unfaithful home brought them there. Could they but speak to us from their
chambers of wo, we should hear them pouring out curses upon their parents,
and ascribing the cause of their ruin to their neglect. On the other hand,
could we but listen to the anthems of the redeemed in heaven, we should
doubtless hear sentiments of gratitude for a mother's prayer and a father's
counsel.

Let us now briefly advert to the objects of home-influence. It is exerted
upon the members of home, especially upon the formation of their character
and destiny. It moulds their character. The parents assimilate their
children to themselves to such an extent that we can judge the former by
the latter. Lamartine says that, when he wants to know a woman's character,
he ascertains it by an inspection of her home,--that he judges the daughter
by the mother. His judgment rests upon the known influence the latter has
over the former. It gives texture and coloring to the whole woof and web of
character. It forms the head and the heart, moulds the affections, the will
and the conscience, and throws around our entire nature the means and
appliances of its development for good or for evil. Every word, every
incident, every look, every lesson of home, has its bearing upon our life.
Had one of these been omitted, our lives would perhaps be different. One
prayer in our childhood, was perhaps the lever that raised us from ruin.
One omission of parental duty may result in the destruction of the child.
What an influence home exerts upon our faith! Most of our convictions and
opinions rest upon home-teaching and faith. A minister was once asked, "Do
you not believe christianity upon its evidences?" He replied, "No; I
believe it because my mother taught me!"

The same may be said of its influence upon our sympathies, and in the
formation of habits. It draws us by magnetic power to home, and develops in
us all that which is included in home-feeling and home-sickness.