The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-08-09
A HAPPY HOME
BIZ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

BY Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Just what is happy home?
This question. il seems to me. can
be answered in one sentence: 1t is
home governed by unselfish love.
There is only one sin in the world
and that is selfishness.
Eliminate that from the human
ieart and the earth would be an
Eden.
Eliminate it from the home and the
home is a miniature heaven.
A man thinks he loves his wife and
children because he works hard for
their support. But if he constantly
reminds them of the expense they are
to him and seems to begrudge every
dollar paid to maintain the house.
h. .spoils the happiness of that home
by selfish thoughtlessness.
Thoughtlessness and selfisbness are
twins. Forgetfulness is the offspring
of sclfishness. The father apd mother
who forget that they were ever young
and who expect tfeir children to set
tie down to the habits of middle age
in their teens, ruin the home as 4
place of happiness for the family.
1t is as impossible for the expand
ing nature of youth to be satisfied
with uneventful days as for steam to
remain peaceful in 4 closed vessel. 1t
must escape somehow, some way. If
not by natural cgress. then it produ-
oes an explosion. 1t was the incon-
siderate parent who caused rope lad
Gers to be invented.
Children are not consulted before
being brought into life. Something Is
duc them afterward to make up for
the discourtesy.
Yet. for their own sakcs. much
should be expected of them also. In
the most ideal homes have ever seen
the children were maids of honor and
pages, always ready to wait upon
King Father and Queen Mother.
have observed that such children love
and respect their parents far more
than those who are waited upon By
their elders.
Nothing is more ruinous to a child $
happiness in life than to allow it to
rule at home. 1t finds neither friend
nor comrade. wife nor husband. ready
to give it the same sort of servitudc,
and is consequently wrctchcd.
A happy home does not result from
large income. 4 large amount of
love. plenty Of good sense. and a very
little money. will make Il happy
household.
In the home where the husband be
Genes simply the father and thinks
OF his wife only as the mother of his
children and OF secondary consider
alton, happiness does not dwell.
However dear her children may b,
/, her, no woman is satisfied to hav,
her personality lost in them, and (,
he ignored save as a mother.
Children seem to be q natural AM
necessary part of every home. ant
yet some of the happiest homes
know are those which consist of onl
two people. and where these two ar
one in their mutual regard for othc
pCOples's welfare
Children ought to be bonds of uniO
between their parents. but they oftc
prove to be apples of discord instca
Of fruits of love.
I have seen the devoted husban
become neglectful. and | have see
tie neglectful husband grow devote
after the arrival of an heir to hi
rame. Yet | fear the first result
more frequently met with than tn
second.
A happy home whether it consist
o. two or twelve members. is on
where love presides at the board an
watches over the couchcs: where cac
person loves himself last and cor
, sidcrs the others first; where the i,
ritable word is restrained and the al
fectionate thought given utteranc,
end where each is glad in laborin
r for the others comfort and rclieyin
. the others cares.
A believe there are many of thcs
o homes in our beautiful world. and
rejoice in knowing a few such.