The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1860-05-23

did not think any the worse Of them on
that account, provided they honestly tri-
ed to be good !; indeed, the harder they
found it, the more God was pleased with
them, if only they tried the moro earnest
Iy; and they must not be discouraged, or
afraid of God, if they should sometimes
stumble and fail into wrong, (as most ike
ly ,hoy would but be sorry, and keap
on striving to do right, and be sure tina.
God would then love them Just as tender
", and forgive them, and make ali allow
ance for them, inst as loving fathers and
mothers always do, and they would GER
tainly succeed at last, for Gods good spir-
it was in all their hearts to help every one
to become good that honestly tried, and
kept on trying.
s'But how good God is. At first
thought it would seem one of the mouin n
fullest things in the world that the little
folks should be deprived of the sweet in
fuence of right instruction; the blessed
sense that they are Gods dearly loved
children, and subjected to such teaching
as Mr.. Grim's made to think themselves
the children of the Evil One, and sure to
fall into his clutches at the last, unless
they happen to be among the elect,
which it is ten to one they were not. One
would think their young life would be
overshadowed and chilled to its very cen
tire, by the great black horror of such a
creed. But God takes care it shall not be
so. IF you chance to come upon a troop
of those little ones out of doors at school
recess, you will see them running, and
scampering, and kicking up their heels
like young colts let loose, and filing the
air with the merry ring of their shouts
and laughter. a strange spectacle and
a frightfu one-in right logical consid-
Grafton of the creed thoy are taught-to
see the doomed little wretches so joyous
and thoughtlcss amidst the terrific chances
of their fate! But God. the true loving
God, is stronger in bis hearts than their
Catechism, setting forth a God worse
than none, by all the difference between
n bad one and none. Let us rejoice it
is so. Let US be thankful that such I'M
wholesome instructions enter so little into
the differentiation of children's hearts, but
roll off, for the most part, Ike the little
pellets of hail from the windows, with
out any adhesion at ALL
''But, husband, do YOU thing that the
parents and elders really hold any such
teirillo doctrines?'
well, they think they do; some of
them only think they do, but in reality
do not; they hold only the words; some
perhaps hold the doctrines, but without
seeing or believing in the Consequences
Which is another blessed thing. Then,
too, being fathers and mothers has q
wonderful influence: it is one Of Gods
contrivancos, the incors stencv there is be-
tween mothers head and a
m the.'s heart, between fathers creed
and fathers love: and SO through Gods
love in them and their parents love sur
rounding them, the little ones get
chance for q JOYOUS childhood; unless in
The midst Of very unhappy outward cir
cumstances. Oh! when will all those be
friendly? never think of the social
life of highly Civilized nations, with so
much sorrow for its evils in any of its
other relations, as in its bearing upon the
unfolding of Childhood
X X x
'Mrs. Oldham had been sitting for
some time in silence, her scissors busily
running in and out the indented edge ola
collar she was trimming for Lilly. Fred
and his sister were on the other side of
the table, each absorbed in reading, the
one Ivanhoe,' the other Miss Yonge's
beautiful tale of Hearts Ease The
Docssor was looking over the newspa-
per. ],
Husband sad Mrs Oldham at length
casting her eyes upon tie children, now
different the feeling among good people
now from what it used to be about nov
els and works of fiction
eyes replied the Doctor, they did
not understand, in the days of your
grandmother, that it is through the world
of fiction children first enter into the di-
vine and eternal world
"Dear me! husband, I ana afraid |
don't understand YOU returned his
wife.
81 beg your pardon, my dear; l was
absurdly transcendentai in phrase. |
mean that it is from true fiction, from the
living products of the creative magma
ton, children get their frstileas of tho
wonderful, of world out of nature, the
supernatural and divine. True and pure
fiction is the purest truth, the natural and
necessary aliment for the young imagin-
alton, through the quicksniug of which
faculty alone the other faculties of mind
and heart are best unfolded, even if they
can be at all unfolded in any other way
s<A sad time then, in those old days
for the unfolding of the young mind and
heart said Mrs. Oldham; almost hope
less case
$50 one would say at first thought,
replied the Doctor; 'but God watches
over the little ones. He contrives com
neusations AID projections where they
ara concerned. He does not let mon
sirons doctrines and pious absurdlties OF
He oltorather rlreyaIl over COM