those outward, daily
acts of respect and duty which we owe to our Creator? It is too much
the slang of our day to decry forms, and to exalt the excellency of
the spirit in opposition to them; but tell me, are you satisfied with
friendship that has none of the outward forms of friendship, or love
that has none of the outward forms of love? Are you satisfied of the
existence of a sentiment that has no outward mode of expression? Even
the old heathen had their pieties; they would not begin a feast
without a libation to their divinities, and there was a shrine in
every well-regulated house for household gods."

"The trouble with all these things," said Bob, "is that they get to be
mere forms. I never could see that family worship amounted to much
more in most families."

"The outward expression of all good things is apt to degenerate into
mere form," said I. "The outward expression of social good feeling
becomes a mere form; but for that reason must we meet each other like
oxen? not say, 'Good morning,' or 'Good evening,' or 'I am happy to
see you'? Must we never use any of the forms of mutual good will,
except in those moments when we are excited by a real, present
emotion? What would become of society? Forms are, so to speak, a
daguerreotype of a past good feeling, meant to take and keep the
impression of it when it is gone. Our best and most inspired moments
are crystallized in them; and even when the spirit that created them
is gone, they help to bring it back. Every one must be conscious that
the use of the forms of social benevolence, even towards those who are
personally unpleasant to us, tends to ameliorate prejudices. We see a
man entering our door who is a weary bore, but we use with him those
forms of civility which society prescribes, and feel far kinder to him
than if we had shut the door in his face and said, 'Go along, you
tiresome fellow!' Now why does not this very obvious philosophy apply
to better and higher feelings? The forms of religion are as much more
necessary than the forms of politeness and social good will as
religion is more important than all other things."

"Besides," said my wife, "a form of worship kept up from year to year
in a family--the assembling of parents and children for a few sacred
moments each day, though it may be a form many times, especially in
the gay and thoughtless hours of life--often becomes invested with
deep sacredness in times of trouble, or in those crises that rou