of a brush would cleanse it. It is true that heavy wood
carved by hand is beautiful enough to repay us for its care, but that
being smoothly finished does not catch very much dust.

The evening should be the crown of the day in a home. There are few
homes where the evenings are as homelike as they could easily be. This
is partly because there are so many outside attractions both in the city
and country. Now I am not of those who think it praiseworthy to be
always at home. I was told the other day of a steady young man who had
not been out an evening in three years. I felt no enthusiasm about him.
I think outside interests are absolutely necessary for any fresh or
large life. But I think when we find ourselves going out as many as half
our evenings, we are really dissipated, unless the circumstances are of
a very unusual character, for we need as many as three or four evenings
in a week to develop true home life. But in stay-at-home families,
though the evenings are pleasant, I think they are seldom ideal. The
reason for this is that the days are so crowded. The father and mother
are tired, and, moreover, the father has no other time to read his
unnecessarily voluminous newspaper, and the mother has no other time to
do her unnecessarily elaborate sewing, while the children generally have
lessons to study. Even then, a cosy room, with plenty of fire and light,
where all the family meet together and feel no restraint, is a cheerful
though a silent place. And we cannot all escape overwork however
valiantly we fight our battle with non-essentials. Those who work ten
hours in a factory, for example, have very little space for the other
essentials of life, and there must be crowding. But some of us could
simplify the day and so find room for unmitigated enjoyment in the
evening. Sometimes sewing is pleasant in itself when cheerful
conversation or reading is going on about us. I suppose the mother's
work-basket will usually form an attractive nucleus in any home picture,
and if there is not too much or too anxious sewing, I believe most
women like it. And a moderate newspaper need not monopolize a whole
evening. There are occasionally times when a careless child should be
made to study a lesson at night. But the ideal evening at home is
social, and its occupations are such that all can join in them. For
myself I believe very fully in reading aloud. But in any household happy
enough to consist of father, mother, and children,