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Show Evening Reveries, Many a child goes astray, simply because home lacks sunshine. sun-shine. Many a wife esteems death her best friend, because he who swore before God to "love, honor and cherish" has forgotten his vows. Why not bo polite at home? Why not use freely the golden coin of courtesy? How sweet they sound, those little words, "Thank you," or "you are very kind." Doubly, yes, trebly sweet, from the lips we love, when heart-smiles makes the eye sparkle with tho clear light of affection. Don't harp on past troubles. When we see a pale nervous woman in the midst of her friends perf erring to entertain them with a list of the racking pains she has suffered to a saunter saun-ter in God's free air and sunshine, sun-shine, wo cannot wonder that tho rose returns not to her blanched cheek. Boys and girls, what is it you can never catch, though you chase after it on the wings or the wind? You can never catch the word that has once left your lips. Once spoken, it is out of your reach; do your best you can never recall it. Therefore, take care what you say. Never speak an unkind word, an impure word or a profane word. Tho generous and polite man has a pleasant recognition and cheerful word for all he meets. He scatters sunbeams where-over where-over he goes. Ho paves the path of others with smiles. He makes society seem genial and .ttajgwprld delightful to those who. le would find them cofd, Litelftah and forlorn, And what he gives is but a tithe of what he 1 wherever you go, and wrap your' lightest words in tones that are sweet and a spirit that is genial. A man who has no enemies is seldom good for anything; he is mado of that kind of material which is so easily worked that every one has a hand in it. A sterling character is one who thinks for himself, and speaks what ho thinks; ho is always sure to have ememies. They are as necessary to him as fresh air; they keep him alive and active. A celebrated character who was surrounded by enemies used to remark: "They are sparks which, if you do not blow, will go out of themselves," i Thousands of young men who have comfortable homes- whose parents are willing to jsupply them with plenty of books' and papers- instead of availing themselves them-selves to these advantages, spend their long evenings either in idle lounging around corners, or in company with frivolous associates as-sociates male or fomale. Thus, winter after winter passes away, ; each one bringing them nearer to tho ago of manhood, but not , fitting them to the proper dis-charge dis-charge of the duties that a full manhood requires. They enter , upon tho busy stage of life with , none of those safe guards which a cultivated intellect throws around its possessor. It is the folly and nothing less than folly that characterizes character-izes tho conduct of far too many parents in regard to children, and especially their daughters, who, in some weak moment have ' behaved indiscreetly, and pos sibly shamefully. A child is a child,-and no act of a parent can make iti otherwise. Difc inheritance, inherit-ance, anger, unkindness and abuse only aggravate such matters, mat-ters, and what might have been kept a private family sorrow, becomes be-comes 'a public scandal, so crushing crush-ing the helpless victim that not even' a whole lifetime of remorse and repentance can succeed in washing out the blot on her reputation. repu-tation. Spend some of your evenings at home with your wife and childre'h. If you have an amiable, gentle wife surely your home must be-a pleasant one, but if, from increasing cares or other reasons, she has grown fretful or sullen, who knows but a little more attention and kindness on your part might do a great deal towards the return of the amiability ami-ability you so much admired in her girlhood. If you would stay at home oftener evenings, treating treat-ing her with something of the old tenderness, making her belie be-lie ve'aCTeast, that you are not wholly.indifferept to her happi-ness, happi-ness, 'ypu would soon see a change' for the better in your household, pi - - As birds sing oftener on lowly roofs than palace domes, and rosesrlovo best to climb o'er lowly windows sills and cottage eaves, so to the poor God's blessings bless-ings come, freighted with dearest dear-est wealth, and to the humble heaft-His love is sweetest. They who have oftenest bowed to earth with deep affections are nearesUheaven;and as the rose neveigives forth all its sweetness sweet-ness until it is crushed, so human hearts' oieed the good Father's hand tq press the blossoms of purity ,rand love and faith, that he may not have impurtedto 0Qrr 'faytnly fraurrahca |
