The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-11-08
(BY WILLIAM T. ELLIs.)

(BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.)
Movements and societies and cam
paigns. all aiming at social welfare, fill
the air with their clamor. Earnest
men and women are being worn out in
the endeavor to keep abreast of all the
new measures for human betterment.
Fads and fancies. both fine and foolish,
are offered as remedies for the days
ills. Reforms Of assorted kinds are SO
popular that one scarcely dares lift his
voice to cry that we need to abolish q
few hundred of our strenuous organtza-
tons and committees. and just quietly
go home to our families. Most persons
with a social passion are spreading out
too thin, and their intensity defeats it.
self. They need to return to the old
fashioned ways of shaping public life
ard opinion. Private character and
public influences are both promoted by
a vigorous home life. If everybody who
feels a concern for the state of society
would earnestly turn his attention to
making one home happier. holier and
which are possible in no other way.
The oldest of human institutions. the
home, still remains the most powerful.
To establish the home in it's most per-
feet form is to rear the mightiest cita-
del of patriotism and piety. Back to
twentieth century
Housekeeping hearts are happiest.
|-Longfellow.
The bill-boards of New York last
winter bore flaming placards of a
play, 1.-The Never Homes" Many
persons commented upon 1t as an
apt description of the life of many
modern city jewellers. One successful
New York physician declared recent
ly that, despite his large practice, he
could not call at the homes of more
than six of the families he knew in
any reasonable expectation of find
ing them at home. The New Yorker
Of today goes out to dine, goes out
to play. and goes out for social in
tercourse. Al. of which means, when
bluntly put. that some sections of So
ciety are abandoning the home-for-
saking the deepest and sweetest
spring of life, of happiness, Of cul-
ture and Of social service.
Christian homes are more useful
than Christian rescue missions. 1t
is better to build fences than to re-
pair wrecks.
The flavor of home life is surely
sweetest when it is permeated with
religion. At the family altar spirit
"A
is the strongest of all home ties. The
family that are one in Christ come
nearest to realizing the highest hap
piness ever vouchsafed to mortals.
There can be no adequate substitute
NOT the Sunday school or the
church-for religion in the home.
That Is the influence which strikes
deepest into the characters Of chill
dren and fits them for the RESPONSE
bilities Of citizenship. When mother
and father share with the boys and
girls the great verities Of the spirit,
and when the spaciousness and re-
hnement and love of Christ dominate
the table-talk. the family pleasures
and reading and the daily chores,
then the most that is possible for
parents to do for children has been
done for their training and happf-
ness.
Many young women are enamored
OF vague ideas of "a career who
ought to come straight to their senses
and get married, settling down to that
largest and most useful work in the
world, the making of a Christian
home.
Both state and church are better
served by the making Of homes than
by the making of speeches.
Some homes do not know how to
play. There are never any games
about the evening lamp. The science
OF fun-making is as unknown as the
paack arts OF ancient Mesopotamia.