Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-04-01
From the NJ T. Evening Mail.
Do Net Leave the Children at HON,


The German people carry their chill
dren with them everywhere. Children
share all their amnsements and all their
festivals. If our Teutonic friends had
nothing else to recommend them this
would assure the world of their simple
hearted honesty and purity ofpurpose.
Say What we may of their desccration Of
the Sabbath, when we see. German par.
ents walking out on Sunday afternoon
with their little children surrounding
them, we know that they have nothing
disreputable or wrong, according to their
own ideas, in view. Men do not take
their children to places which they con.
slider wrong. They leave the little things
at home, asleep or at play, and are glad
to keep them innocent as long a: the
world will let them remain SO. Few
men are so hardened as not TO protect
their children from vice still fewer those
who voluntarily lead them into it.
Whatever our ideas may be of lager
beer, no one can glance into German
"Garden Atlantic, for instance, in
the Bowery-wthout being pleased at
the absence of anything like a suspicion
on the part of the inmates that there is
any possibility of wrong about the place.
We see German families therc-parents
of both sexes surrounded by little boys
and girls with their chins just up to the
table tops and learning to drink lager
beer. In all the customs of the Germans,
in their own country, as well as in this,
we sec this same beautiful love for the
society of children. Little girls attend
their bridal ceremonies dressed in white
and with flowers. Children have their
share in all the festivals, and they even
go to masquerade balls.
We pay children attention enough in
America. We have nothing to correct
in that respect, unless, indeed, we pay
them too much attention. We publish
beautiful magazines for them, and dress
them elegantly, and become, in measure,
their servants. But we have nothing
whatever to correspond with tina; con-
tinual love of theirpresence in our amuse-
ments which characterizes the German
people. 1t would be well for our men
and women to take their children with
them more when they seek excitement
and amusement. They would find that
the ferceness of dissipation would re.
strain itself under their innocent gaze.
We would be better as a people if we
initiated our Teutonic friends. We may
learn lesson even at the lager beer gar.
dcns. Let us give our children a place
in our amusements-let US learn to find
pleasure in their company-and be amused
by them as we'll as they by US.
The distinction between national Gus.
toms in this respect is very marked. The
German or the Frenchman takes his wife
and the children and spends the evening
with them in his own way and at regu.
lar amusement. The Englshnan Or the
American steals quietly out of doors and
starts alone for his club or the corner bar
room. Mark the distinclion-the German
drinks bccr-all classes alike; the Amer
lean drinks wine: whisky, and brandy.
The one walks home in the course of the
evening with his wife upon his arm and
his children around him. The other finds
his way home at midnight, enters his
house with anighIkcY, aud is glad enough
not TO wake the children.
The children will make us better men
and women if we admit them wherever
they can possibly enjoy themselves and
where they can keep their eyes open. As
a rule too, with its exceptions, Of course,
it is better for US not to remain long out
of bed a!ier the little ones grow sleepy.
Let us accommodate our enjoyments and
our hours as nearly as possible to the
children, and then invite them to share
with us. DO not leave the little ones at
home.