Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1908-02-07

A Sermon to Husbands.

We are not a minister, or even
the son of a minister, so pardon
us if we make a dismal failure in
our first attempt to preach a
sermon. You will find out text
in the bible. 1t is not necessary to
give the chapter and verse, but look
for it. In brief it is this: Spend
some of your evenings at home
with your wife and children. II
you have an amiable, gentle wife,
surely your home must be a pleasant
one, but if, from increasing cares
or other reasons, she has grown
fretful or sullen, who known but a
little more attention or kinness on
your part might do a great deal
towards the return of the amiability
you so much admired in her girl
hood. If you would stay at home
oftener evenings, treating her with
something of the old tenderness,
making her believe, at least that
you are not wholly Indifferent to
her happiness, you would soon see a
change for the better in your house
hold.
She has not forgotten the time, If
you have, mot very long ago, per-
haps) when her society was all you
asked for to make the long evenings
pass delightfully."- away. Loving
you as she did, she would have gone
on through life in the same quiet
way, contented and happy. But,
alas, you soon grew tired of the
same room evenings after evening"
the same easy chair, and the saddest
of all, weary of the society of your
wife--impatient of the restraints
of home, longing for change. So
you spend your evenings away,
meeting many gay, companionable
fellows, who entertain you with
wit, song and wine, and you fancy
yourself delighted and charmed.
Perhaps there are moments of refec-
tion, when conscience seems whis-
pering to you of the pure, holy
influences of home which you have
so recklessly and unfeelingly cast
away from you. Your lonely wife
sits by the freside, watching and
waiting for your return through
hours that drag slowly along, lis
tening eagerly to every football,
starting at every sound, fearing,
she knows not what, yet conscious
always of the weary heartache that
seems wearing her life away.
Evening after evening she
watches your preparations for de-
parture, hoping, meanwhile, you
will relent and stay. at home with
her. But you hastily don your
coat and hat, turning your back
resoIutely towards her, fearing to
encounter that gaze of wistful en-
treaty, for you know she is watch
ing you, with tears silently rolling
down her pale cheeks. You know
it, still you do not think best to
notice it, for you dislike a scene.
Tears annoy you exceedingly, so
you close the door, perhops with a
bang, trying hard to feel very in
dignant towards her for daring to
weep, even behind your back. So
the lonely wife brushes away the
falling tears, and sits down with
bitterness in her heart, to compare
the last years of her married life to.
those first ones, made so bright and
happy by her husbands love and
presence. Sometimes softer feel
ings fill her heart, and she dreams
of that dear old home she left for
this one-the home that sheltered
her childhood and youth land as she
thinks of her beloved parents, her
brothers and sister the light, the
warmth and love in the old home
stead. no wonder she bows her head
and weeps by her lonely fireside,
like a grieved, homesick child. OF
course no husbands in this COM
munity act in this manner; If
they did we would suggest that
their wives read to them this
sermon as so near the beginning OF
a new year is a good time to begin