Year: 1870

portant interests, than the question of
our domestic family life. The home was
evidently intended to be the shrine of
the most sacred affections, the place of
rest from toll, of retirement from public
ity, the spot in all the world where we
may throw off disguise, abjure conven-
tionalities, and suffer our better natures
freely to develop. But the demands of
modern society are so rigorous that few,
even of the most Independent among US,
actually real re in any considerable de-
gree the real blessings of the domestic
fireside. The hurry, anxiety, and pres
sure of the outer world penetrate
into our homes, changing them from
abodes Of rest to those of severe labor
and carping care. The anxiety to make
money abroad is no more severish than
the craving to spend it at home, and the
energy that mightin other channels make
home haven of pure and sacred enjoy
ment, is too often employed in eager ef-
forts to COZ pete with others in show and
expense.


Every housekeeper knows how large
an amount of manual labor is involved
in our present style of living. The vari-
Gus appliances for saving this labor are
exceeded by the increasing demands
made for it. Highly ornamented dwell
ings, costly furniture, rich upholstery,
require constant attendance and super
vision: and, when we add to this the
making aud care of fashionable trous-
seaux, the natural and artificial wants
of women and children, and the claims
of hospitality and social life, all of which
often press on those neither fitted by nat
F., ural ability nor special training to fulfil
them, we cannot wonder that they are so
imperfectly performed. The conscien-
cious, sink discouraged at the greatness
of their task, and thethoughtless, devolve
it upon others, who may lack both in
terest and ability to execute it. With
those of more limited means, the same
evils prevail. Though there is less la
Dor, there are fewer hands to do it; and
too often domestic life consists mainly
in struggle to appear a little richer
than the truth


Emerson, in recent work on Society
and Solitude, treats this problem in his
own quaint and powerful manner. He
says: 1t is sufficient accusation of
our ways of living, and ought to open
our ear 20 every good minded reformer,
that our idea of domestic well-being
now needs wealth to execute it. Give
me wealth, says the wife, and your house
shall not annoy your taste or waste your
time. On hearing this, we understand
how these means have come to be so
omnipotent ON EARTH"


He argues that this dependence upon
wealth for happy. home leaves the
whole difficulty untouched. Few have
riches, but all must have home, and
the real blessings of domestic life flow
from far deeper sources than the amount
OF money expended on its externals.-
The reform that is needed is to raise the
aim of the housekeeper. The primary
uses of the home are for food and shell
ter, for the physical well-being of the
family. But when these are the sole ends
and not simply the means by which to
attain higher life, the whole family is
debased, and whether it revel in luxury
or struggle in poverty, it is alike used
for inferior purposes. Modern civiliza-
ton elevates the physical nature, minis
tiers to the senses, employs every energy
to bring delicate and refined pleasures
to the eye, the ear, and the palate
To accomplish this she calls wealth to
her aid, and together they form an aris-
tocracy which the mass of mankind are
struggling to enter. But they are con.
tent to busy themselves with the lowest
part of human nature they do not as
cend into higher realms. To the men
tai and moral culture of the family, then
let the household be dedicated, and do
mestic life will wear far nobler aspect
and diffuse happiness as vet unknown
and unappreciated. If wealth come oil
go, it can only affect that part of u;
which we shall feel to be subservient; il
cannot touch our best privileges or inter
fere with our highest happiness.


In our own country, especially do we
have peculiar incentives to this course
Here every child has the means of ed
ucation within his reach, and poverty j:
no barrier to the development of talent
The rarest genius, the bravest courage
and the truest heroism, often co-exis
with the hardest labor and the severes
privations. In the culture of youth
too great pains cannot be taken to in
still correct views as to the true ends o


1-o.x,a l,fa II Ia NOT SurprISIuU tha