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THY KINGDOM.
As through the darkened world we grope,
Ascending w r earily the slope,
One goal upbears us, bids us hope,
Thy kingdom, Lord, Thy kingdom!
When disappointment, sorrow, care,
Converge and check us everywhere,
One thought forbids us to despair,
Thy kingdom, Lord, Thy Kingdom!
When dangers thicken round our feet,
And errors fast themselves repeat,
One thought remains to make life sweet,
Thy kingdom, Lord, Thy Kingdom!
The conflict scars, the error stains —
Whatever waxes, thrives or wanes,
Whatever goes, one joy remains,
Thy kingdom, Lord, Thy Kingdom!
The eyes that see, the hearts that burn
Will cease to look, to long, to yearn,
But naught shall spoil or overturn
Thy kingdom, Lord, Thy Kingdom!
And though I fail of fame and friend,
And all that wealth can comprehend,
May I inherit at the end
Thy kingdom, Lord, Thy Kingdom!
Hear me, my Father, I beseech,
Forgive my faults and follies each,
And give, O give me strength to reach
Thy kingdom, Lord, Thy Kingdom!
ARTHUR GOODENOUGH.
Brattleboro, Vt.
CHAT.
We have such a number of good and pleasant let
ters this week. Some of the writers are new-com
ers to The Household, where they are cordially wel
come. Mrs. Crosby’s appeal to selfish daughters is
timely. We have all observed these dear, thought
less girls, enjoying a “good time” at the expense of
the self-sacrificing mother, who lies awake at night
planning what she can have as a particularly nice
breakfast for the girls who, having been to a party
or sat up late entertaining beaux, are apt to lie in
bed late and come down at last with fastidious appe
tites. I have known these devoted mothers to exert
themselves far beyond their strength to please daugh
ters of whose disapproving, sometimes sarcastic,
comments they stood in dread. In such cases, the
mother is to blame as well as the girl, whom she
has indulged and allowed to grow up without culti
vating in her the grace of appreciation and thought
ful kindness.
Very timely, too, are “Tennesseean’s” suggestions
about New Year’s resolutions, said resolutions being
usually like pie crust, made to be broken. Mattia
Howard’s sketch of the way Christianity was intro
duced into the Fiji Islands will interest every one
as will her thoughts about social service and selfish
ness. The picture of the little orphan boy on the
train, who didn’t “belong to anybody,” is truly pa
thetic. One can see the little fellow’s anxious, trou
bled look at the strange faces about him, and can
appreciate his relief when he found a friend. Busy
Bee, your advice to young married folks is founded
on conditions that are everlastingly true. It will
not do to have even the nearest and dearest put a
finger in the matrimonial pie, particularly when said
pie is just being baked. There is danger of too
much mothering in the case of young couples and
the wife and husband are wise -who keep to them
selves the little discords that are apt to mar the
harmony of married life in the transition period
when the two are learning to adapt themselves to
each other. Arthur Goodenough’s inspiring poem is
an excellent lyric for the new year, with its note of
hope and faith. We are missing some of our good
writers. Where is S. T. P., Julia Coman Tait, Old Wo
man, Ben Ivy and others who are being asked for?
Eugenia has bidden adieu to her native Tennessee
and gone to Texas to teach. No doubt she will be a
conscientious and useful teacher, but what a sweet,
admirable wife she would make to the right kind
of man! ®-
THE HOUSEHOLD
A Department of Expression For Those Who Feel and Think.
The Golden Age for January 23, 1908.
With ®ur Gorreeponbente
INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY INTO THE
FIJI ISLANDS.
On the island of Ono a frightful epidemic was
raging in the year 1835. Cutting with knives and
fasting and even human sacrifices did not appease the
angry gods. At that time an Ono chief learned from
one of the other chiefs who had visited the Tongas
that the only true God was Jehovah, and that one
day in every seven ought to be kept in his honor.
On the sixth day he had his people prepare their
food for the morrow, and then, dressed as for fes
tival, worship this unknown God. So they continued
groping for some time, and at last managed to send
a messenger to Tonga on a whaling ship which
touched the island, asking that a teacher be sent.
Why should we not tell the story of what happened
while they were waiting for their messenger to re
turn, as the men would have told it who wrote the
Old Testament?
“ ‘And the Lord harkened and heard; and he
caused a mighty wind to blow, and it drove before
it a ship filled with much people, who feared God
and thought upon his name. And the men who were
in the ship were of the tribe of Tonga. And the
Lord brought them to the country of the men of
Ono, with whom they communed many days, and
taught them the words of the living God, to whom
be glory forever.’ For it was the same God who
guided the frail boat of the Christian Tongans far out
of its course to minister to these groping souls that
wrought with a stretched-out arm so mightily for
his troubled people of old.
“One of these Christian Tongans, so strangely
brought to Ono, stayed to lead the people in their
devotions, and to teach them what he himself knew
of the new religion. After a time the messenger
that they had sent returned with news that already
there were white teachers on Takemba, an eastern
Island of the Fiji group, and that from them teachers
would be sent. These were sent shortly after, and
soon Ono became one of the brightest spots in all
Fiji.” MATTIE HOWARD.
n
A LETTER PICKED UP ON A BATTLEFIELD.
The following is a copy of a letter picked up on
a Southern battlefield. It was sent me for publica
tion in The Sunny South, just before that paper was
merged into a magazine. The name of the person
who sent the letter and who has it in possession,
has unfortunately been lost. I would like to hear
from him again and have him relate the incident
of the finding of the letter written more than forty
six years ago by a cultured woman and loving wife,
who perhaps may be still alive. If “Annie” is still
living, we should be very glad to hear from her.
M. E. B.
St. Louis, Ga., Oct. 12, 1861.
My Dear Husband:
As I am going to church today, I take an early
hour this morning to write. I had hoped you would
have been home in time to attend quarterly meet
ing, but the day has arrived and still you are
absent.
I went to see Mrs. Simpson yesterday. She was
speaking of how much she missed you at church,
and said you were the first one she inquired about
after the fight. It is strange we don’t get letters,
when we saw in The Chronicle yesterday dated the
4th an account of the battle. I feel we can never be
grateful enough that our friends have been spared
when so many have fallen. You soldiers, who are
in the midst of excitement, can not realize the tor
turing suspense and constant anxiety of those at
home about your safety. By telegraph we hear of
a battle and every one is apprehensive that their
friend has been killed or wounded. Then to have
to wait days before the result can be known. Only
God knows the agony of suspense that must be en»
dured. To look to Christ for strength to bear is
all we can do in hours of distress. It seems I could,
not endure it all if I did not have reason to believe
your precious soul would be saved. Rather would I
live under Lincoln’s rule than have my dear ones
called into eternity suddenly and all unprepared,
To secure our independence will not compensate for
the loss of the immortal soul. Only a Christian
can be a true patriot.
We had more rain last night but it is bright and
cool this morning, and will probably have frost to
night.
I was at the ditch field yesterday. It was white
with cotton. Mr. Hale wished me to hire soma
hands for fear we would have another storm. I
told him to put his boys to work, as I knew they
were needy. They are picking 2,000 pounds per
day. Mr. Meddo told me some one had stolen ten
hogs from us at the mill. He is going to make
pens next week and put them up. Bacon is so
scarce we have to be very watchful. Then I con
cluded not to buy any at such prices—30 cents per
pound. Have commenced killing the beeves.
Katie has just come for money to buy chestnuts
for papa. Lucy has just got out 50 yards of cloth
for the negroes. It would be so nice for the sol
diers. I wish we could get something else for the
negroes. Such cloth is selling at 65 to 75 cents.
I think it fortunate I made my cloth at home. It
is almost impossible for persons to get goods for
children and negroes.
Mr. McDowel says he thinks it a good idea of
yours that he should be a teacher. He says he ex
pects to do something else besides preach, but does
not wish to locate, as preachers will be needed.
Mr. Wilks is very sick.
I hope you will soon come and I will tell you the
rest of the news. Your affectionate
ANNIE.
n
LET THEM KEEP TO THEMSELVES.
Often one hears it said, “The best son or daugh
ter makes the best husband or wife.” Well, this
is generally true, but it is possible for married ones
to be too devoted as sons or daughters for their
marital happiness. In such cases, the parents will
be apt to dominate the new home and cause dissen
sion. For a whole year after marriage, the young
pair should be left pretty much to themselves to
arrange their own nest, and get adapted to each
other. They need this time to reveal their jagged
points of difference to each other, to rub these
angels down and knit their lives together. But they
should have no alien eyes watching them as they
do this. After a year or so, when love and habit
have made them one, let them open their doors to
the long visits of mothers, fathers, aunts and sis
ters, but for the first year, if they are wise, they
will keep to themselves, not as recluses, of course,
but as two who are sufficient unto themselves in
the manner portrayed in the fine poem, “Hanging
the Crane”:
“For two alone there in the hall
Is spread the table, round and small;
They want no guests; they needs must be
Each other’s own best company.”
In theory it would seem to be more productive
of family unity and family economy when the old
nest shelters the whole flock —old mates and new—
but practice has proven time and again that this
arrangement militates against peace, particularly
when the bride is the stranger in the family. The
Japanese manage this by making the young wife a
servant to her husband’s family, but a spirited Amer
ican girl is not willing to be dictated to in every
trifle. Her husband should not ask her to share a
house of which she is not mistress. While there
may be many households where two generations
dwell together in harmony, yet in the majority of
cases separate homes are highly advisable.
BUSY BEE.
WE NEED OTHERS, IF THEY DO NOT NEED US.
“My friend, you are not as zealous as you used to
be. What is the matter?”
“Well, there are so many interested in the poor,
the sick and the ignorant now that I thought I might
as well attend to my own business. The poor, the
sick and the ignorant do not need me.”
“But, friend, you need them. The first thing you
know your heart will be as hard as that rock out
there.”
Selfishness can be compared to a person saving
himself in a little boat. He has taken from the
sinking ship provisions, blankets and other neces
saries for his own preservation He starts out for
