Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-11-17
HOME TRAINING.


THE training of any man, even the
wisest, can not fail to be powerfully influ-
enced by the moral surroundings of his
early years He comes into the world help
less, and absolutely dependent upon those
about him for nurture and culture From
the very first breath that he draws his edu-
cation begins When mother once asked
a clergyman when she should begin the
education of her child, then four years old,
he replied Madam, if you have not
begun already, you have lost those four
years From the first smile that CLEANS
upon an infants chek your opportunity
begins"
The child is, as it were, laid at the gate of
a new world, and opens his eyes upon
things, all of which are full of novelty and
wonderment. At first it is enough for him
to gaze; but by-and-by he begins to see,
to observe, to compare, to learn, to store
up impressions and ideas; and under wise
guidance the progress which he makes is
really wonderful Lord Brougham has
observed that between the ages of eighteen
and thirty months child learns more of
the material world of his own powers,
of the nature of other bodies, and even of
his own mind and other minds, than he ac-
quires in all the rest of his life. The knowl-
edge which child accumulates, and the
ideas generated in his mind, during this
period are so important that if we could
imagine them to be afterward obliterated
all the learning of IL senior wrangler at
Cambridge or tirst-classman at Oxford
would be as nothing to it, and would
literally not enable its object to prolong
his existence for a week. Homes, the
nurseries of children who grow up into
men and women, will be good or bad ac-
tI,nf
Where the spirit of love and duty per-
vades the home, where head and heart
bear rule wisely there, where the daily
life is honest and virtuous, where the gov
ernment is sensible, kind and loving-then
may we expect from such home an issue
of healthy, useful, and happy beings, ca
pable, as they gain the requisite strength
of following the footsteps of their parents
of walking uprightly, governing them
selves wisely, and contributing to the wei
fare of those about them.
One good mother, said George Herbert,
is worth hundred school-masters. In the
home she is loadstone to all hearts, and
loadstar to all eyes" Imitation of her is
constant-imitation which Bacon likens to
:" a globe of precepts." But example is far
more than precept. 1t is instruction in ac-
tion. It is teaching without words often
t J..
In the face of bad example the best of pre-
cepfs are of but little avail The example
is followed, not the precepts. Indeed, pre-
cept at variance with practice is worse than
useless, inasmuch as it only serves to teach
the most cOwardly of vices-hypocrisy.
Even children are judges of consistency,
and the lessons OF the parent who says one
thing and does the opposite are quickly
seen through. The teaching of the friar
was not worth much who preached the vir-
tue of honesty with IA stolen goose in his
sleeve
Woman, above all other educators, edu-
Gates humanity. Man is the brain, but
woman is the heart of humanity; he its
Judgment, she its feeling; he its strength,
she its grace, ornament, and solace. Even
the understanding of the best woman seems
to work mainly through her affections.
And thus, though man may direct the in
tellect, woman cultivates the feelings,
which mainly determine the character.
While he fills the memory, she occupies
the heart She makes us love what he can
only make us believe, and ii is chiefly
through her that we are enabled to arrive
at virtue.
The respective influences of the father
and the mother on the training and de
Velopment of charater are remarkably illus
trated in the life of ST. Augustine. While
Augustine's father Il poor freeman of Tha
caste proud of his sons abilities, ,endeavored
to furnish his mind with the highest learn
ing of the schools, and was eXtolled by hi,
neighbors for the sacrifices he made fol
that object, "beyond the ability of his
MEANS" his mother, Monica, on the Other
hand sought to lead her sons mind in tho
direction of the highest good, and will
pious care counseled him TO chastity, and
amidst much anguish and tribulation be
cause of his wicked life, never ceased tC
pray for him until her prayers were heard
and answered. Thus her love at last tr
umphed, and the patience and goodness OF
the mother were rewarded not only by the
conversion of her gifted son, but also ofhel
husband Later in life, and after her hus
bands death, Monica, drawn by her afiec-
tion, followed her son TO Milan to watch
over him, and there she died when he was
in his thirty-third year. But it was in the
earlier period ofhis life that her example
and instruction made the deepest impress
sion upon his mind, and determined his fu-
ture character.
There are many similar instances ofearly
impressions made upon child's mind
springingup into good acts late in life,
after an intervening period Of selfishness
and vico, Parents may do all that they
can to develop an upright and viriuous
character in their children, and apparently
in vain. 1t seems like bread cast upon the
NVatarS and lost And vet sOn1pfinae II