Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1862-04-18

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CoBtpotiGc,i rod 60 ftt cioss Of l9cloof 1tgps,
| ,Ct iSsb- Disfvit No. 4 01esa orsat. ~,
Communicated for The Journal.
The rights Of parents, and the rights Of child.
ren involve The datiss Of each 70 the other for II
the parent performs his duty 10 the child Il is
but The cliild's right; and Il ID the dafyDf tbcz
child to yield the rights Of the parent therefore
IL each does his duty 10 tlio other sssIl a get
bis rights from the other. 50 in speaking ofthc
duties Of parents we speak also Of The rishta Of
children; and in naming the duties Of children,
we only name the rights Of parents.
Few parents fully understand the dutieswhich
they owe to their children; fewer still compre-i
hend the importance of those duties. The young
mother holds in her arms her helpless infant,
perhaps her first-born. She sees the blue veins,
revealing tho mysterious life-tide through the
almost transparent skin; she boholds its first
awakening thought sparkling in its eye. or melt
ing there into tears; she feels the gentle beat
ing Of its heart, a heart uncontaminated by sin.
1t is Innocent; it knows nothing Of the conflicts
and miseries of life and the mother firmly re-
solves and the father assents that no pains shall
be spared that are nessessary to ft him for use
fulness to society and the world. They may do
all this and yet have but vague idea of tho
great responsibility that rests upon them.-
They have before them being whose develop
ments may yet astonish them; whose gatherings
of knowledge they can neither foresee nor cir-
cumscribe; whose acts may perhaps sway the
destinies of n nation; and whose own destiny is
only known to the power that created him.
The responsibility of fitting the child for life
rests upon both parents, but more particularly
/ 4
ence at home is, so in great measure, VIII be
the influence of her children abroad. Upon the
mother depends the future Of her offspring. She
may bend their natural impulses to good or 10
evil; to good by directing their trst actions into
a proper channel, or TO evil by allowing them to
take vicious forms which may forever mar the
! beautfulaspect of humanity. OH whata tear-
full honor God has bestowed upon woman. 1t il
hers to be the guide Of spirits that can never
die; to make the first Impressions on that which
may become companion of seraphs Nor is
} this all. 1t is through her instrumentalty that
the world is made better or worse How inn
portant then that she should know and feel the
! immense responsibilities that rest upon her.
In the education of her child almost the fret
duty Of the mother is to teach it obedience, and
this is matter of great importance, Tor II IT Is
not taught this il will be almost impossible to
/, teach it any thing else; and besides an early
habit of obedience to authority secures the child
is from tendency to break the laws OF his coun-
G. try when he becomes man. Perhaps the most
le painful duty mother is called upon to perform,
a is that of iDficting punishment upon her child;
- and many a one shrinking from II when the first
I'd serious offense demanded il at her hands, has
t. greatly multiplied its subsequent necessity
re Let child be punished signally for its first
: falsehood and it will have more influence in cs-
u tablshing character of strict veracity than all
= the essays the beauties of truth that have ev-
:, er been written. It is hardly necessary for me
r to add that parents should always speak with
sincerity aud truth to their children. Children
'' naturally place entire confidence in their par
IS ents and they should never be deceived even in
the most trihing affair, for if they find that they
u have been deceived once they lose that complete
; trust which is so enduring in childhood. And
II vet how often do parents deceive their children
for their own diversion; it is so amusing to see
e what absurd things they will believe, If they are
&c only told that they are true.
1t is parents duty to teach his child to be
o honest, and in order to do SO he must be honest
Is with him. Suppose child is allowed to call
ut pet lamb or colt his. He looks upon il as be-
y, longing wholly to himself; but the father sells
n it and puts the money into his pocket, thereby
vi outragfng the rights of the child, and thereby
teaching him, it may be unconciously, lesson
of dishonesty. In this way oltener than in any
other perhaps, do parents violate the sense OF
on justice implanted in the breasts OF their children
And is it any wonder that the children of such
parents sometimes become the inmates OF the Jail
,c or prison Honesty is the best policy" This
h though an old proverb, is not yet effete. 1t
teaches the child to be honest because there is
OF policy in il, and just soon as he is convinced
~ that there is policy in acting dishonesty, he will
In do So Children should be taught TO be honest,
not because it is prudent, but because it is right
', aud they should do that which is right from the
ID pure love of right.
le There too many children sent into society
err merely whtewashed on the outside That is,
~ they allowed to grow up with very little cul-
= tivation of manner, intellect or principle until
I'll they obliged 10 take their position in soci
10 ETY., and then they simply covered with
lis little outside polish like articles of ewery
-, made of brass and covered with thin coating Of
~ gold But, alasl with them, as with the orna-
er ment the washing soon wears off and reveals
81 the true character of the article, and might
I'd add, that like the brass jewel, they seldom de-
~ ceive sensible people.
'o Parents should qualify their children, as far
ng as lies in their power, for any station in life in
re which they may be placed. They should be
,w prepared to walk the thorny paths of adversity
,lo as well the fowery paths Of prosperity; and
,ie in order to be so prepared they must have true
&c piety, so that they can say sour Father" low
. ingly, flially, hopefully.
he And what is the duty of children to their pa
: rents? Do they not owe them much for all the
=, love, and kindness, and care which they have
ne given them2 Can they repay them for all their
a anxious watchfulness over their helpless infan-
,ar cy, in whole lifetime of respect and loye?-
~ And yet children grow impatient to throw of
oe parental authority even before the mother fully
IN realizes that they can go 10 bed at night without
lre calling her to tuck them in snugly. But in all
ha the world, they never find better a truer
- friend than she who guided their first tottering
ser footsteps. No matter how fallen degraded
the they may become, the mother sill loves, aud
ind still prays for them. Nothing can make her for
the get or cease to love her child The son, prouC
in his new -fedged manhood, may turn contu
maeiously from her. yet she still prays for hi
happiness; and when he comes back tired Of th,
~ world and heart-sick, she clasps him TO her bo
Inc som, only remembering that he is her child
,ep come to her to be comforted
The truest gentleman is he who always treat
Ton his parents with marked respect. 1t docs mol
nlv matter how old d-fashioned they may be in dress
or in speech, he feels that to them he owes eve
ry thing, and he is not ashamed to acknowledge
one it by his acts even to his most fashionable ac-
led quaintances There is nothing which so crush
H. es the heart Of parent as the consciousness c
'"e having undutiful child All other griefs sni
Ved into insgnificance compared to this II is fai
,f more agonizing than the grief for the dead
his The mother feels il is true, when her child il
-. laid in the silent grave, that she has buried he
'e', departed hope. She shudders by her warm FIRE
ent side as the cold rain falls for she thinks Of tha
live little form lying alone in its narrow bed, owe
her which the flowers may grew, and the sunshia
rlav. hut nevar shall tbe sunrava aftaar,, tl,rf