Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1871-12-12

"My dear SIR, do you know how YOU. boy
is behaving? DO you know that he is play
ing trulnt from school, getting into bad COM
rany, and ltarning the ways oil wlcKeu-
ness2"
"Ohl well. he is young now. BY and by
he will have more sense, aud quit his 'ool-
ishness."
And. It was not a natural-b0rn TOOL That
used this language either, bat man oil nue
mind, superior education, and OF Chrlslah
profession.
This Is sometimes the way in which lndo-
lent parents waive aside the warning oil their
best and wisest friends. 80.
And how did this waiting Tor sense resutT
Just as it will always end. The boy made
rapid strides IN the school OF wickedness,
ran away 10 a great city, plunged into name
less vices. dragged himself home, not as the
prodgal penitCnt, but as body puIescenl,
10 die in his fathers house, heart-breaking
disgrace to parents, and scandal TO all who
al known him.
And yet to-day mynals Of parents are
waiting until the period OF sowing wiz Oals
is passed, and indulge the infatuated hope
that wild oats sown will produce wholesome
wheat and corn.
The truth is, this waiting for sense" is
leaving the wayside house empty for occu-
ration by banded rullans, who when once
or driven out by feeble old man throwing
tufts Of grass and wads OF lamentations.
And, again il is not Rn affair OF sense al
an, but matter OF habit, and, above all, OF
grace.
Did those parents or teache take those
boys into tLeir private rooms, carefully
teach them with the open Bible, kneel by
their side in earnest prayer put before them
faithful examples, with the use oil proper
discipline, trusting Them TO tue grace OF
God
If this is not done in TINE, ii never will
be done later. II We cannot or will not when
children are very young, we shall have no
face or heart to break in with new routine
when they are older, and our own reluclanc'
Is siereoty ped into hardness.
Sometimes we have been tempted 10 believe
that God nude II great mistake IN putlini
such Tremendous passions into juvenile na
turc, before reason, reflector conscience
and experience have asserted their powe
and influence fully But II IS all Iight
passiaas .G .implJ thG locom ';Tr power nh'
ii draws whatever it is hitched on TO. Th'
question IS. How shall it be linkedY 10
character cannot be- developed without it. a
boy or adult without passion may l milk
sp, lutty ball, nunentiiyi who canno
slaud without leaning up against tue sunni
side ola house, but he will never make
ann, and never carve his marx 10 thls on
stinate and wicked world.
Now, we hnrrnh fer the bOislerJus, tn
tearing, the overlooking boys. The aoles
meu are only encl sed pots Of boiling waite
f,s.eued upon wheels but they carry tina
suppressed and regulated force which reside
in passiOus governed by principle moYln
along tie iron tack OF duty.
During this formative period, II is give
TO parents and teachers 10 instruct, to guid
and enforce; and llosC patents are wor'
than insane who wait IN the idle dream ths
"scnse" will come along by and by and II
rair the damage caused by their neglect
Many young man TO day in prison,
hospital, or eating husks in the prodisal
land, curses father and mother for the
terrible guilty laXuess and utter want
paienla wisdom Woe TO the parents wi
weakly resign their commissions and shil
those abllgau0n which God has tut upo
them, and which they had no right 10
sumo unless thy meant honestly TO iul
them in the lear OF God. Let none OF
make this mistake $ S. Workman.