St. Mary's beacon., 1858-02-11

c,,,ef e,,...5ne whsYeon to erect this fzir and
rr;shtv &c, defined 10 withstand The storm
~ 49,. Id 70 remain pndem0lished by tie |
rr,.s,sS,5zg fingers cf time. Let this foundn-
tI.s s6ne be laid in faith. and every successive
SfnZ placed thereon il truth, geafleness and !
esincss Let not the young eyes OF children
e the DARK row, Of passion coFrOde your
brow, o. their young ears BE- polluted with the
souud of harsh and unseensly language pro-
ceel;ne iran yasF lips Thkeaten not mllzss
you intend % pait your threats ilito execution.
yevsE slosslkea child and thereby falsify your
word; and when punishment becomes ncces-
sary iniict il 10 the spirit II love and not that
of anger. Why Is Il that we see 50 many
young men who have turned out into the world
become the victims Of intemperance, dissipa-
ton and pfsaigacy, rendering themselves neu-
sances 70 the soeiety IN which nature and ma
lures God had endowed them with abilities to
shine so many young women enervated in
body, imbecile in intellect. extravagant devo-
tees at the shrine Of fashion aud folly, and To-
tally neglectful Of home duties and associations?
Should not those corrupt fruits be traced to the
corrupt seed which had been planted in the
fresh soil Of the youthful heart and the culture
whereby they have been fostered2 Now let
us glance at the seed sown and the cultivation
persued which have brought those bitter fruits
TO so premature a state of maturation. The
seed so early scattered in the heart are pride,
vanity and selfshness, from which spring ex-
travagance, envy and lieeR1iousness, with all
their train Of eoncomitant vices. The practice
Of culture, in many cases, is an entire neglect
Of the mental capacity of children, leaving the
mind free TO receive the baneful impressions Of
the corrupt examples by which they may be
surrounded, while at the same time, On unlim-
tied indulgence is allowed in the qualification
of every whim and caprice dictated by selfish
ness or if a cultivation of the nsind and heart
enters into the programme Of family training,
it i often so injudciously administered that the
practice defeats the very object it was designed
to secure for instance, the idea enters into
the head Of the parent that the child should be
taught some portions of the testament and cat
echism, he is then subjected to harsh and rigid
rule for committing and reciting certain form
of words Of which he has no more comprehen-
sion Of the GgnifcatiOn than he would have of
Hindoo or Hottcntot. Yet he has been coerced
into committing this set form Of words, and
what is the result In effect il is this his
young mind has revolted at the whole process
and he has been made to hate and dcspise that
which il in itself holy and true, and which, had
other measures been adopted, he might have
been led to love and reverence. The path
through which the young are led for the pur-
pose of acquiring knowledge should be strcwn
with flowers and not with thorns. The influ-
ence that conducts them onward should be that
of kindness, love and gentleness, which would
cast charm around the temple Of love which
few young hearts could be hard enough TO with
stand. In many instances the boys are taught
to look upon themselves as gentlemen above
the practice of either mental or manuel labor
to procure for them place and position in so
ciety and as gentlemen they have nothing t.
do but dress and show off 20 the admiring eyes
of their companions in folly, and he who can
cut the greatest swell is the most accomplished
gentleman. The girls, Of course, are ladies
whose greatest accomplishment is made to con-
sist in decorating the person with taste and ele-
gance, in displaying to advantage their costly
set Of jewclry and the luxurious fabrics which
compose their flowing drapery, and excelling
in the gracefulncss and ease of motions and de-
pertinent, according to the rules of etiquette
prescribed fOr the fashionable assemblies con-
gregated in the halls and gay saloons devoted
to the worship Of the tickle goddess. Thus by
this system of training, neglect of mental cul-
ture, or injudiciously enforced in the domestic
circle, and early initiating into scenes of dissi-
patton and frivolity, the mind, kept in q con-
tinual whirl by those enervating amusements,
is at length completely given up TO the benefi-
eial influences around them.
Let knowledge be mildly and pleasantly inn
parted 10 the young. Impress this important
truth upon the tender mind, that without solid
mental requirements, all other accomplish
ments are but superficial, and can never elevate
the man TO a position of honor and trust under
the government of his country, an expounder
Of Gods holy law, OF the character of a good
and useful citizen. Teach the girls that the
woman whose accomplishments are only Of an
panion for man Of cultivated mind. The
ward graces, and then how vain his endeayor
to extract honey from the flimsy web Of the
gUssameF. sl'f. al 1s.n- 7.-g E.- ...