Show ACiiF 1A HOUSEHOLDS An Oversight That is Altogether Too Common Peace be within thy walls Prosperity within thy palace Psalm cxxit 7 It is in reference to peace and the construction of our modern house inc in-c to it that I wish to speak We all know the American householder is in a hurry He builds his house to sleep in to stay awhile in but does he really build it to live in Y and in all the accommodations that necessity demands does he remember those graces of space and thought that shall form refuges for that peaco so desirable desir-able to have abiding within his walls Let me explain My friend Gillespie has built a beautiful house He has expended ex-pended about 11000 in making a home for his family Mrs Gilleapie took me over the new house with great pride and I was pleased with all I saw save I missed what has become in my mind the crying need of American households house-holds The rooms were spacious the windows large admitting sunshine drawingroom library receptionroom and dining room and kitchen on the first floor the library and drawing room opening upon the broad hall Up stairs we found Mary and Kate I the young lady daughters occupied rooms adjoining their mother nwhile Susy had her little chamber I so immediately connected with her parents that it should have been the dressingroom The boys two mis I chevious ells of 12 and 14 were domiciled domi-ciled in the third story and I was told I ewith delight and profound secresy by the eldest that he could slide in the back way and by climbing a cherry tree descend to the long slope of the roof and get in or out at night and none of the household be the wiser Dont you give it away now he concluded with such confidence in me that I trust this may never reach his eye The guest chamber and servants rooms completed the upper floor Nowhere No-where in that beautiful house did I find a spot sacred alone to the rulers of the household wherefatheror mother could go and spend a few moments alone and undisturbed to gather strength and courage in governing their kingdom Mothers bedroom was the rendezvous wor Luc Ted or Harry on their return from school or play They knew they would find her there Kate and Mary with her or in their room adjoining and more than often it was to find her tired with a day of vexations greeting with the displeasure of fatigue Teds torn jacket or Lucys school grievance There she has been sitting all day sewing or listening to demands of butcher baKer and candlestickmaker She is tired mentally more than physically phy-sically She has a missionary journal she would like to read but it is in the library down stairs and she is too tired to go after it She even thinks impatiently im-patiently on rainy Saturdays especially I espe-cially she would be content never to see the faces of her children again Then tears fill her eyes and she repents and is ashamed All this is owing in the first place to a waste of time Lift not up horrified eyes and hands oh mother for every woman no matter how industrious wastes time when she deprives herself of natural rest and outdoes her strength becoming too tired to re amiable Work accomplished at this expense is always wasted time In the second place she has no spot sacred to her own thoughts and prayers for strength to bear the daily burden How many woman said Oh I got so wildly nervous with the noise of the children and vexations of the kitchen that I just ran away from all I shall go back presently and straighten the snarl and I presume I shall be cross as fivo sticks all the evening Would she have felt thus if she could have gone in her own house to a quiet spot and have been alone for half an hour locked in with her own thoughts reminded by surrouncfingg of her good gifts from heaven Soon this quiet spot becomes the heart of the household and as it throbs in peace and prayer so will the whole household feel its motion Oh for such asylums in every house filled only with words of love supplication I and faith endeavoring from thence and not from diversions gathered without with-out to influence the sweet concord of home life Then truly will we say I Peace be within thy walls prosperity within thy palaces Oliver Lovell Wilson in Good Housekeeping |