ESSENTIALS OF THE HOME LIFE.
By Bert Russel
NOTHING works greater disaster to the unity of home life than impatience; for like a fire in dry stubble, it spreads quickly, and almost before you are aware, the ruin of home happiness is accomplished. Impatience is inherent in the child from infancy, so the first lessons in self-control must begin with the little child. But the grace of patience should continue to be cultivated as the child grows to manhood or womanhood. Patience is a necessary concomitant of all the Christian virtues mentioned in the Bible. Christ recognized its importance, and Peter includes it in his rule of addition, where it follows temperance. And temperance has a wider significance than many people think, for it extends to excesses of every kind. An intemperate man is not a patient man, because his natural emotions are not kept under the rein of self-control. We must lead or be led. Either the man must be the master of himself, or he will be a slave to his habits. Fretfulness is a needless waste of mental energy. It will repair no mistake of life, either small or great, and it often indicates the absence of another important virtue, faith. Patience is appropriately called the ballast of the soul, which keeps it steady on the sea of life. It enables one to toil on faithfully against every obstacle, and this is a mark of nobility, or strength of character. A true home is the nursery of virtue, and its influence goes out with us to beautify our life-work. We shall not regret in after years that we have been patient with all men, and especially with those we love best. BERT RUSSEL.