is it to contemplate the
other type of family where the social spirit
holds sway. The father, mother, children
and sometimes the grandparents do things
together. If one goes on visit, those who
stay at home want to hear about 1t. If one
reads a good book he takes pains to share
its contents. The brother Is not ashamed to
be seen on the street or at party with
his sister The success Of one member is
source of pride to the others. The failure
of one grieves all.
This together spirit in the home is fos-
tered by simple rites and ceremonies. Grace
before meat, the saying of a psalm at the
morning or evening meal, the Sunday song
and other procedures in which the family
appears as a unit, all feed this sense of
solidarity. The recurring birthdays, too,
offer a chance to express the mutual affec-
ton, while Thanksgiving and Christmas
cement still more strongly the family ties.
Another bond is common labor for some
worthy end. Said a father to me recently,
I'm trying to impress upon my wife and
children the fact that we have something
to do together besides eating and drinking
and having good time. So they are work
ing with me just now to lift the mortgage
on the house. The children instead Of
spending all their pennies save some and
when they go without certain things they
would like to have they do it more readily
because they know it helps the end we have
in view And why shouldn't family have
some good goal in sight? 1t may be only
the identifying Of the grounds or the mas
terry within the year OF the contents Of a
few wholesome books. But the fact that
the others are striving to do one definite
thing spurs even the youngest to do his
part And those families are happiest and
most united that are touched with the
spirit OF altruism and are finding an outlet
for their common interest and energy in the
need Of some other family or individual.
What fine thing 1t would be II every poor
family in the community was unobtrusively
watched over and helped by another family
in somewhat better circumstances!
Love Is the root Of this spirit in the home.
For love always means the giving of self.
After all, you may travel the world over
and not find any persons dearer or truer
than the people under your own home roof.
Stand by your relatives then through thick
and thin. Be proud OF the family lineage
and the family name. Pass on to those who
come after you the family honor unstained.
THE PARSON.