169 
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THE KINGDOM OF HOME. 
Of all the myriad forms of government that have 
existed since the world began the most 
enduring and beautiful is that of home. 
A dominion divinely appointed, in no 
age or country has it equalled the fair 
proportions of the present day. 
It is comparatively easy 
to make home attractive 
with abundant means at 
command ; but it is a 
most invigorating art and 
science in the opposite 
case. It calls 
out the dor¬ 
mant energies 
and faculties, 
exciting to 
healthful 
brain and fin- 
g e r w o r k. 
Circumstanc¬ 
es are pow¬ 
erful allies; 
they do not 
wholly con¬ 
trol us. We 
may be chain¬ 
ed to an un¬ 
ceasing round 
of toil and 
care, with no 
outlook on 
any side. 
Then we must 
look u p ! 
High above 
us let the spir¬ 
it soar like 
one of Liszt’s 
grand trium¬ 
phal strains, 
“ I will hope 
and 1 will 
conquer,” and 
we do con¬ 
quer if but 
one heart and 
life by us is 
made happy 
and forever 
blest. Not 
w hat one 
family have but what 
they are, that makes the 
superiority of classes with 
all truly cultured people. 
The most charming room 
in the house should be 
the living room, even if the sunshine 
has to be the principal furniture. No 
upholsterer’s art can introduce a fea¬ 
ture that can approximate to it for 
comfort and beauty. Let it come to 
the flowers first, freely with its royal¬ 
ty of warmth and splendor. Corolla and calyx will 
expand and throb and burst into a passion of efflores¬ 
cence for the lover they adore. Let it light up the 
glory of the paintings, strike down in golden bars 
upon the music and play in aureoles around the heads 
of children. Many a woman would think three hun¬ 
dred dollars a meagre sum for a year’s outlay on dress, 
yet will such a one for a moment consider that this 
will procure the principal reproductions of classic 
Little Coquette. 
sculpture in ancient and modern times. This is of 
itself a rare education and beautifier of home. To 
have upon our walls copies from the works of the 
celebrated painters of the German, French and Yene 
tian schools is a rich recompense for some reduction 
in expenses. Less than this fills the shelves of the 
family library. The education of our schools is potent, 
but that of home paramount to all! The work of the 
day ought never to prevent at least an hour’s recreation 
with books by the mother who would 
command the respect and admiration 
as well as the love of her children and 
husband. She owes this to them no 
less than to herself. We instinctively 
imitate whatever we love. 
. Therefore, it is the true 
ideal of a young girl’s 
heart to sometime occupy 
a position as honored and 
pleasant as her mother’s; 
that of the 
son to win for 
himself alady 
whose chief 
charm in his 
eyes is that 
she is like his 
mother! Such 
a one is dear¬ 
er to her chil¬ 
dren to their 
dying day, in 
reality and 
memory, in 
that peculiar 
and indefin¬ 
able relation 
than a n y 
other. None 
ever take her 
place. She 
inspires the 
highest love 
and reverence 
and to deeds 
of deathless 
daring, as 
much as the 
memorable 
mothers of 
Napoleon 
and Wash¬ 
ington, what 
though they 
go unrecord¬ 
ed. Her home 
is a focus of 
attraction; it 
does solid 
good in the 
world, and is a per¬ 
petual reproach to the 
neglected and gloomy 
abodes near it. It puts 
to shame their monstrous 
growths of selfishness 
and pitiful abortions of Christianity. 
Few are the children that will dis¬ 
honor such a home, and those will 
suffer the poignant sorrow of the ear¬ 
liest created for the paradise they 
lost. 
The interest that invests such a place is undying, till 
the contemplation of the change from the beautiful 
home on earth to the more beautiful one in heaven 
seems but a transformation scene. Heaven becomes 
but a continuation of home. M. Neall. 
