The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-09-18
THE ANGEL IN THE BLOCK.

10 related OF Michal Angelo that,
"niie walking with some friends through
"a obscure street In the city of Florence,
ne discovered block Of fine marble w.
ing neglected in yard. and half in dirt
ana rubbish, Regardless of bis holiday
azure DC at once felto. work upon it.
Clearing away it's filth, aud striving t.,
iiitlt from the slime and mire in W hich
IL lay. HIS companions asked him in "a.
constituent what he was doing, and what
ne wanted Of that worthless piece of
rock. oh, there's an angel in this stone
vas tue answer, and I must get it OUT
he Dad it removed to his studio, and
with patient toll with malet and chisel,
ne brought the angel ont. What te
O nsrs vas but rude, unsightIy stone,
20 ms educated eye was burisd glory of
ART and De discovered at a glance what
might DC made of it. A mason would
nave put 1t in q stsne walk cartman
would have used it in filing in, or to
grade the streets, but he transformed it
INT" creation Of genius, end gave it
value for ages to come"
A beautiful story this And now as to
another application Of it's moral.
/ Every human beiEg may be lkened to
block Of marble just as it comes from
the quarry. Parents, teachers, and sur.
rounding circumstances arc the artist.
"n" ch'sel, hew, polish, discipline, and
'eVtloD the character of the child. Aud
every child is born with the attri butes o
both angel aid dsvil. II the angel b.
not developed, We inquire why not /! I
rhs dev:l--pervertad passions and prn
; pensIties-be developed instead Of tn,
Sngel-moral and spiritual sentiments
then somebody is to blame. Do children
take after their parents: Is there any
thing in hereditary descent Can =
child create his own will, spirit, disp~
ltlon, tendencies, and character! Chill
dren are blocks of marble right from the
1u FRY, and tie marble in the quarry is
coarse or tine. From fine quarry We
ct hne marble, from poor quarry poor
stone. Pure and healthy parents will
have fine children, with angelic truden.
cies predominating. Low, coarse, i'm.
pure, drunken, diseased parents should
not expect much angel in their children
y Jectors may point to seeming exec p,
lions. We state the law. "God Is MT
Knocked" His laws are neither revise d
nor repealed. Obey and live. Dlsobey
you premeturely die.
Parents, look at these little human
blocks before you. They are subject t.
your moulding chisel, Your words, your
actions aye, your very thoughts, are in
tu'tlvely working on those little statutes,
You bring frowns or smiles on .helr plas.
tic faces at your will you encourage or
you de9ress /; you elevate or you degrade;
you distort or you beautify you make
angels or you make devils.
Do not shrug your shoulders and deny
personal responsibility You can not pu,
the blame all IN Adam, Eve, and the ser.
pente That child came into existence
through hnman agency. It's parents were
the agents. There were PARENTAL infn,
ences at work which gave shape, me,
and direction to it's body and brain.
Later, the food, the drink, the QUALITY @
air 1t breathed, the language, the pray
srs, the music it hoard tie beautiful or
the horrible object it saw-all had their
atrcts in forming its character. Was \,
born in the five points of New York. or in
The slums OF some other city T.? Were its ia.
rents low Migrants, vagabonds, or criminals.
or were they selfish though well.to.uo cit,.
zensf Were they rich r.e-proud. self.,n
duigeIt, distant, naughty, and dom;neer,ny
We pity thier children Children are expec
LED tie resemble and take after their parents.
On, that our parents had been what G I'd Ind
intended them to have been On. that W.
may become What He intended us 20 he r
FlneiY chlseled, polished and graceful sculp
lures In marble are beautiful work OF hum II
art But how much more grand, beautiful
graceful, and incomparably angelic are intel
lligenC, kindly loving, just, righteous, noble,
anu godlY men and women.
Reader, let your stud ca your effor5s, goa
me- Do devoted to developing the angel in
Northumberland. - Phrenolo0icnl journal
! The rural editor of Western pa ger nos