But, besides worship together at the family altar, there should be private prayer. Every one should have a place where he can worship God alone. Our Lord saw the necessity that each of his disciples should be alone with him. Hence he said: "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." Begin the day by solitary communing with God. End the day in the same way, by asking God for his forgiveness for the past, for his preservation for the night, and for his care in all the time to come.
But some one may say: "Does not this attention to religious duties make the new home gloomy?" Not at all. It is the way to make it bright and cheerful. The wedding day soon passes by, and in time will come the regular domestic life, with its monotony and cares. Leave this life to God's ordering. He alone can make us strong for every hour's demands. The German poet Schirmer says a wise word, which well applies to all who begin life in the new home:
"Left to ourselves we shall but stray;
O, lead us in the narrow way:
With wisest counsel guide us,
And give us steadfastness, that we
May henceforth truly follow thee,
Whatever woes betide us.
. . . . .
"O mighty Rock, O Source of life,
Let thy clear word, 'mid doubt and strife,
Be so within us burning,
That we be faithful unto death
In thy pure love and holy faith,
From thee true wisdom learning.
Lord, thy graces on us shower;
By thy power
Christ confessing
Let us win his grace and blessing."
Vinet here lays down the true principle of a thoroughly good life at home: "Wherever we advance in the path of marriage and of life, with eyes lifted up toward a Saviour we love, with a salvation we hope for, with a spirit of prayer and supplication through which Jesus Christ constantly intervenes by his Spirit between the husband and wife—there, indeed, a marriage may be happy; nay, must be infallibly so. The union between two converted hearts is necessarily sweet and unutterable; without this there is no security." The new home consecrated by prayer—daily prayer—will become what that beautiful home of Sir Thomas More was—"a school and exercise of the Christian religion."
THE HOME BEAUTIFUL.
reat art is required in making beautiful the new home. The house need not be large and stately in order to be attractive to the eye. More attention has been paid of late in this country to the adornment of homes than in former years. We Americans begin to see, as never before, that the enjoyment of the occupants of a house is in some way connected with the furnishing and general effect. Let every room be used. Let the inner doors be kept wide open. In this way the atmosphere will be uniform and of free circulation; the interior of the house will appear to its full size, and the general effect will be more cheerful. Even the humblest means need not prevent some simple hangings and a few prints on the walls.