I honor that man whose ambition it is, not to win laurels in the State or the army, not
to be a jurist or a naturalist, not to be a poet or a commander, but to be a master of liv-
ing well, and to administer the offices of master or servant, of husband, father, and friend.
Cut it requires as much breadth of power for this as for those other functions, — as much,
or more, — and the reason for the failure is the same. I think the vice of our housekeep-
ing is, that it does not hold man sacred. The vice of government, the vice of education,
the vice of religion, is one with that of private life. Let religion cease to be occasional;
and the pulses of thought that go to the borders of the universe, let them proceed from
the bosom of the household.
These are 'he consolations, — these are the ends to which the household is instituted
HOME. 7
and the rooftree stands. If these were sought, and in good degree attained, can the
State, can commerce, can climate, can the labor of many for one, yield anything better or
half so good ?
Beside these aims, Society is weak, and the State an intrusion. I think the heroism
which at this day would make on us the impression of Epaminondas and Phocion must
be that of a domestic conqueror. He who shall bravely and gracefully subdue this Gor-
gon of Convention and Fashion, and show men how to lead a clean, handsome, and
heroic life amid the beggarly elements of our cities and villages; who shall teach
me how to eat my meat and take my repose, and deal with men, without any shame
following, will restore the life of man to splendor, and make his own name dear to
all history.
Beyond its primary ends of the conjugal, parental, and amicable relations, the house-
hold should cherish the beautiful arts and the sentiments of veneration. Certainly, not
aloof from this homage to beauty, but a strict connection therewith, the house will come
to be esteemed a Sanctuary. The language of a ruder age has given to common law the
maxim that every man's house is his castle: the progress of truth will make every house
a shrine."
" The happy home. •' It is just as possible to keep a calm house as a clean house, a
cheerful house as an orderly house, a happy home as a furnished house, if the heads set
themselves to do so. Where is the difficulty of consulting each other's weakness, as well
as each other's wants; each other's tempers, as well as each other's health; each other's
comfort, as well as each other's character? Oh! it is by leaving the peace at home to
chance, instead of pursuing it by system, that so many homes are unhappy. It deserves
notice, also, that almost anyone can be courteous and forbearing and patient in a
neighbor's house. If anything go wrong, or be out of time, or be disagreeable there, it is
made the best of, not the worst; even efforts are made to excuse it, and to show that it is
not felt; or, if felt, it is attributed to accident, not design; and this is not only easy, but
natural, in the house of a friend. I will not, therefore, believe that what is so natural in
the house of another is impossible at home, but maintain, without fear, that a
husband, as willing to be pleased at home, and as anxious to please as in his neighbor's
house; and a wife as intent on making things comfortable every day to her family as on
set days to her guests, could not fail to make their own home
Page 3
Presented as published in 1891. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
I honor that man whose ambition it is, not to win laurels in the State or the army, not to be a jurist or a naturalist, not to be a poet or a commander, but to be a master of living well, and to administer the offices of master or servant, of husband, father, and friend. Cut it requires as much breadth of power for this as for those other functions, — as much, or more, — and the reason for the failure is the same. I think the vice of our housekeeping is, that it does not hold man sacred. The vice of government, the vice of education, the vice of religion, is one with that of private life. Let religion cease to be occasional; and the pulses of thought that go to the borders of the universe, let them proceed from the bosom of the household.
These are 'he consolations, — these are the ends to which the household is instituted
HOME.
and the rooftree stands. If these were sought, and in good degree attained, can the State, can commerce, can climate, can the labor of many for one, yield anything better or half so good ?
Beside these aims, Society is weak, and the State an intrusion. I think the heroism which at this day would make on us the impression of Epaminondas and Phocion must be that of a domestic conqueror. He who shall bravely and gracefully subdue this Gorgon of Convention and Fashion, and show men how to lead a clean, handsome, and heroic life amid the beggarly elements of our cities and villages; who shall teach me how to eat my meat and take my repose, and deal with men, without any shame following, will restore the life of man to splendor, and make his own name dear to all history.
Beyond its primary ends of the conjugal, parental, and amicable relations, the household should cherish the beautiful arts and the sentiments of veneration. Certainly, not aloof from this homage to beauty, but a strict connection therewith, the house will come to be esteemed a Sanctuary. The language of a ruder age has given to common law the maxim that every man's house is his castle: the progress of truth will make every house a shrine."
" The happy home. •' It is just as possible to keep a calm house as a clean house, a cheerful house as an orderly house, a happy home as a furnished house, if the heads set themselves to do so. Where is the difficulty of consulting each other's weakness, as well as each other's wants; each other's tempers, as well as each other's health; each other's comfort, as well as each other's character? Oh! it is by leaving the peace at home to chance, instead of pursuing it by system, that so many homes are unhappy. It deserves notice, also, that almost anyone can be courteous and forbearing and patient in a neighbor's house. If anything go wrong, or be out of time, or be disagreeable there, it is made the best of, not the worst; even efforts are made to excuse it, and to show that it is not felt; or, if felt, it is attributed to accident, not design; and this is not only easy, but natural, in the house of a friend. I will not, therefore, believe that what is so natural in the house of another is impossible at home, but maintain, without fear, that a husband, as willing to be pleased at home, and as anxious to please as in his neighbor's house; and a wife as intent on making things comfortable every day to her family as on set days to her guests, could not fail to make their own home