DECEMBER 1, 1913 



865 



Our Homes 



A. I. Root 



What hath God wrought? — Num. 23:23. 



OUR OHIO home; the bungalow. 

 A year ago or more I told you that Mrs. 

 Root was finding it too big a task to take 

 care of our large brick house that Avas just 

 right to accommodate us two when we were 

 younger, with our family of five cliildren ; 

 and I told you, too, that she was begging 

 for a little home — one that would not re- 

 Cjuire so much care and responsibility. Be- 

 fore we started for Florida last fall it was 

 inclosed with the roof on; and the children 

 — Mr. Calvert particularly — looked after 

 the finishing up during the winter. When 

 we came back last April the house was all 

 finished complete, as you see it below. 

 The young folks wrote us that our home 

 was ready for occupancy ; but it was one of 

 our happy surprises to find it comijlete. 

 warmed up with natural gas, hot and cold 

 water (and soft cistern water at that) wher- 

 ever it was wanted; and last, but not least, 

 a pretty well-stocked ijantry. Carrie Bell, 

 our youngest daughter, came in next day 

 and asked how we liked our bungalow and 

 its suiToundings. I think the reply that I 

 gave offhand sums it up ]n'etty well. I said, 

 " Why, dear Carrie, we find just showers of 

 blessings evervwhere."* 



Now, after looking at the picture you 

 might care to know something about the in- 

 side. There are four moderate-sized rooms 

 on the first floor — a sitting-room, a dining- 

 room, a kitchen, and a bedroom. You might 

 think the bedroom should have been up- 

 stairs; but Mrs. Root said she had climbed 

 stairs all her life, and she would like a 

 home so that, after she had passed three- 

 score years and ten, there would not be very 

 much running up and downstairs to do. 

 licsides the four rooms mentioned, there is 

 a pantry and a storeroom in a little wing on 



* Will the friends excuse me if I pause right here 

 and speak of something else that ma.v seem a little 

 irrelevant to our subscribers? When Mrs. Root and 

 I formed a partnership we had planned not to have 

 a very large family, if any at all; but "man pro- 

 poses " and God disposes;" and I feel like adding, 

 " Blessed be the name of the Ijord." Suppose God 

 had not overruled our poor weak judgment and 

 overruled our plans. I shall have to confess that, as 

 the little prattlers came trooping along, we sometimes 

 thought God was imposing a pretty heavj' burden; 

 but where would this beautiful home be, with its lov- 

 ing children and grandchildren, had we been permit- 

 ted to have our own way? 



Now let me go a little further. There are several 

 of you, both men and women, whose eyes rest on 

 these pages, who are not married, although of mar- 

 riageable age. Perhaps you are preparing to live 

 single. My friends, where would I have been at this 

 moment had I li.stened to selfish plans and selfish im- 

 pulses ? Does not God know best ? and has he not 

 with wonderful wisdom fashioned humanity with in- 

 finite love and care after all? 



Our bungalow cottage that Mrs. Root and I found finished when we 



chfd 



Medina lioine last April. 



