The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-08-10
MAKING OR MARRING HOME.

birthday party" ono, Tom, you
can't take. the boys up to your
room. can't have the floors
tracked up" ono, children, you
can't have a candy pull" "No,
no, no! How many times must
| say no?"
1t would be hard to keep count
for such mother. Mother al
ways says mo. What's the use
of asking herr" say her boys and
girls. After while they do not
ask her, observes the Sacred
Heart Review.
AS soon as they are old enough,
they go out for their pleasures.
Mother never allowed them to
bring friends home, so they have
no social circle to welcome them.
But there are lots of public places
where one can have a good time,
Alice discovers. Among these
places is the public dance hall,
possibly. If Alice loves dancing
she may drift to where she can
dance all she likes-at the risk
Of harm to body and soul. Tom
never could ask the neighbours
boys in for a frolic, land you
can't always go to other fellows
houses and never pay back" So
.grown-up Tom depends on the
public places of entertainment
the poolroom, the movies and the
saloon. A day comes when moth
er has her spotless house all to her
self. 1t was too neat for the chill
dren's comfort. The furniture
is as good as when it was bought,
but the children have paid a heavy
price for it's excellent condition.
"Mother kept house just for the
furniture" Margaret complains.
1--WE never had the use Of it. :"
A New England writer describ-
ed the woes of a Woodworking
man, whose wife went before him
streWing papers for him to walk
upon when he came from work.
The children were trained to
jump from paper to paper, lest
their little footprints might in
iure the white boards. They
jumped clear of their cherries
home when they came of age and
mother. never could understand
why home had no hold on them.
And she never will understand
for women of that type are hope
less problems.
A good wife and mother needs
to be a good deal more than an
automatic housecleaner. She must
know how to make a home which
to husband and children is the
dearest place on earth-a place
of love, mutual service and sacri-
flee, and a common interest in ev-
erything going on in the family
circle.
The Rev. Reynold Kuehnel, in
his Conferences III the HOmiletic
Monthly, gives an excellent bit Of
advice to parents which we gladly
pass along.
"Be with your children, and Of
them, right on their own level, !"
he urges. "Do not fear for a mo-
ment that in this manner you will
lose any Of your parental author
ity or love or reverence. You will
only add to it. Your children
will love you all the more for it.
We have only to look at our rela-
tionship with God to understand
this. Our obedience towards God
is far more praiseworthy and re-
munerative il we obey God out Of
love than if we obey for fear of
punishment. Stay young with
your children, and for your chill
dren, and enter into the very spir-
it OF their pastimes. This will not
only add to the happiness Of your
children, who want to see you
young, but it will Increase your
own usefulness and add several
years to your life. There is plen-
ty OF time to grow old; therefore,
stay young as long as you can.
And nothing will help you as
much to remain young at heart
and IN spirit than when you enter
into the pleasures and games of
your children Recall the days
when your child was three years
old and you played hide and seek
with him or her. How happy both
OF you felt, and how the child low
ed you for it, and would do any
thing you asked for. It is much
| the same when children grow up
and you have remained their chum
all along. They will then be more
likely to follow your command
and counsel than if you would
choose to rule by severity"