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Show THE ART OF HOME LIFE H By The Lady Milnos-Oaskell, Author of "Old Shropshire Life." We often hear In theno doys. much about the necessity of art culture, and the desirability of scientific knowledge, to nable many people to pass successfully through life, but few people look upon i now as important to make home life a success From the material side little now is manufactured at home, for housewifely arts are becoming things of the past "My daughters like games, and we buy what we want from the shops," si lady said to nie a little time ago But In earlier days the dutle.-- of a household were not so easll) or carelessly DCP-fdrmcd DCP-fdrmcd (n the XVIth and XVllth centuries cen-turies each country house was a separate and often complete communttj and the Chatelaine at Its head saw after many things among humble ones, to the stor- i ins of the gathered fruits and roots. She i also. In many ca.ics. khvc emt the stores, superintended all culinary arrangemi nts, in ado her own wire a and perform . and .ulled for medicine the herbs In her ph sic gard. n B. sides this, all the lln. D of the house iv, i- spun bj Ir self" and le-r maidens In fact, life was Indeed then a fine art in the homo of ESngtSJld John Kvolyn, speaking of Mrs. GoHOlphin, exclaims, ex-claims, in a rapture of admiration "She was th-- bevt wife, the best mistress, the best friend that ever husband had' He tey iis also that 'to the noore and miserable miser-able she was an Irreparable losse." and that before her death she put all her affairs af-fairs Into exact order. Again amonp women who ordered thclf homos well. Evelvn speaks Highly of his mother "She was esteemed In all the countrv side " he writes, "fevr her economy econo-my and prudence " When Women Were Proud of Housewifery. House-wifery. in those days ladles were proud of ad ministering wt ii their households, The Countess of Sutherland, in the reign ol James if., a contemporary tells lis, governed gov-erned le. household without ostentation, but that all at Althorp was substantial!) great and noble under her rule The merest servant," we are told, "was lodged neat and cleanly " In a word, "the entire economy was perfectly becoming s wise nnel noble person Besides housewifely arts beautiful and delicate needlework was considered a charming pastime for ladies Various members of the Verne family worked gnat wrought sheets" or coverlets and most of the maidens and gentlemen sang prettily, and ployed on lute or harpls- hord. and some of them were probably as accomplished as lovely Mary Evelyn "that sweet child, whose piety, virtue and beauty' were said io hav.- beep Incomparable Incom-parable ' And b.st and not Last of the recreations then In vogue there was high and noble conversation ' a nt and delightful de-lightful accomplishment for man and wo- The great Minister of The Hague wrote 1 "that all good and great things In the , world are brought to pass by care and j order, and that the end of all wisdom Is happiness " How to tie happy In dally life is a big thing, the blxgcst thltiK peri' haps we can ponder over on this earth, and yet one that few people pause tO consider In the hurry and pr. s of life 'For the true end of riches (next to .Ioipr good i Is ease and pleaeutv. whereas so often we find bv the increase of mod. ru wealth Only a greater amount of care and trouble." To be rich wisely living ot times almost al-most austerely, is the greatest secret we suspect for. as has been justly said, "the fool thinks of what he wants the philosopher of what he can do without." and onlv very wise folk know "how to reap the fullest harvest of golden ears," We all of us have different aspirations In a home, and yei how t. give freedom and fair plav to all ait grave considerations considera-tions Taste cultur.. high thinking, blended bv kindness, these are the evidences evi-dences of happy home life, and even the youngest of us would do well sometimes to fad a little Of the best books. a-. that he may not go through' life thinking Shakespeare. In the words of George II., "nothing but S bombast fellow ' "The greatest pleasure of life x love, the greatest measure contentment, the (Ti-rii test nossession health, the srreatest as sleep, and the greatest m'OlClne, a true friend '" Friendship Is said to be out of date f w- peonl. now have leisure for friendship It I-1 1 1--acquaint" no. M do instead. in-stead. We arc p.-. hups In ton great a hurry for sc sweet a tie It must always be remembered that real friendship BJ Dr King wrote Is only possible between natures of the greatest virtue, generosity, generos-ity, truth and honor. Yet to noble natures na-tures a deep friendship hos man virtues. "It Is healthy and sovereign for the understanding" un-derstanding" and better still In the words of the great Chancellor, 'A true lrlend maketh a fair day In the affections affec-tions from storm and tnii"M ' t" w people cultivate the friendship of their nearest. ' Mamma, I like you so much said a daughter Ii-hv cl ver of you, my dear in these days of motors." was her mother s r pi Show the Best Side. If little Is done to grow friendship In the home many wives also do not strive to hold their husband's affections, or that of their immediate circle. They act In the spirit of the pric-t of Florence. SJat- rtmonv has caught and landed their P--h. and With matrimony voice and piano am Silent and the graces conspicuous by their absence. It Is true wisdom on the part -if the wife in th language of the foolish Duke of Cumberland not to swallow swal-low like pork all their hushand's good I things, and It Is sagacious policy on the prt of a husband, who wlsttps to ret a In ti e love of a pretty and brilliant woman "not to possess the digestion of an ostrich but to bring p for h. i benefit, even if the- ar. .none, sometimes soma pearls and diamond-" Mothers and their children broiii-us and sisters will do well to make the most of each other, and Cultivate toward each othei courtesy at o amiability For nice manners are really more of a habit than most people think. and all rudeness and hjgrdness alienates and lowers homo life In fact puts new H nails Into poor love's eoflln H Aain it Is often said, and sometimes with sad truth, that if there is no open H Jar and discord between husband and H wife, brothel and sister, they seldom can H call forth each other's sympathies. As a H friend once told the writer, "My sister la H the last person ever likely to strike a H chord on my fiddle strings." Bad Tempers Make Bad Homca. To Bay what you mean but not more H than you mean, is also a wise adage In a H home, while a violent temper ii like a H biting Crosl or savage tempest. Our tern-pers, tern-pers, even the best of us. should not be H like Fletcher's e,f Saltoun. for even If H generosity nr.es with a hot temper lt In H a sad house where the master's or mis- H 1 1 ss' temper Is "no sooner off than on." In a happy home all the children are treated ,-iiike. with the g&me affection, and Justice, .-.nd theci Is no favoritism. for In the epigrammatic word of Arch- H bishop Laud ' one- hundred black rabbits never yet made a black horse." H Home In looking back, should be a place of enchantment; a beautiful memory mem-ory tO those Who have lost ll. and to all Its Inmates a place of rest, peace, and delight. "When Dr. preaches ' said a humble hum-ble pastor, naming a well-known divine, 'the plpughman leaves his furrow, the tradesman his shop, the scholar his JB books the fine lady her toilette, and all alike crowd tound the pulpit When I I preach." he added modestly, "I set all to rights for everyone then follows his own business '" And some-thlne of the same feeling of enchantment Is ours when W K0 out again Into the cold, after having spent a few days, or hours. In some H earthlv- paradise where love, order, refinement re-finement and culture rule the house, and made time glide bv on faiiy wings. Good bp edlng l essential in the home and H family circle, for without well-bred be- 1 havior life becomes coarse, and gross, H and loses its finest flavor. Religion and Sympathy. A beautiful story Is told of Dr. Attcn-bury, Attcn-bury, Bishop of Rochester. ti one occa- slon at dinner. Sir William Wyndham H told a stor)- of a s il.M. r at Hli-nhelm, who exclaimed ijod! if there be a God. save my soul. If I have a soul!" which he commended for its brevity. To which the ! bishop, who was present, said; ' Tour : story Is a short one. Sir W illiam, but I ! known a shorter." and added- "I too H I heard of a Soldier Ht Blenheim In Ilk I circumstances, and his prayer was, "O God. If in th" day of battle 1 forget thee, do not thou forget me." It was a Just B rebuke witt. .mil breathed a spirit of religion Perhaps of all nVeclous virtues that a woman can show nt home none Is more V delightful than quick, spontaneous sym- BrJ pathy. a ready interest In the success of husband, daughter, son, and friend, and HSHa still more a quick pity for any failure. IBSJ A pretty Story Is told of C.eorge II At HBSJ a masked ball, a lady bade him drink to HBSJ the heal'.h of the Pretender. "Madam. IBVJ replied the King. "I drink to the health of all unfortunate princes." and n IBV mother's hear! In a happy home should fBSJ be a3 ready to feet for all. If not for unfortunate princes, at least for poor lit- IHV tie boys, who have missed a ball or JHJ lamed a pony. Then there Is the graver side nf home J life, which manv people shrink fromrn- PgflHw culcatlng now. but which if left out HBSJ makes life anel home degenerute, and be- come poor anel very mortal, for home H without nllglon and high Ideals Is like a BH faded flower. Its true signification and HBSJ fragrance are lost. Yet while our hopes HBVJ are high we should try to do without some of the excitements of life Which J often eiomorailze and socially to be abl J to .line off br-acl and cheese. A story (4 gH told of how a man once carried about a cat In a bag "The most woneWful cat H in the world " he declared "for it was ptjiH Chert) colored"' The people pressed 1 round him to see the marvelous henst J After collecting money the man opened P-VJH the bag and out Jumped a black eat Th" 1 people were very angry, but the man said H ' aro not cherries f lack as well as red?" A Blending of Old and New. Perhaps It might he wise If some mothers moth-ers would hear this tale m mind, and not H go a social round, teiiinu their friends and neighbors that th'y have at home a .H "Cherry cat.' which turns out when let .TsJH out of the home bag to be nothing more than a black one at best, and sometlmi R H a humble tabby Mothers would do well .JcH not to expect great guns to go off when ifcH Pollv sings, or Willie whistles, but to be grateful for the kind word of an old friend, and believe that there are other .JcH fine fish in the sea besides those In the .TsJH do most lc pond I Much might be written of what to do and what to avoid In home life but a .J,H wise blending of old and new Is certalnlv .TsJH needed, to keep thought and life fresh .H and sweet. On the whole the old dictum iJ,H of the King of Arragon's we think has not been surpassed for wisdom. It runs- TSJ'sJ "Old wine to drink old wood to burn old hooks to read and old friends to tall: .H with. To which let us add. ' Young hearts to lov. and young voices to recall .rH tle charms of spring' Surely where all this Is to he found the problems of home H life have been well and wisely solved .JcH All Rights Reserved IJH |
