HOME! How at the word, a crowd of pleasant thoughts awaken. Whatsun-bright images are pictured to the imagination. Yet, there is nohome without its shadows as well as sunshine. Love makes thehome-lights and selfishness the shadows. Ah! how dark the shadow attimes—how faint and fleeting the sunshine. How often selfishnesstowers up to a giant height, barring out from our dwellings everygolden ray. There are few of us, who do not, at times, darken withour presence the homes that should grow bright at our coming. It issad to acknowledge this; yet, in the very acknowledgement is apromise of better things, for, it is rarely that we confess, withouta resolution to overcome the evil that mars our own and others'happiness. Need we say, that the book now presented to the reader isdesigned to aid in the work of overcoming what is evil and selfish,that home-lights may dispel home-shadows, and keep them forever fromour dwellings.
IT is a little singular—yet certainly true—that people who arevery tenacious of their own rights, and prompt in maintaining them,usually have rather vague notions touching the rights of others.Like the too eager merchant, in securing their own, they are veryapt to get a little more than belongs to them.
Mrs. Barbara Uhler presented a notable instance of this. We cannotexactly class her with the "strong-minded" women of the day. But shehad quite a leaning in that direction; and if not very strong-mindedherself, was so unfortunate as to number among her intimate friendstwo or three ladies who had a fair title to the distinction.
Mrs. Barbara Uhler was a wife and a mother. She was also a woman;and her consciousn