Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1841-02-25
TIE MOTHERS EXAMPLE.

Eliot chursa. Roxbury, Mas.
The question which every Christian
mother deems more important than almost
I any other is, +" How may best promote
the moral and spiritual welfare of my
ehildrenf' This question shall now very
briefly endeavor to answer:
n Is 5y eadeaporing 10 be oarscfues pre-
cisely nhai iec seish oar children 10 be.
We must cultivate most asslduously
ourselves the same traits of character We
wish them to possess. We transmit far
more surely to them our moral than our
phy steal image. Would you have the
features Of your children tranquil, smiling,
expressive ola peaceful, benevolent, and
a cheerful heart? Let such invariably be
the expression OF your own counlenance.
Would you have your children cultivate
pleasing manners, refined and gentle
movements Study ever to exhibit before
them the model you wish them TO initiate.
Do you desire that they should avoid all
those coarse and vulgar tones which CRATE
| harshly upoE the cart A all times let
your voice be atiuned to those soft and
placid notes, with which you wish them to
speak in concert. Let your children nev.
er, under any circumstances, hear from
your lips an expression or sound, which
you would not he happy 10 hear from
theirs. DO you wish your children to have
their passions under control; to be able
10 govern their feelings undr proeoca.
tons never to be angry, or peevish, or
| irritable Show them, by your own prac-
| tice, how to control their passions. Let
them see that none Of the annoyances Of
life can ruiEle the disciplined equunimity
Of your feelings; that when a careless
! servant spolls the dinner, or you hear the
! crash ofthe falling china, you can conquer
our own spirit. IL requires no greater Ell
fort for us to meet calmly our anuoyances,
than it does for our children 10 meet theirs
Do yeu wish your chilren to love Cod,
to manifest a cheerful and grateful trust in
his goodness Then let it shine forth in
your countenance, i'll your expressions, in
all your demeanor; in your cheerful ac-
quiesccnce in the divine will, continually,
on every bright as well as every dark d9y.
Would YOU have your children endeavor
to promote the happiness of the fainily OF
brothers and sisters, by goo nature. by
an obliging disposition, by Il willingness TO
reiinquish their own wishes TO CRAFTY
others2 Snow them how. Let the first
accents Of your voice in the morning, and
the last in the evening, be those of cheer.
fulness and aft cion. Ltno frown cloud
your brow. BE yourself, amid troubles
and trials Of life, Inc angel Of harmony
and JOY in your family. Do you desire
that your children should IN all respects
possess the spirit Of Christ that they
should love their Saviour, initiate his char.
acter receive the impress OF his image,
and be educated for happy immortality 7
Let your children see the image Of Christ
reflected brightly from your heart and
continually endeavor TO adorn your own
character by all the graces Of Christian
spirit, and oil the sympathies Of heaven.
Thus endeayor, ~ all respects, 10 be your
self precls' ly what you visa your children
to be. Make yourself, if possible, the pat
tern which yea wish them to initiate.
This is the way, elicacious above oil
others, TO influence the human heart. And
now permit ms TO intro luce few thoughts
10 impress this truth upon the mind.
/. This influence is Of great Avail, be-
cause uaS necessarily operating. We can
not be always talking to our children aud
if we could, we should only weary and
deaden their sensbiliiies. But the infu-
ence Of example is continually operating
and continually delghting. Itneger wea-
ries and is never inopportune. In the
morning, at noontide and in the evening
in sickness and IN health; in duty and IN
pleasure when happy and sorrowful, il is
ever winning the love, and moulding the
characters of all the inmates Of our dwell
lngs. The consistency Of this influence
does but increase its welcomeness and its
efficacy. And there are few children who
under such an example, from the cradle
TO the time they leave the parental roof,
can fail TO become amiable and lovely.
,. This influence is all important, be-
cause impressions Conveyed through HE eye,
arc Arrays more deep and lasting than
those Conveyed through The err.
We hear a-battle described in the most
glowing language Of eloquence. How
faint the impression compared with what
it would be to witness the horrible scene
Of carnage and agony And 50 II is with
more placid events. What description ol
a sunrise or sunset among the Alps, can
convey those emotions which overwhelm
the beholder Of this scene of grandeur and
of lovelness We may urge upon our
children, in the most forcibe language, ali
the duties OF life, and describe with glow.
ing eloGuence those virtues which are
lovely and Of good report, but the impress
sion is feebleness itself compared will
what il would be, were we to present be-
fore their eyes living example Of these
virtues. They may forget our words but
, they cannot forget our conduct. Car
! one Of you forget the habitual character
: Of your parents? Is not the impress o