had not all his childish remembrances of them been embittered by the
association of restraint and privation. He actually seemed to hate any
appearance of luxury or taste or order,--he was a perfect Philistine.

As for my friend Bill, from being the pleasantest and most genial of
fellows, he became a morose, misanthropic man. Dr. Franklin has a
significant proverb,--"Silks and satins put out the kitchen fire."
Silks and satins--meaning by them the luxuries of housekeeping--often
put out not only the parlor fire, but that more sacred flame, the fire
of domestic love. It is the greatest possible misery to a man and to
his children to be homeless; and many a man has a splendid house, but
no home.

"Papa," said Jenny, "you ought to write and tell what are your ideas
of keeping a home."

"Girls, you have only to think how your mother has brought you up."

* * * * *

Nevertheless, I think, being so fortunate a husband, I might reduce my
wife's system to an analysis, and my next paper shall be, What is a
Home, and How to Keep it.

III

WHAT IS A HOME

It is among the sibylline secrets which lie mysteriously between you
and me, O reader, that these papers, besides their public aspect, have
a private one proper to the bosom of mine own particular family. They
are not merely an _ex post facto_ protest in regard to that carpet and
parlor of celebrated memory, but they are forth-looking towards other
homes that may yet arise near us. For, among my other confidences, you
may recollect I stated to you that our Marianne was busy in those
interesting cares and details which relate to the preparing and
ordering of another dwelling.

Now, when any such matter is going on in a family, I have observed that
every feminine instinct is in a state of fluttering vitality,--every
woman, old or young, is alive with womanliness to the tips of her
fingers; and it becomes us of the other sex, however consciously
respected, to walk softly and put forth our sentiments discreetly, and
with due reverence for the mysterious powers that reign in the feminine
breast.

I had been too well advised to offer one word of direct counsel on a
subject where there were such charming voices, so able to convict me
of absurdity at every turn. I had merely so arranged my affairs as to
put into the hands of my bankers, subject to my wife's order, the very
modest marriage portion which I could place at my girl's disposal