Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-05-18
Lead the Children not into Temp.
tatiOn.

: CHILDREN are often made vicious, and
tempted into the commission of crimes
that would never have occurred to them
but for the severity of the home discipline
It is indispensable that there should be q
proper government, and instruction in
moral principles; but an excess of these is
frequently more injurious than an entire
absence Of such training. If children are
surrounded by good examples, but few YER
bal moral lessons are necessary; example
is more powerful than precept. A stern,
unbending discipline only renders the
heart callous, and incapable of receiving
good impressions. Many times, children
with dispositions that might have made
their characters pure and beautiful, have
been ruined forever by the harshness with
which their little faults were condemned,
and the opprobrium attached to them, for
the commission Of very venial sins.
Oftentimes the slightest disobedience has
been magnified into crime, and followed
by such scathing censure as to wither and
crush out every good impulse from the
young heart. Children are extremely
sensitive in regard to their good name,
and are much more easily praised than
censured into good behavior. If their
self respect be lost, all is lost, and childish
faults and punishments should never be
divulged. There is abundance of in
dubitable testimony that children are
tempted into prevarication and direct false
hood through fear of scandal, severe re-
proof or punishment for disobodience,
when kindness and gentle admonitions
would not only have remedied the
present evil, but have prevented
future transgressions. Parents and
teachers are too forgetful of the
eauivocation and little mistakes of
their own childish days. knowing too, that
had they been met with scorn and con-
tumely, their minds would have never re-
covered their moral tone. Children are
frequently misunderstood, and accused OF
falsehood, and ideas are thereby suggested
that, many times, they are not slow TO act
upon. Nearly all children have desire
to possess trifles that they admire, and are
often tempted to appropriate such things
without being in the least aware that they
are committing q wrong, which IL I'M
checked would result in great harm to
themselves and society. They are also
often tempted to steal by the penurious-
ness and unwise caution of parents, in the
locking of drawers, and the secreting OF
articles pleasing to childish natures. The
harsh name of thief for such misdemeanors,
and the odium attached to such charac.
ter, can only be productive Of harm to .
child. 1t may possibly deter them from
the like offense again, but the wounding
of the feelings and the loss Of selfrespect
cannot be atOned for. We know charm
ing little girl, who when but seven years
of age, purloined piece Of broken jewell
nv, that was carelessly left in her way, and
disposed of 1t to schoolmate. The
severe treatment and contemptuous cpl
thets she endured from her guardians
would have been much more appropriate
for a hardened criminal than child Of her
tender years. Soon would she have been
ruined in body and mind had not fortui-
tous circumstances removed her beyond
the influence of her cruel upbraiders.
She was reminded every day that she
had been guilty of heinous crime-so
unwittingly committeeman she felt that
everyone knew she was thief, and why
should she try to be good" Parent
would do well to remember their own
short comings, and the mental anguish en-
dured by themselves, when young, upon
receiving merited reproof; and how much
more bitter the pain when undeserved. In
this way many children are led into temp
tation by those who should be ever watch
full of their comfort and happiness. Con-
slant censure and stern rebuke, often ad-
ministered, are as prolific sources of crime
as extreme poverty and evil communica-
tions, and many Of the outcasts from So
ciety, degraded ones of both sexes, can
trace their final downfall to the harshness
with which their first transgression was
reproved.
Unfailing patience, kindness and charity
should characterize the management and
care Of the erring, and the little ones of
whom the Savior spoke so kindly "let