Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1871-11-02
Firesih Department. :
Father, Where is your Son?

We are no advocate of parental
tyranny. Too much government
degrades a nation. Too many rules
ruin boy or girl. The less people
are governed the more orderly they
are, 1.-The better they flourish and
increase. Ifa family is regulated
and guarded.by affection you may
be certain it will give out to the
world lat the proper time useful men
and women-men conpetant. to fill
its highest official stations, and wo-
men to adofn all its social and do
mestic circles. But, father, where
is your son? You have lit the gas
at home, Or: you have gone abroad
to smoke and talk. Do you ever, ,at
that time, think of yonr boy? He
is in the streef, not alone-who are
his companions? What a question
for man TO ponder, who understands
the world and lows. his child. All
parts of city's streets, in this age
of progress,are heated with the oaths
of profanity or redolent with the
oders Of intemperance. Boys have
eyes and cars. 2 Left uhrestrained
at night, to ramble through the
streets Of large city, they are ex-
posed to temptation, more hurtful
than if they had stayed at home and
played with edge tools. A lacera-
ton of the feshrcan be healed. A
corruption once planted in the heart
is hardsto root out. When a boy
learns to swear and swagger by con-
tact with evil companions it is no
easy task to unlearn him. In an
hour, while on the curb or in the
gutter, lad will have seounteracted
all the good teaching Of a week at
home. & - 49,
We do not advocate a constant re
striction of boys. They ought not
to be vigorously disciplined,z hut
don't let them rim at large at night
merely for the sake of getting rid
of them. Father, gather them
around you-talk to your children,
inquire into their habits, familia, re
them with your tastes and krowl-
edge, and seek, by every means in
your power, to get into their conf
dence. The man who begins early
to make a companion of his son is
sure to have counsellor and support
er in his old days upon whom he 1
can rely. But when children areI
allowed to become estranged from
parents, when they are permitted
early to 60 into the street for COM |
panionship, they will learn there to |
despise the society of home, and |
hold in contempt, as they grow old
er, its authorities. The chief at
traction of every home are the chill
dren which belong to it. Men buy
books with which to make home |
pleasant. God gives them children
as offerings to bless and strength
en- the domestic bonds. No man is |
willing to make a circulating out of
a private library. If he properly |
considered that matter, he would |
come to the conclusion speedily
that 1t were better to let his books
go-out, and stay there, than to per-
NIT his Children TO circulate on the
pavemelt.S Home is the place for
boys and girlg wheh the candles
are lit. Fathers and hoshers ill I
feel a solieitudei for, and contribute
to the bodily comfort of their chill
dren and clothe and feed them with
out stint. But there is something
due to the head and heart of child
and the training of these has its re-
suits in eterniy.7Look after the
boys. Don't forget the girls.-k
Presb. Banner. |