stic sanctuary.
What are this stranger's rights? its titles? Upon what does it rest its
peremptory claims? This is what people too often neglect to inquire.
They make a mistake. We treat the invader as very poor and simple people
do a pompous visitor. For this incommoding guest of a day, they pillage
their garden, bully their children and servants, and neglect their
work. Such conduct is not only wrong, it is impolitic. One should have
the courage to remain what he is, in the face of all comers.

The worldly spirit is full of impertinences. Here is a home which has
formed characters of mark, and is forming them yet. The people, the
furnishings, the customs are all in harmony. By marriage or through
relations of business or pleasure, the worldly spirit enters. It finds
everything out of date, awkward, too simple, lacking the modern touch.
At first it restricts itself to criticism and light raillery. But this
is the dangerous moment. Look out for yourself; here is the enemy! If
you so much as listen to his reasonings, to-morrow you will sacrifice a
piece of furniture, the next day a good old tradition, and so one by one
the family heirlooms dear to the heart will go to the bric-a-brac
dealer--and filial piety with them.

In the midst of your new habits and in the changed atmosphere, your
friends of other days, your old relatives, will be expatriated. Your
next step will be to lay them aside in their turn; the worldly spirit
leaves the old out of consideration. At last, established in an
absolutely transformed setting, even you will view yourself with
amazement. Nothing will be familiar, but surely it will be correct; at
least the world will be satisfied!--Ah! that is where you are mistaken!
After having made you cast out pure treasure as so much junk, it will
find that your borrowed livery fits you ill, and will hasten to make you
sensible of the ridiculousness of the situation. Much better have had
from the beginning the courage of your convictions, and have defended
your home.

Many young people when they marry, listen to this voice of the world.
Their parents have given them the example of a modest life; but the new
generation thinks it affirms its rights to existence and liberty, by
repudiating ways in its eyes too patriarchal. So these young folks make
efforts to set themselves up lavishly in the latest fashion, and rid
themselves of useless property at dirt-cheap prices. Instead of filling
their houses with objec