Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-11-10
TRAINING CHILDREN.
BY HENRY WARD BEECHER.

It is no small thing to bring up a
child. "Train up child in the way
he should go. and when he is old he will
not depart from it. " is very easy to say
but to ..train up a child in the way he
should go'' is not so easy to do. The
task is hard, though the text is short.
And no man can recount the history of
it. | think that the most wonderful
book that could be written would be a
book in which an angel should write all
the thoughts that pass through faith
full mothers mind from the time that
she first hears the cry of her child. and
knows that it is born into the world, and
rejoices in the midst of her griefs; from
the moment of her absorption, or ami
hilation, pouring herself into the child.
Her wonderful gladness of fatigue: her
unwillineness to divide her cares with
any; her heroic sacrifice of all that is
brightest and best in life, with no pros
pect of remuneration except the satlsfac-
ton which she feels in serving that lit
tie mute and helpless child-these are
past description. Let the party drive,
and the giddy dance whirl round, and
the lights gllsten; she, that last year
was belle, courted on every side, and
finding her highest JOY in the praises of
multitudes of admiring suitors she, the
very hight of whose joy, a few months
ago, lay outside of herself in admiration,
is now mother. Behold her, in lit
tie cottage, with no great wealth with.
it may be. only moderate competence ;
with no witness with none to praise,
day, with no companionship but little
babe and babe that cannot sing to
her, but can only cry to worry her
that cannot even look at her and know
!
her. No sound of music greets her ear.
There is nothing to relieve the tedeum
of her life except this little one. 1t Is
her joy to take her babe, sick or well.
night or day, and bear it in motherly
arms. Whence this sudden transforma-
tion in which her pride has gone out,
and selfshness in her is dead, and her
life is transmitted into providence
Men who in all other things are liv-
ing as other men do, selfish and proud,
in the household are angelic-for here
the father falls into the same partner
ship. Directly or indirectly he is made
to participate in this bounty and culture
of love.
When one of the little army of the
family brings out its banner and calls
for volunteers, and another, and anoth.
er. till the household has its regiment
band. see how many there are that re
spond to the call. Look at those fami
lies where there are FIVE, six, seven
eight, and, blessed be God, eleven, al
there were in my fathers household
where the center was-what? The eld
est born, that now had grown large ant
strong. and that was subtle, and ingen
ious, and fertile in all expedient? ? Wa
it those whose faces were full of sign
of prematurely developed knowledge
Was it those who had function and pow
er in life ? Was it the grown up boy
and girls? No. Still the altar wa
, the cradle, and the greater served tn
less. Was the babe sick ? There wa
not a door in the house that dared
creak. The very foot of the hired ser
want in the kitchen was softened. A.
sights and all sounds were taken out {
the way. The whole commonwealth {
, the household bowed down to weakness
and to want. Was there ever such a
emptying of self? Was there ever sue
n serving in the spirit of disinterestc
love 9