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is not for invention or creation, but for sweet ordering, arrangement and decision. She sees the qualities of things, their claims and their places. Her great function is praise; she enters into no contest, but infallibly judges the crown of contest. By her office and place she is protected from all danger and temptation. The man, in his rough work in open world, must encounter all peril and trial; to him, therefore, the failure, the offence, the inevitable error; often he must be wounded or subdued, often misled, and always hardened. But he guards the woman from all this. Within his house, as ruled by her, unless she herself has sought it, need enter no danger, no temptation, no cause of error or offence. This is the true nature of home-it is the place of peace; the shelter, not only from all injury, but from all terror, doubt and division. In so far as it is not this, it is not home. So far as the anxieties of the outer life penetrate into it, and the inconsistently-minded, unknown, unloved, or hostile society of the outer world is allowed by either husband or wife to cross the threshold, it ceases to be home; it is then only a part of that outer world which you have roofed over, and lighted fire in. But so far as it is a sacred place, a vestal temple, a temple of the hearth watched over by household gods, before whose faces none may come but those whom they can receive with love-so far as it is this, and roof and fire are types only of a nobler shade and light-shade as of the rock in a weary land, and light as of the pharos in the stormy sea-so far it vindicates the name, and fulfills the praise of home.

"And wherever a true wife comes, this home is always round her. The stars only may be over her head; the glow-worm in the night-cold grass may be the only fire at her foot; but home is yet wherever she is; and for a noble woman it stretches far round her, better than ceiled with cedar or painted with vermilion, shedding its quiet light far, for those who else were homeless.

This, then, I believe to be-will you not admit it to be?—the woman's true place and power. But do you not see that to fulfill this she must-as far as one can use such terms of a human creature-be incapable of error? So far as she rules, all must be right, or nothing is. She must be enduringly, incorruptibly good; instinctively, infallibly wise-wise, not for self-development, but for selfrenunciation; wise, not that she may set herself above her husband, but that she may never fail from his side; wise, not with the narrowness of insolent and loveless pride, but with the passionate gentleness of an infinitely variable, because infinitely applicable, modesty of service-the true changefulness of woman. In that great sense-La Donna e mobile,' not 'Qual pium al vento;' no, nor yet 'Variable as the shade, by the light quivering aspen made;' but variable as the light, manifold in fair and serene division, that it may take the color of all that it falls upon, and exalt it."

If we accept these wise words of Ruskin, we shall begin our home building on a very firm basis.

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comfort and safety.

CHAPTER III.

Settling the House.

HEREVER the house be which is chosen for the new home, whether in city or country, the first thing to attend to is the drainage. People who wish to live in perfect health and strength must be sure that there is nowhere near them the lurking possibility of anything which will breed germs of disease. Especially in the country one needs to know that the well near the house is good; that there is an outlet for whatever might occasion trouble from a cesspool or anything of that sort. In the city, one must be sure that the plumbing is in perfect condition. This is really a sine qua non for health and consequent Then the householder must look well to the cellar, especially if the house be one in which other tenants have dwelt before him. Some years ago, in the city where I live, a whole family-father, mother and six children-were stricken down with diphtheria, and in one week the father and five of the children died. This occurrence was in a beautiful street where the houses were exceptionally fine. The local Board of Health ordered an investigation into the condition of the house, and found the cellar so foul that a candle would not burn in it. We need always to look well to cellars, pantries, closets and all shut up places in which the air has been closed, where perhaps careless people have thrown matter which may decay. A mysterious illness broke out once in a community where I was temporarily staying as a summer boarder, and was especially fierce in the house where I had taken my quarters. This house stood in the midst of a beautiful meadow with trees around it, and from the front porch we had a charming view of a mountain landscape. It would have seemed that no conditions could possibly be more favorable for health than those which surrounded us there; but a great many in the neighborhood sickened; several died, and in our own house there were cases. of disease approaching typhoid in character. Finally, a rigid examination of the wells took place, and it was found that organic matter in them was the cause of the entire trouble. Perfect cleanliness and everlasting vigilance are the price which must be paid for health. Many deaths are attributed to Divine providence which are due to human neglect.

In moving into a new house, or into a house which is new to you, the first thing to do is to thoroughly clean it. Every woman knows the value of the

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