Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1863-02-27
OVERLOOKING.

OVERLOOKING. a.. @..t
Never tcdtch a boy Rcprove when nee.
essary, but dom; ,eatch! Above all don't
"Hy!" A few (thank God a miserable
minority of parents, superintendents, teach
crs and guardians seem to be so firmly per-
suaded OF the truth Of the doctrine of Unborn,
total depravity, that tneir eyes distinctively
follow every boy with us much suspicious
vigilance as " detective woula track fe.
Ion, or cat watch mouse. Worse than
all, than sinful motive is needlessly, wrong
fully, snappishly attributed to every piece Of
fun, stroke Of mischief, dash of needless.
ness, rush Of fthoughtlessness, or unfortunate
mistake. Their eyes convey such constant,
unmstakable acquisition Of wrong dong or
wrong purposing that noble boy not only
thoroughly understands and resents such
looks, but frequently dispairs of ever con.
vincing such persons that in him dwells
any good thing" Come! Come my susp.
cious friend, be charitablel Give every boy
some credit Tor nobility and high minded.
ness! 1t won't hurt him-nay it will do
him good-if you will only rcposc a little
confidence in him. And even if his tierv
blood and youthful spirits should hurry him
into troubrsom mischief, or mon,cntary NAL
ice, positive sin, don't pounce on him like a
vulture; don't drown his overiowng good
nature with bucket of cold water don't
chill every noble impulse by a snappish re.
proof! My dear sir, your ill.naturc, your
wrath that worketh not the righteousness
Of God," equals, nay exceeds his, and has
less excuse, for you are older than he, and
ought to know better. BE patient Let his
better judgment (not mention your o,on) have
fair play, and chance to re.asscrt it's do.
minion, and probably you will lind that the
rcproof, trembling OH your lips will not be
needed.
Have you never seen some lubbcrly boy,
in freak Of mischief, impose upon some
weaker playmate until your anger has been
stirred, and then, before you could interpose,
unconscious of your intended meditation, in
n freak OF generosity he has offered his VIC
tim the biggest half of his apple! Have you
yet to learn that many things must be over.
looked in this world of mistakes, offences,
and sin, if We would "get along" with the
slightest comfort to ourselves and others p
Why, sir, if you dared to address imam Of
your size V as you just spoke to that boy, he
would probably knock you down." and it
would serve you right if he did. And I ain
persuaded that if some boys had the physi
cal ability to apply this knock down argu
ment to some who have charge Of them, it
would speedily convince such persons of the
OF good manners as well as that Of
".taithJutness" Of repro,f! Remember St.
Paurs advice: "Provokc not children to an
ger, lest they be discourage" "-discouraged,
40, from prony doing, but from, trusting and
obeying their onn better natures. "Who
would like to be snubbed" every time he
laughed aloud, +" stuck a crooked pin under
his unsuspecting and down coming neigh
Dor, fired of a potatoe pop.gun," blew
putty, with unerring certainty through
pipe into dsagrecable proximity to some
pcdagogue, or committed any ore serious
pcccadlllo? Let some one older and more
softer than yourself begin to watch you and
scod you, as you have been doing to that
boy, every time you fail in some business
as he has failed in his lesson, eve
ry time you arc trifiing rs he is triiing, every
lime you arc malicious as he is malicious.
etc., and if you are not totally dcpraved"
by q" ndturs," fear you would soon be un-
der such provoking treatment! Well has
Christ said: : He that is without sin among
you, let him first cast stOne." Are those
i"pariably, neeessa,ily, the best ,oorAmen ,cho
are most closely ,catchea, a'sd saaeered at, and
No! no! Heaven preserve US
rom boys who have been so carefully scrub
bed, ironcd out, and starched up that they
'eem to be without spot or wrinkle, or any
such thing! b. -.... ...
Paragons Of perfection Alas! alas l.
Much bad linen is covered up by determined
persistent ironing, dogged scrub
bing, and a plentiful application Of gum.ara-
bic; but one good "sweat" takes out the
starch and betrays the fault beneath. So
he heat of an hours temptation frequently
exposes the concealed villiany of that boy
sho has been rubbed, and scrubbed, and
roned, and starched into an outward pro
oricty Every student Of human nature
Knows that in correcting the greater mis-.
axes Of life hundred minor ones may be
30 profitably overlooked. A foolish public
'rator emphasizes every word, and an equal.
y foolish disciplinarian " underscores" ersry
hildish i,nprudencc. Who will recommend
hat that healthy, dashing, generous bundle
# mischief" should always be kept like ra-
ring maniac, in straight jacket" Be
persuaded, therefore, my anxious, suspicious
r:cnds, that there Is often far more harm
lone BY watching" than by OVERLOOK
Na.--Nethsdist.