A WORRYING HOME.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XV, Issue XIX, 9 November 1895, Page 596

A WORRYING HOME.

It was a pleasant room in a pleasant house. Not large, not stately, not elegant, but with all that conduces to comfort, and much to gratify the taste. Well-chosen books turned to the eye their tempting titles from well-filled shelves; pretty pictures hung upon the walls ; easy chairs wooed to comfort and rest when weary in mind or body, everything bespoke, if not wealth, an easeof circumstances that should preclude anxiety. Anxiety was, however, the normal condition of the family. Whether both father and mother were born with that temperment, or it was the result of association on the part of one or the other, or both, I do not know. Certainly the disposition grew as the years passed, until what might have been a pleasant home was anything but restful and tranquil. Uncomfortable as it was, there was an element of the ludicrous to the looker-on in this constant peering out for misfortune. The wonder was that anything was ever accomplished successfully. Here is a specimen of the way they took life :

‘ My dear, I have concluded to sell the hill property to Mr Bates. It is expensive to keep up and he offers a good price, so I’ve made up my mind to let it go.’ Instantly an anxious look overspread the wife’s face.

‘ Well, do as you think best, but I don’t believe he’ll ever pay for it, and you will have all the bother for nothing.’

‘Yes, I know, that would be just my luck, but I might as well do that a« to let it lie and bring us in nothing. It does seem sometimes as if we would end in the poorhouse.’

A long-drawn sigh was her reply to this cheerful announcement.

Now there was not the slightest prospect or danger of such a termination of affairs and both knew it, but it seemed to be a luxury to hug gloomy thoughts to their bosoms. Both knew, too. in regard to the matter spoken of, that Mr Bates was an honest, well-to-do business man, who was no more likely to fail in keeping his agreements than the great majority, and yet their words indicated a strong doubt of his ability and desire to fulfil an obligation. This sort of spirit ran through everything. Did they start out for a ride, they knew it would rain before they got back ; or the horse would fall lame, or run away ; they would catch their ‘ death of cold.’ or miss what they were going to see. I think they would believe it to be ' their luck ’ for the Alps to hide away from them while they were sailing across the ocean to take a look at their hoary heads. Thesame thing was visible in the smallest details of every-day life. The mother never allowed the children to leave her side without overwhelming them with • don’ts ’ with regard to their conduct. Were they gone a few minutes over time she was sure something horrible had happened, and they would never come back alive. . When they did return happy and rollicking, full of the good time they had enjoyed, reproaches and scoldings dimmed their pleasure, and often aroused them to impatience and anger. Strange, strange indeed, that those parents could not see the bitter wrong they were doing in thus poisoning the faith of childhood, sowing the seeds of doubt, which were sure to grow and blossom into fear and distrust in the existence of any

good. To such children the Infinite Father comes to seem some inexorable, terrible power which spends its time in thwarting the designs of the beings He has created. Such a training makes the most arrant cowards of little ones. Better never say a word of caution than to meet them at every step with a fear that they are coming to grief. In fact, these things are all habit far more than we are willing to allow. It is the easiest thing in the world, unfortunately, to see the dark side when we are determined to do so, and the persistent looking for it amounts to that. If people were as strenuous in their expectations of good as they are of ill, the sum of happiness would be far greater.