Morris tribune., 1921-09-30
Homes-Past and Present.


the eventde and think of Home Ah to be sure you
remember Home. Home! What word it is! What
holy memories the very word strs in hearts! How
it grows fragrant with olden love- and beautiful with
the tenderness Mothers face We speak it softly and
reverenty and remember how once the hohocks bloom
ed in the garden the old house. and how Grand
mothers face waited for with welcome at the old
fashioned gate! Home! 1t is the sweetest of all words
knew it in the olden days!
But is Home still the sweetest of all words? Does
question you? Let be honest and face the
facts Is the word Home today as beautiful as it was
quarter century ago? Does it still stir in the hearts
younger generation the dreams that it stirred in
ours? Does still bring to the young and women
thought the family together in glad reunion the
glory of the hour when family prayer was held the
of holiness which surrounds that which means worship
and alteration?
God forbid that I should try to speak slightngly of
any lovely thing do not want to write in the spirit OF
Main Street." pcturing only the dark side and forget
ting all that is lovely. do not doubt that have
Homes today 1 do doubt that many children grow
up loving beautiful meaning, and treasuring
memories of Mothers Fathers worthy of all
brance.
But the American Home, generally speaking true
traditions it's old affections and alterations?
influence the it generation ago? Does
of today turn back to Home yearningy
and with loneliness the heart of yester
day did? Honestly, brethren fear it does not.
Look over your home block. How many families
do the children show respect and reverence for their
elders? How many boys think of being helpful to
Mother than of being popular at the dance hall? How
many girls prouder of the washing they have done
than of their powdered primping? Now many mothers
prefer to laugh and their laundering babies
than to shine bridge party? How many fathers
aurry from work that they may make for
the boy?
What has happened to the American Home?
Well the has happened, and the movie, and the
diD1-h Of 6pnra VitV md
of ALL the cheap vanity that wants to do
thing the neghbor does. Oh do not condemn the
and the movie. We needed them. We have adapted
to them instead of adapting them to needs
real has been this: In accepting the new
things have let the old and with the old has
all that could have made the worth while.
The American Home is disintegrated it has
failed to to the young We have permit
the children grow believing that the
more than Home, that dance interesting than
Home, that there be picnic that far away
that there is joy unless it be in unfamiliar places
How did this about? Simply by losing sight OF
the fact that joy and satisfaction is in folks and not
things What is the secret of the spiritual starvation
today? Merely have lost the of simplicity
Some people profess to believe that weakness today
the complexty of life. Not at ALL Life is com
pick than it in Adams time. Of course it is bad
enough to make life complex But have done worse
than this. We have made life unnteresting Which is
always what happens when lose simplicity
All, but you say that the movie and the auto and
the greater variety of things should add to the interest
of life, and detrac from it. Not ALL only thing
that adds to the interest life interest in fe and not
interest in things. John Burroughs richer thar
Rockefeller; Thoreau knew than Perpont Morgan
Folks are no longer easy to please, and that is
terrible tragedy. Years ago family to a celebra
ton year, and talked about it for year after
wards 1t was the event of lifetime. Today go tc
something every day, and nothing thrills I once
heard describe ten-mile journey it the
achievement of lifetime Today travel the
world and remember only that it hot cold
generally consist in not having too much
can recall forty years ago in small town in this
state when there such thing society wher
there seldom theatrical performance when
tertainmens" few and far between How did folks
live say? They made their entertainment anG
found their fun. At night the family gathered
gether around table, and listened while one read the
works Of the masters Children up loving Scott
Dickens, and having in their maginatons great pag
cant of the wonderful world that Shakespeare Civ
en- folks to live in They the old songs and nobody
ri. Il Z