Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-06-19
By BISHOP W. A. GAMBLER.


In a book of plain common sense 1
read the other day this passage:
I'VE should be just as sunny inside
our own doors as on the street. Courte-
sy that changes to rudeness when we
cross our own threshold is no courtesy
Love that hearth all things, endureth
all things, and seeketh not it's own must
not turn to petulance and selfshness at
home. We should appear always at our
pest among those We love the best
We ought to bring the sweetest things
OF our hearts into our homes"
Perhaps no one reading this passage
would dissent from it's teachings but
multitudes will depart in conduct from
the truth which 1t contains. Both men
and women dress for the public with
care, but appear in their homes in the
most slovenly attire. This matter of
dressing can be explained and excused
by the fact that there are homely duties
to be discharged and raiment suitable
to the tasks must be worn betimes. But
there can be no just excuse for appear
ing to the outside world mentally and
morally clad in smiles and courtesy
which we throw off Immediately we en-
ter into the privacy of the home, and
the associations of the family. To cast
aside when entering the home the amia-
bility which we maintain before Stran-
gers is manifest hypocrisy. Such anna
bility is obviously manufactured for the
market place, and does not spring out
of true and noble heart.
The mania for publicity. which has
been called publicomania is one of the
prevalent and pernicious vices of our
time. Both men and women crave pub
lie life and public applause. And the
home suffers by this evil ailment. The
home is forsaken for hours and days.
and its sacred duties neglected in order
that they who should devote themselves
to the holy obligations of the family
circle may run abroad on all sorts of
errands of spurious charity and pseudo
philanthropy. Children are left with
out parental oversight and instruction
in order that their mothers may go
forth to serve associations for the neg
lected children in our own and other
lands. Somebody ought to organize
plans of relief for the children thus
abandoned by their mothers in well-to-
do homes.
This excessive enthusiasm for work
outside the home explains a great deal
of petulance in the home Homely du-
ties become monotonous and distasteful
to one constantly living and outside
excitement and sensations And thus
when a mother who has spent the day
in sensational amusements, or in pseu-
-philanthropic engagements which
are really of the nature of a diversion,
returns to her home at nightfall, she is
impatient with servants and children,
and has no heart for the most sacred
duties which God has imposed upon her.
She cannot endure giving attention to
those domestic details which promote
both the peace and piety of the family
circle.
In like manner the father of a family
may lose interest in the things of his
home while he pours out with prodigal
hand on public concerns the energies
and activities of his nature. He may
fancy he is a public servant, but in
truth he is slave, who has been ar
rested and carried from his home cir
Gle as truly as any convict Is carried
to the public works under the eye of
a convict-boss. Such a man is simply
allowed to sleep at home at night He
wears no ball and chain TO mark his
bondage, but he is none the less the
prisoner of the public.
BY the neglect of home, society is
constantly turning out results which
require more and more machinery for
their correction. Neglected children in
the home sooner or later become out
cast children in the street mlpatience
and petulance in the home bring con-
jugal alterations and those wretched
domestic conditions which come at
length to public notice in the divorce
courts When results of this kind come
to pass, society proceeds to develop an
agitation and to organize societies to
reform the unfortunate conditions. But
society would do better if it pursued
lines Of life that would prevent such
conditions ever arising. If men and
women stayed more at home and gave
more attentions to the sacred oblIga-
tions of their homes. there would be
fewer public evils needing correction