The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-01-12


standing what the hearts of their children
also demand in respect to all the matters
herein touched upon
Love, and the entanglements and dis
turbances flowing ,herefrom, arc fruitful
source of domestic hostility and of event.
uai destruction Of children. a daughter
has lover who is repungant to her pa.
rents; son falls in love with some girl
whom his father or his mother cannot
tolerate; complications, irritaions, quar-,
rels and arrangements follow, leaving
scathed and embittered hearts to curse
the lives and perhaps to destroy the souls
Of those whom little parctical Christian
ity might have sent forth laden with
blessings from the parental roof.
Whenever a cause of this kind arises in
family, the parents should at once point
eddy understand that the only part they
have to enact in the matter is that of
Gods vicegerent, and that their own sci.
fish, personal wishes are in no manner to
be regarded. The eternal welfare of their
sons or their daughters soul must be their
everlasting objective, and the point on
which all their forces must be concentra-
ted. Let them remember how it was
with them in such matters when they were
young, and sympathizo with their chill
dren, and treat them kindly and respects
fully, and avoid every appearance of
harshness and tyranny, and they will be
able to lead them with silken thread
where they could not drag them with a
cable.
The question of amusements is one on
which young people are often shipwrecked.
They must and will have amusements.
Ifthey cannot get it openly and above
board, they will get it surreplitiously.
The best way, therefore, is for parents to
mingle in the amusements of their chill
drcn, and to enter heartily into their
sports, and games, and sightseeing. 1t
would sweeten the religion of many Il
musty-tempered parent if he wonld now
and then 60 to places Of amusement with
his children, and have an innocent 'and
high old time such as his heart used to
crave when he WAS boy. BY sharing in
the amusements of their children, parents
can guide and control them bnt if they
force their sons and daughters to sneak off
surreptitiously to their recreations, they
expose them to manifold temptations and
dangers.
Young people are often injured by a
parents allowing some one-a teacher,
perhaps, or some uncle, aunt, or other
otiiclous relative, to make slandcrous re-
ports concerning them, without allowing
the sIandered child an opportunity TO re-
flute the SANDER. An accusation against
ones own child, should of course be ine
vestigated for the child's sake; but a
parent should be at least rs con ilerate
towards his own flesh and blood as the
law is towards an accused offender of the
law, who is always presumed to be limos
cent until he is proved to be guilty. We
have known parents TO treasure up some
libelous letter against son or daughter
for years, and go on year after year sus-
pecting and watching the wronged child,
until an accidental discovery of the ac-
cusations would enable the son or daugh-
ter to prove their utter untruthrulnese.
1t is doubtiul if child's heart ever re-
covers from such an outrage, and parents
should beware how they give hosptabe
entertainment to uninvestigated charges
against their own flesh and blood.
Young people have their duties, also.
They must do their best. Nor are they
left alone in the struggles of life. How,
ever incompetent and unsympathclic theii
earthly parents may be, they have a
Heavenly Father to whom they car
always 60 with a perfect certainty q
welcome. On His arm every weary sor
may find support; on His bosom every
heart-sore daughter may repose. In Him
there is never any lack of forgiveness, mol
of sympathy, nor of health and they
who refuse or neglect to seek His aid, d
so at their own individual, personal peril
and on them will be visited the inevitable
consequences of such refusal and neglect
There are thousands Of parental heart
in the LAID where the flame of coniuga
love has been quenched, probably neveI
more to be resumed. For the children o
such, unless the parents are endowed
with an unusual degree Of parental low,
and self sacrifice, and with much wisdom
also, we know not what TO say or what tC
hope; in TOO many cases the devil ha
full swing at them, and If they escape hi
snares it will be simply by reason of thu
overriding Providence of God.
Another pitiable class of respectable
human beings are large portion Of tn
young men and young women of fashion
able life in New York. Wanting Ia NOR
al culture and Christian training, the
grow up into shallow, selfish, indecen
creatures with such an uncontrolabl
rApacity for personal indulgence as rem
dsrs them a ready prey to the common
enemy of the race.
The child that is not taught to be use
tul, and industrious, and bcnefccnt, an
that self-indulgence Is low and vulgar
will, unlessi it be early taken home to Hea
ven, stand a chance to be overcome an
and taken captive and ensavel by evi
long before it shall get half way from tn
cradle 10 the grave.