The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1871-06-22
A Weird to Parents.
(NoT FOR CHtLDREN's READING.)


To expect to dam river with a feather
| or stop an earthquake With plaster, or iron,
hurricane with a tin whistle, is about q
reasonable ~ to expect by srgufaest or 2ayie
to change the inclinatioas of young people
when they are under the influence Of the pas
sion which they cali love and are deter,ainet
to marry the objeo< Of their desire
"Say what you viii and do what yoa will
otU haze Ai's :" said oae girl aaa she e2se
have him. with iatemsersaee, eovexty, bsgxa
ry, insanity ss3 asath to close the scees
Would you marry hia if you though
these stories we're trae ?" said Chrs.tiar
minister to yozsg relative, who was com
n,ittlhg her heart to the keeping of oat
against whon evil charges were Drought BY
mutual friends who had opportunity to know
the truth.
No, would not, said she; but no one
coals convince her Of the truth of the state
ments. Twenty or thirty years Of pain and
sorrow, and broken heart and broken spirits
have done the work for her at last.
Would You marry him if you knew he
drank liquor = said a woman to a fair young
girl.
Certainly I vouzd-marry him and re-
claim him" was the answer and she did ,aar
ry him; ana ere she had passed sloath witi
her husband, she was advised BY her friend,
to leave him, and after year aud half Of
abuse and sorrow she returned to her father s
house, poor wretcaed shadow Of her fora
er aeif, fleeing from her brutal, drunken and
adulterous husband to save what little life
she had left.
Ten thousand girls stand on the verge OF
the same abyss to-day and nothing you can
say, or can say, will effect them in the least,
except to hurry them Gu to their terrible
doom
Why is this? Partly because they have
never yielded their wills to paternsl control,
and have always had their own way and part
ly because their parests have never warned
them OF this Danger, tall it canae spen ttes,
ike An oveT-rannipg food Parents DO not
win or encourage the confidence of their
children Old people forget they wers ever
young, and the young people do not remen-
Der that they may yet be old. Mutual con.
tidence is necdful to mutual comfort or in
provement.
If the mother would say to her daughter,
in esrly life, long before the dangerous period
comes, Ny child, there will come time
when new feelings impulses, instincts, and
emotions Eili sway you, and whea the oppo-
site sex will awaken In you passions which
often prove stronger than judgment, reason,
and conscience; aud, coming under the iu-
fuence of some young man you will be liable
to lose your seli-coutrol, and be swayed by
his will, aud think his Thoughts, and feel his
feelings, and say Yes to has requests, be-
cause ii is hss will and mind that makes YOU
speak the words he desires to hear; and this
will come and sou will De liable 30 be swept
to ruin BY the force of an influence which
you do not understand, and can neither con-
troll nor resist, and which may be strong 10
proportion AS Its source is vile and worthless,
aud your only security from it, is to place
your future III the hands Of God, and watch
your paths, and thou hts. and avoid sven the
outer circles Of this dangerous whirlpool, hY
investigating, and judging first, and loving
afterwards; and only yielding your affections
when and where uobiased jud gment will de-
,lare that it is safe aud right to Weld to
them p
1t such warnings and instructions as these
were given from day to day in early life, how
many young girl would ponder tae path of
her feet and walk carefully that she might
escape the rain that attends 80 many in their
Maynard course
Mothers and fathers: begin in season with
your children !! Prepare them to rightly es-
innate the new instincts and emotions Of ma
turing life; not by joking and hectoriag
them, but by wise and loving courses Win
their confidence and keep it. Preserve their
privacies; shield the secrets of their hearts
from the rude gaze and hooking laugh, and let
them feel that it is the safest thing they can
do to show their first loye-letter to their faith
er. or whisper their first tender secret into
their mothers ear assured that they will fud
for such communications patient, courteous
reasonable and tender reception, aud have the
best OF counsel with no danger that their
confidence will eyer bebetrayed.
Parents, train your children in time. They
have this sea to sail oversee to it that they
study the Chart and know the rocks before
hand. Tell them everything they aseea to know
/ Guard against the wreck aud ruin that de-
streys so many Of the young Train up a
child in the way he should CO. and when hs
is old he will not depart from 1.-THE Chris
tan.