Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-11-05
Saving for the Children.

Saving for the Children.
The WRONG WAY OF DOING TIT not
unf-equentiy happens that the chill
dren OF two families living near each other
aud brought up under the same social an
educational influences, turn out very differ
emily on arriving at maturity. The fami-
ly that seems to have had the most care
ful training does less credit to itself than
the family whose childish fire. dom Of
action shocked the critical observer. We
say" seems to have had the most careful
training for it Is often only in seeming
after all that the ference has consisted,
As a rule, it may be pred,cated of wise
family government that 1t will be known
as tree is, by its fruits. All government
that is only from the outside. and there
fore despotic, tails necessarily of reaching
its end; and all government whose ann
from first 10 last is to teach its subjects
seif-control must give them considerable
latitude. The latter sort, however, takes
very much more time and thought than
the former. and is compatible with certain
things which have come to be by many
people accepted as cardinal points in FAINT
ly polity For instance, If father and mother
set out primarily with the idea that they
must save for their children, and SO feeling.
If they bend each year the strength of thsir
natures 10 united effort to add acres to
the farm or to increase the money in tn"
savings banks, they will spend all their
force there The father will work hard,
late and early, saving here, economizing
there, growing stoop- -shouldered and gray.
but gaming his point and thinking, CON-
placently, of the amount he is worth.
The mother will pinch and contrive and
patch and darn, practls ng q thousand
small economies that nobody ever suspects,
and losing even the memory of the day
when she was bonny, bithe- hearted girl
whom her tired husband used to come
miles to see i'll courting days. The child
rem, who are first in the loyal, honest
hearts that love them, though they never
have time to show it in any sweet way,
meanwhile grow up. Maria wants to take
music lessons, John wants to 60 to college
but father and mother think OF the expense,
count up the dollars it will cost, and decide
that common school education is good
enough for their children as it was for
them. This only sometimes, and seldom
where the parents are Americans, born TO
the idea that the son may be President one
day, and that, as We wrote in our copy
books, Education is the life of liberty"
Oftener the music lessons and the college
course are allowed, however, the home
economies are doubled while it is in count.
less little ways that the love of the beauti-
full is stunted and crushed, aud the child
rem made to feel that of all unloyely, hard,
prison>lke places, home is the most SO.
There is parlor, to be sure. grim and
funereal as a hearse, and it is only used on
solemn occasions, as at christening, q
wedding, or funeral. For Mary ami
Lucy to sit there of an afternoon with their
sewing, or for Charley and Sam to take
amp there IN the evening to play check
ers, would be an uuheard-of treason against
the household economy. If there be a
piano, and if it stand in the parIor, there
is sure to be strip of stair carpet between
1t and the door, aud another strip of STAIR
carpet in front of it lest the necessary 60
ing to and fro of the girls to practice
should wear out the splendors Of the best
three-ply or tapestry. The children de-
sire to take paper or magazine as their
uerghbors do, but it costs SO or 81 year.
and father shakes his head. A great
singer with voice like an angels comes TO
town, and the young people want to 60 to
the concert but the tickets are S2, and
81 would buy Benjamin pair OF shoes,
50 that extravaganza is frowned upon.
There is to be a course Of lectures in the
neighborng church by distinguished men
and women, and it would be pleasant to 90
but Winter is coming and there is coal
to get, and -four will be wanted, and
mother says, " Better not mention the lee
lures to your father"
Now when the choice is between Goals
and -four and music and lecture-tickets,
and there is honestly not enough money to
afford all, why the latter must 90. Cut
your coat by your cloth, of course. But
we are talking of cases where there Is
enough money to afford aesthetic and in
tellectual enjoyment as we'll as food and
fire; to afford books and papers other than
schooI-books, and to put now and then
picture on the wall and a flower in the win
dow, as well as to buy when needed a char
and a table.
Save for the children if you can, and SO
much as you can, but remember that it is
spendthrift economy that does it by saw
ing from them. The time when they need
a home full of grace and beauty is iu the
forming period OF life. There are very few
men, If they knew it. who can afford not
to have the visits in their family every
week Of a fresh, breezy, bright, instructive
paper and there are very few who can
afford not to let their children have good
times in the household while childhood
lasts. When the final interest is appor-
toned it will be those who have spent
most wisely who will have the largest divi-