El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-10-05

whether it be a mansion or a hut. that
has never borne upon its window panes
and walls the finger prints and mark
ings OF innocent childhood, has never
been. home in the true sense and mean
ing of the term. There is no work
that is more conducive to the parental
happiness than the work of caring for
children and watching the development
of child life; and childless husbands
and wives of health and means, are
rObbing themselves of much of the
happiness that might be theirs is only
they undertook the work of caring for
a single orphan child.
Homes Rise and FAN.
Still that is not all that is neces-
sary to constitute home" according to
the divine plan. Homes. like Kingdoms
and republics, rise and fall. They
spring up and for time they live and
flourish, welding. it may be. a mighty
influence in the community, but by and
by the children have all grown to
manhood or WOmanhOOd. and one by
homes of their own until father and
mother are left all alone o. how sad
and lonely must life in the old home
stead seem to them now, and we Won
der why they. too. do not leave it. but
there is reason.
1t is true that we. who have never
had the experience. cannot understand
it fully; but I fancy that to them there
is a certain sacredness about the place
that makes them slow to leave It. Ev-
cry room. perhaps. has become aSso-
connected with the family life; every
finger print, every nail driven in the
wall. every chair and book and bed
speaks to them of bygone days and
, bids them cling to the old home But
by and by the death angel steals into
their home and one Of them is smitten
down; the Wreckage is now complete.
another kingdom has been destroyed
and the remaining member must find
refuge in other homes. and God has
ordained that these fragments Of ruined
homes rightly belong TO ours Sod
pity the son or daughter who can find
no room in their home for father or
mother, when once the cruel hand OF
time has wrecked their home and cast
them out upon the cold charity OF the
world
Home. then. according to the divine
( plan, is a special dwelling place, where
father and mother brothers and sis
! tiers and helpless dependents meet
around a common hearthstOne and
I share with each other the joys and
/ sorrows of life.
/ Responsibility of the Father.
! I have sDoken of the father as the
I head of the home; the pilot. as it
were, upon whose shoulders rest the
I burden OF responsibility. and o. was
/ ever a sea pilot entrusted with greater
/ resp OnsibIity than the father who
/ stands at the head Of the home craft2
If there are rocks and shoals in the
! ing on the part of the pilot in order
/ to avoid disaster to his craft; how much
l more skill is required in him who
I stands at the head of the home craft
Z in order 10 avoid the myriad rocks and
( shoals with which the great sea OF
/ life is infested And If il is a point
/ of wisdom that the sea pilot should ac-
quaint himself with and heed the in
! structiOns contained in the ocean chart
which has been handed down TO him
/ from successful mariners. il is Ger
/ tainly a matter of even more import
ance that the father. standing at the
| helm OF the home craft. should acquaine
himself with and heed the instructions
/ handed down to him from Jesus Christ.
4 the only mariner who has sailed life 8
: ocean without mishap.