Year: 1876

body made an entry in ii. Father sci
down the sale of the calves, or mother the
cutting of the baby's eye-tooth; or,
perhaps, Jenny wrote full account of the
seighing party last night; or Bob the pro.
cecdings of the Phi Beta Club; or Ton,
scrawled "Tried my new gun. Bully.
Shot into the fence and Johnsons old
cat"


On toward the middle of the book there
was an entry of Jennys marriage, and one
of the younger girls had added descrip.
ton of the bridesmaids dresses, and long
afterward there was written, This day
father died." in Bob's trembling hand.
There was a blank of many months after
that


Rut nothing could have served better to
hind that family of headstrong boys and
girls together than the keeping of this
book. They come back to the old home
stead now, men and woman with grizzled
hair, to see their mother, who is still living,
and tWn over its pages reverently with
many hearty laugh or the tears coming
into their eyes. 1t is their childhood come
back again in visible shape.


There are many other practical ways in
which home ties can be strengthened and
made more enduring for children, and
surely this is as necessary and important
matter in the management of house
hold as the furnishing Of the library or
chambers in good taste, or the accumula.
ton of bricabrac. One most direct way
Is the keeping of anniversaries; not Chist-
mas Easter, nor the Fourth of July alone.
but those which belong TO that home alone.
The children's birthdays, their mothers
wedding day, the day when they all came
into the new home. There are hundred
cheerful, happy little events which some
cheerful and happy little ceremony will
make y lifelong pleasure. The Germans
keep alive their strong domestic attach
ments by just such means as these: it
seems natural and right to their children
that all the house should be turned topsy-
turyy with JOY at Water OF Mutter's Geburt-
stag; while to the American boy or girl it
Is a matter of indifference when his father
and mother were born. We know a house
IN which it is the habit to give to each
servant trifling gift on the anniversary Of
their coming into the family, and, as might
DC expected, these anniversaries return for
many years.


Much OF the same softening, humanizing
effect may be produced by remembering
and humoring, the innocent whims and
Peculiarities Of children. Among hard
working people it is the custom too often
to bring up whole family in platoons and
to marshal them through childhood by the
same general, infiexible rules. They must
eat the same dishes, wear the same clothes,
work, play, talk, according to the pre-
scribed notions of father or mother. When
right or wrong is concerned, let the rule
te inexorable; but when taste, character,
or stomach only is involved, humor the
boy. Be to Toms red Gravel little blind :
make Will the pudding that he likes,
while the others choose pie. They will be
Surer Of your affection than if you senti.





hour. Furthermore, do not grow old your
self too soon. Buy chess boards dominoes,
bagatelle; learn to play games with the
boys and girls; encourage them to ask
their friends to dinner and tea, and take
care that your dress and the table be pretty
and attractive, that the children may be
ashamed of neither.


Why should I stay at home in the
evening?" said a lad the other day.
Mother sits and darns stockings or reads
jays Devotions; father dozes, and Maggy
writes to her lover. I'll go where | can
have fun" Meanwhile father and mother
were broken-hearted because Joe was
going to ruin," which was undoubtedly
the fact.-Stri6ner's Monthly.