THE KINGDOM OF HOME

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 9, 1880

THE KINGDOM OF HOME.

It is related in the life of Mary, Queen of Scotland, that after the death of her husband she left France and returned to her own kingdom, surrounded by many French gentlemen and ladies, and that when she landed in Scotland she was ashamed of her subjects and the resources of her kingdom; even the horses of her island home, contrasted with the French, caused her to murmur and complain. Her rich dresses brought from France, and her gay manners, gave equal offense to John Knox and men of his stern stamp.

But Mary was young and had no judicious advisers, at least who were sufficiently congenial for her to listen to. However, her mistakes and misfortunes have been sufficiently discussed elsewhere. What impressed me most forcibly was her being ashamed of her kingdom, and blushing for its poverty as contrasted with a more luxurious realm, and the thought arose that if she had but reflected how few had a kingdom of any kind, how many were her subjects, while she alone was queen, she might have been thankful instead of discontented. And then I thought the rule might happily be applied to all "who keep house."

Surely every woman who has a home of her own, however humble, should be thankful for it, and instead of blushing with shame because other women have larger houses and better furnished rooms, should reflect how many are without homes, boarding, it may be, or dwelling at some rate in another's home, and rejoice that she has a kingdom of her own, and there watch, and guide, and govern with such winning sweetness and power as to make all her subjects better and happier for her sway.

If a woman in the kingdom of her own home dare to murmur and blush at its poverty, let her think of what happened to poor Mary, the unfortunate Queen of Scots, as she is generally called; how her despised kingdom was wrenched from her, and almost twenty years of her life were spent in prison, aspiring and intriguing in vain to recover what she despised when possessing.

The kingdom of home, be it large or small, rich or poor, is still a kingdom, and instead of scorning it because it is not equal to desire or expectations, let content that you have this kingdom "turn wooden cups to gold, the homely whistle to sweet music's strain;" as some poet has sensibly as well as poetically said.—Selected.