Norwich bulletin., 1916-06-24
Sunday Morning Talk
HoME FfREs RuRNlNe.

A new song, almost ecIipsing Upper
airy in popularity, is being sung in
British and French trenches. The
words of Keep the Home Fires Burn
ing" were written in about 10 minutes
by a young Englishman, Iyor Novelso.
A musician, Mrs. Lena GuiIbert Ford,
composed the music in a scarcely
longer time. so that half an hour suf-
feed for creating the entire lyric,
Inspiration defies the clock, how
ever. and today whole regiments are
singing the song with gusto; while
its words have been printed In six
different languages.
One can well imagaine that TO mill
lions of men living amid the mud and
yeru1in and carnage of the trenches
the sentiment makes peculiar appeal
Though it certainly is not from mid
pleasures and palaces that Tommy
and Jacques survey their own hearth
stones they are as certain as wax
John Howard Payne that there's no
place like home
It is not alone war and adversely
that bring the value of home into
thigh rel eff. War breaks up the home
but not war only. We are about as
liable to lose the essential part of the
institution in cras of peace and plenty
as in years of dearth. Because peo-
pie take to moving into larger and
costlier houses. it is not certain that
they are building better homes. Tap
estry,pl ate glass, and wide lawns are
only the trappings Of the real thing.
One can buy or sell a house, but not
home. since the latter is no material
thing at all. but an atmosphere,
spiritual force, If you please. A home
may exist quite independently Of the
grandeur or the poverty of it's sur
roundings. being as possible under the
Glood of a prairie schooner or in the
q birfe nf q harcro n
Avenue. Home is a spiritual estate
created by the love and sympathy and
sacrifice of people about us, a little
cross section Of heaven itself on this
mundane sphere.
1t is a mans duty no less than a
woman's to keep the home fires burn
ing. There are duties that he owes to
his own household that he owes to no
other institution under the sun. Here
alone in all the complex welter Of
human society. he is necessary and de-
sired. Hundreds of others could take
his place, on 10 minutes notice, in
business, politics or philanthropy. But
in his own home, he is guardian, pro-
tector and pillar. From this circle he
cannot be spared.
When a metropolitan newspaper
asked it's readers for a, definition of
home, one Of the answers sent IN was:
THE best place for a married man
after business hours" That writer
scored a bulps-eye. No club, or lodge
or billiard room, or any other evening
asseaAbly of masculine IoungerS, no
ehlNgh or charitable enterprise, even,
should usurp the attention a man owes
to his own home.
Men and women alike are called
to safeguard this institution as one
Of the foundation stones Of the Re-
public. sgThe nation rests on the cat
tage," declared the Englishman, John
Bright. Is that any less true OF Amer
lea? The glory Of orr civilization is
not In the luxurious apartment hotels
that spring up on the corners Of city
streets, but IN the uncounted multi
tudes of real homes scattere dbetWeen
the Atlantic and the Pacific.
God setteth the solitary in faEni-
les It is the divine ideal. thWart-
ed sometimes BY human misfortune or
perversfty, that we should be surround
ed by the love and protection Of
homes. Fail not. my brother. in APP
precia4ion OF this. castle Of true love-
this walled city Of every high and