THE HOUSEKEEPER by Charles Lamb

The frugal snail, with forecast of repose,
Carries his house with him where’er he goes;
Peeps out,- and if there comes a shower of rain,
Retreats to his small domicile amain.
Touch but a tip of him, a horn, - ’tis well,-
He curls up in his sanctuary shell.
He’s his own landlord, his own tenant; stay
Long as he will, he dreads no Quarter Day.
Himself he boards and lodges; both invites
And feasts himself; sleeps with himself o’nights.
Chattels; himself is his own furniture,
And his sole riches. Whereso’er he roam,-
Knock when you will, - he’s sure to be at home.

Children and wee-minded adults can enjoy this poetic observation by Charles Lamb about a snail, but self-sufficiency is also a Victorian’s (like me) first, middle and last name. Republicans could well re-name and re-invent themselves as the Victorian party. Yes, a true conservative (like me) upholds Victorian values: faith, thrift, discipline, patriotism, responsibility, stability, innovation, entrepreneurship, sexual continence, martial fidelity, parental control and social cohesion. Liberals, on the other hand, whether Democrats, progressives, socialists, Fascists, collectivists, radicals, activists, or even libertarians, can only pervert the meaning of any Victorian tenet they claim to make it their own. Napoleon Obama (from AMERICAN FARM) proceeds down the path of destruction or ‘modernization’ of Victorian living.