The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1911-01-13

L he real business OF lie is the making
of happy home. When you come to
slft the whole chaff of existence, every
thing goes to the wind but the happiness
we have had at home.
All about us are beautiful homes which
are mere pauper houses, so far as hap
pineSS is concerned because of some
one member OF the family who is petty
tyrant, nagger, and peace disturber.
In hours Of exuberance and exultation
or joyous merriment; in refle, tive mo-
ments when the soul is swept with men,
cries, pleasing or plainfive; in the silence
of religious meditations; or in our own
little receSses from the homely duties and
common place labors of the day, or
week, they befriend us with their de-
lightful solace, these thoughts of home
and happy family circle.
There are six secular nights in each
week. Out of the SIX some men spend
one at home and five at the lodge. while
Others spend five at home and one at the
lodge. In which class shall we register
your name?
We are fast coming to understand that
all of the prayers and baptlsms and COM
munions which the church can bestow
upon us will not make us christians, so
long as we thiuk mean, uncharitabIe
thoughts of one another and permit our
minds to be filled with malice, envy
jealousy, gloom and dependency.
Work is moral and physical uplifter,
it is a panaCea for sorrow. ldleness
brings moral decay and furnishes an
incentive TO crime. The avalanche Of
crime that Is sweeping over our beautiful
land is largely due to the fact that too
many would rather steal than work.
The life of duty, not the life of mere
ease or mere pleasure. is the end of
life which makes the great men and
women The best prize that life offers
is the chance to work at work worth
doing.
A word of encouragement at the right
time is of more real worth than an
ounce of gold 1t is more nourishing
to the soul than meat and drink is to the
hungry. 1t is better stimulant than the
richest wine, and the strongest lever to
lift any one from the ruts Of dependency
and despair. Many poor, overworked
wife is pining for a word of sympathy
from her husband. Just one word, one
look, to show that the toll of weary
hours was appreciated, and the light re-
flected would more than recompense the
giver
We have often wondered why mothers
memory and hands must serve for a
dozen persons. Would it not be better
for all concerned if mothers kindness
contained more of self assertion and less
Of self sacrifice? Would not, at times,
papa feel less disturbed, nay, wrathfully
if he were compelled to keep his own
papers in order. and perform the twenty
other trivial things that he has time to
do in his leisure moments, but which he
expects of some one else? Would it not
be better for sister to teach baby-Who
is old enough-to button his own shoes,
than to do it for him each morning as
duty?
x
, Don't wake your boys and girls up in
the mornings with Hurry up and get
up and come on; feed the horses and milk
the cows, for we have got lot of work
to do and it is getting late, so hurry up,
or we will never get through Is that very
pleasant to hear the first thing in the
morning? Don't hurry SO much, but
take time to live and to see a pretty
flower or listen to the happy notes of a
little bird; enjoy all these beauties of
nature as you go along through life.
Are you surprised that your boys and
girls begin to show dissatisfaction with
their homes and long tor city life, when
at home it is too much hurry, hurry all
the tme-hurry and do your work? Yes,
it grows manotonous, and they see that
each day brings them no nearer to the
goal than the day before, so they lose
interest and grow to hate these daily
duties that are all hurry and work.
MN
If the motto keep sweet" was lived
up to in the new year would not our own
little world of home be the better for 1t?
Even if its influence reached no further
would it not be worth the while? To
keep sweet" one must possess a
happy Inconsistencies OF self and en-
thusiasm about the little things that fill
the hours of every day and an absence
of malice and envy. One must have a
bright outlook on life and courageous
heart. Such an outlook and such a
heart are invaluable to the housewife.
They cheer herself and those under her
influence. THE hand that moves the
world" surely should pulse with
high courage that comes from brave,
true heart.
This column is published weekly in
the hope that it may awaken on the part
of the husband and child deeper appre-
citation of her who is the central figure
of home; that it may strengthen the
family bonds, making them more beau
tiful and tender; that it may encourage
charity and breathe hope for the future,
where language is music and love is law.
We trust this department may to the
young brighten and deepen the pleasures
and memories of home, while to the
advanced in years something may be
said that will bring to view the reflected
radiance of a golden dawning We
should be pleased to occasionally hear
from our readers who appreciate this de.
partment 1t does no harm to drop WORD
even in the pathway of an editor whose
road seems ever to lead among thorns
How much happier we would all be
if we would attempt to build instead 0
tearing down; how much sweeter on
lives would be, if we would encourage
by kind words, those of our fellowmei