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The Adventist Home
more valuable than wealth and luxury, and contentment with simple
things will make home happy if love be there
The Little Attentions Count—God tests and proves us by the
common occurrences of life. It is the little things which reveal the
chapters of the heart. It is the little attentions, the numerous small
incidents and simple courtesies of life, that make up the sum of life’s
happiness; and it is the neglect of kindly, encouraging, affectionate
words, and the little courtesies of life, which helps compose the sum
of life’s wretchedness. It will be found at last that the denial of self for
the good and happiness of those around us constitutes a large share of
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the life record in heaven. And the fact will also be revealed that the
care of self, irrespective of the good and happiness of others, is not
beneath the notice of our heavenly Father
A Husband Who Failed to Express Affection—A house with
love in it, where love is expressed in words and looks and deeds, is a
place where angels love to manifest their presence and hallow the scene
by rays of light from glory. There the humble household duties have a
charm in them. None of life’s duties will be unpleasant to your wife
under such circumstances. She will perform them with cheerfulness
of spirit and will be like a sunbeam to all around her, and she will be
making melody in her heart to the Lord. At present she feels that she
has not your heart’s affections. You have given her occasion to feel
thus. You perform the necessary duties devolving upon you as head of
the family, but there is a lack. There is a serious lack of love’s precious
influence which leads to kindly attentions. Love should be seen in the
looks and manners and heard in the tones of the voice
A Disappointing, Self-centered Wife—The moral character of
those united in marriage is either elevated or degraded by their associ-
ation; and the work of deterioration accomplished by a low, deceptive,
selfish, uncontrollable nature is begun soon after the marriage cer-
emony. If the young man makes a wise choice, he may have one
to stand by his side who will bear to the utmost of her ability her
share of the burdens of life, who will ennoble and refine him, and
make him happy in her love. But if the wife is fitful in character,
self-admiring, exacting, accusing, charging her husband with motives
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11
Ibid., 4:621, 622
.
12
Ibid., 2:133, 134
.
13
Ibid., 2:417, 418
.