A Cozy Humble Home

1911 family working together to earn $3 a week (Library of Congress Archives)

I love old houses with their quaint wallpaper and classic designs.  These places remind me of the simplicity of family life where Mother is always home. She is there when the children come home from school, work, or play.  She is there to comfort them with her great patience and dedication to her family.

In our old house I like to sweep the floors in the evening and turn on the lamps. I straighten up the chairs and make the kitchen and parlour look neat.

There are pretty designs in the old woodwork.   I love to polish the banister that goes down the front staircase. The walls are decorated with old paintings.  The house cost little and so do its furnishings.  It is a humble home.

There is nothing of modern design here.  It is classic and old fashioned.  It is peaceful and pleasant.  On these cool autumn days, it is a joy to walk into the house and feel the warmth from our wood stove.  This brings a cozy feeling of happiness. 

There are many mothers who did not grow up in happy homes.  They may not have had a living example of homemaking, of being a beloved wife and mother.  Sometimes this has to be found in the examples of extended relatives, neighbors, those in the church, or in old books and other types of uplifting literature.

Often the trials and tribulations of life around us make it very difficult to have a cozy life at home.  One must always remember that we must have a will, a determination, to make our homes what they ought to be.  It is up to us to oversee and to do the cleaning. It is up to us to rearrange rooms to make them pleasant. It is up to us to keep our hearts set on things above, through prayer and Bible reading, so that a warmth of holiness strengthens us to do the work of making happy homes.

To have a cozy, humble home is something to strive for.  It is something that will take great effort and work, just like our relationships take much labor.  The most important ingredient to having a happy home is to have a humble, grateful heart.

Blessings
Mrs. White


From the Archives -

Happy times at Home - Mother's Dinner Bell.

Teaching the Next Generation - Cleaning House with Baby. 

Daily work at Home - Gracious Homemaking.

 - To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

  For Encouragement in Christian Homemaking, order Mrs. White's book, "Homemaking For Happiness: Wonderful Days at Home."

In this book, you will find essays, articles, and diary entries about life in a Christian home.

Entries are arranged by season, and include:  "Keeping a Frugal Kitchen;" "Missing the Lilacs;" "An Evening Walk in the Garden;" "At Grandmother's House;" and "Chores for Grandchildren."

You will also find a few photographs showing a little of the local landscape.

Paperback, 307 pages.