Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-09-09


fashionable show, in connection with educat-
ing and training of children, and what should
be an intellectual and moral elevation, is
nothing more nor less than popular, hypo-
critical mantle, to cover their ignorant, de-
PRAYED and despicabe souls. I will own that
this is hard to say to those who are innocent,
yet harder still to those who are guilty of
what many are.
But to clear as go: does not the parent
OF instinct, learn her young all the traits pc.
culiar to its race? Is it not her that teaches
1t TO be savage and voracous, cautious and
secretlve, and many, very many other things,
which L will not stop to mention. Some one
says, how long will she do this, as long as
parent cares for child? I claim she does,
for this reason it earlier comes to MATURE
ty, and she does not let it go for once to get
wrong impressions, and be influenced by those
selfish, unprincpled creatures that are ever
lurking around the pathway of childhood
until she deems it competent in caring for it.
self.
Parents of hoary hair and those of mid
die age, yet in the prime of life, permit a
youth to address you by way of asking few
questions, and by giving an expression of her
opinion in conclusion of these faulty lines
Would not this world, deem you, be in more
prosperous condition, in comparatively
short period of time, should you educate
your children? Let the cultivation of the
young, the training of the mental powers, be
field of your own pruning. Let not this
field at the halves, nor to the expense of d
few dollars tor o quarter, a half, or even one
year, 50 that you may be at liberty speou-
lating in human souls. Instead of preach.
ing for them to practice, practice yourselves
SO they may learn to confde in you; and
show them there is nothing you wish or would
ask them to do that you would not do your
self in moral, intellectual, or practical life
Learn them, by example, that that which i,
not worthy to be practiced, is not worthy tt
be preached. Learn them that "theory anC
practice " is the essence of life," and life
well lived is worth living for. and one poorly
lived is worse than non-existence.
| When you are rearing some delicate house
plant, how careful you are to prepare wei
the soil in which the seed is to be nurtured
carefully taking out everything that will i'm
pede its progress, and everything you do mo-
want should foster it in its growth, seeing
there is no little bug nor worm secretly coil
ed. and no sooner than hid to view, devou
the seed. Then when it first springs up from
earth, you water and watch it every day
you would not entrust it to the care of you
most worthy servant for weeks and months
for fear some trialng thing, unnoticed, woulC
spring up to mar its beauty. IF you hat
some valuable animal, how long would 70,
leave it in the care of others, unseen by your
self, remaining perfectly at case, by tellin,
them they must do so and so by it? All
selfish man, you would see to it yourself
your money-god would prompt you to Sc
that it was properly cared for?
Is it not more pleasant to raise fruit tina
is good in winter than TO raise that which al
autumnal breeze will wither, and winter
blast decay?
Parents, if you wish to have children ris
up in rebellion-as am doing, thou n no
to my parents exclusively, but more in par
ticular with the system of conducting com
mon schools-continne to walk in the path
way you have worked-your ruin, and be
yond all doubt they will. But on the cor
trary, if you would have them do honor t
your grey hairs, ease and protect you in you
declining years, embems of earth and blo
SONS for eternity, act on a different PLAN
Take it while in the bud of infancy, del
gently with it there for childhoods forming
in childhood, lead it forth with your own han
to muse upon the varied beauties Of natur
a world full Of fact and fiction, instead
leaving them to wander alone to world
supposition, or by the guidance of some or
else. When childhood is putting off its sin
Pile garb to assume the beauties of yout
leave it not then for purity in youth
what constitutes beauty in manhood: and
duly watched till now, by your own eye, new
leaving it unguarded to fall into the vast a
semblage Of vices in which so many of o,
youth unconscious and ignorant of the col
sequences, plunge, what blessings they woul
be to humanity, and ornaments to the
Maker.
Then there would be no need of so muc
useless expense, so many parents separate
from their children, so many tears and hear
breakings; self-culture would do away a
this. Perhaps some say, how can we {
this? Even if we do, we shall never real
the profits. Oh, selfish, short-sighted mar
you did not dream you were preparing ii
grounds for the next century, did you? as
Of you who view things in this light, whe
should we have been had all of our ancesto
reasoned thus? will close this by askir
all to read and-rehect.