The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-07-09
WOULD YOU BANISH
HOME SWEET HOME?
Exaggerations and Reckless Talk Of 'Home
Dudgeries" in Certain Quarters, En-
dangers the Home, and Sweet Home Life
Of the Future "A Direct Libel.

udngeIS tne h0Me, dnu SWeel nome Lie
Of the Future "A Direct Libel.
THE FALLACY OFT ALL
The wave of reaction and distort-
ed lndividualism seems about to have
reached its height. A crowd of in
sane ideas have been let loose on
the world. Sober minds are bewil-
dered, and hardly know where to
look for stable foothold. 1t is like
a great spring thaw after unwonted
accumulations of snow and ice.
Many profane words are spoken
from the press and by word of
mouth, not because they directly as
sail God and high heaven, but be-
cause they strike with virulence at
the institutions held most sacred and
secure, of the moral and social life.
The rage for tearing up by the
roots. overturning, and destroying,
has gone on with kind of wild glee,
as children laugh and shout in ruin
ing fine books or precious objects.
We have been told to prove all
things and to hold fast that which is
good, but the age is too impatient to
prove the worth of things it would
overturn by the use of smart aphor-
isms, and startling. if not shocking,
attacks. What is there sacred about
the word "home," that what it
stands for should be honored and
respected, when, for certain class
of people, it is place to get away
from as speedily as possible? What
does it imply for many women but
drudgery, hard aud constant work,
wearing care. and anxiety. and little
pleasure; what to people unequally
yoked but life of discomfort and
miserable restraint?
Many Varieties
There are all varieties of homes,
and the poorest are deplorable
enough; but, poor as they are, they
have not destroyed the ideal that
has been a guiding star to humanity
since civilization began. From sew
eral directions the home is being as
sailed and derided. The homekeep-
er is called narrow minded, slow
witted, undeveloped being, who has
abrogated her rights, or has never
known them, and has settled into q
domestic animal of tame and unin-
teresting qualities. The children,
we hear, would be better nurtured
and cared for in well conducted in
stitutions, free from parental mis-
management. Home cooking, we
are told, is very bad. The poorest
hotel can furnish viands more pala-
table than the domestic table. All
this chatter and nonsense is direct
libel on thousands of happy homes,
where true union exists between
husband and wife, and the children
are nurtured and trained in the only
place where the best in them can be
developed. The critics of the home
are probably those who have suffer-
ed disillusion and disgust because
they have never known how to Sc
cure the blessing of good home for
themselves; who are, in fact, failures
in the finest of fine arts, and conse-
quently turn to derision what they
cannot attain.
According to these wise and in
spired prophets, the time is coming
when machinery will take the place
of all domestic hand-labor, meals
will be provided, the house will be
cleaned and garnished without the
oversight of the mistress. who will
be free to spend her life abroad. ag-
itating causes. originating new re-
forms, or uttering philippics against
all things old and venerated. The
social picture thus presented is of a
nature to make the old and feeble
thankful that life mainly lies behind
them, instead of on the forward
track. A homeless world, with an
entire female population gathered
in conventicles, and readjustlng the
oretically all the conditions of life,
is enough to strike terror to the soul.
Unlimited License
In those days the loved song,
Home, Sweet Home," would be
banished from the domestic circle
and more or less pernicious on the
,niu6a of the vOunr who coo IN ouoh