Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-12-25

peciing too much. And here let me
say that If parents knew that teachers
use the children who come from the
different homes as mirrors to reflect
the manners Of those homes, perhaps
their sensitiveness might induce them
to have little more care in teaching
them to behave at home as they wish
them to appear at school or any place
else away from home. Thus, if a
boy comes into the school room with
mud upon his hands or face, we are
apt TO think that his home is not noted
for neatness. Ifa boy or girl use rude
and indecent language among his or
her playmates, we think they hear such
language at home, or at least they are
are allowed to use IL there. If child
be slow to cure of his bad manners,
difficult to govern, and generally de-
PRAYED and vicious, we are prone to
think the home government and NOR
ais are very deficient and that the
heads of that family ought to have re.
NAMED single. The old Grecian Zeno
said, "If you wish to appear a good
man be u good man." If YOU wish
your children to appear well away
from home teach them to appear we'll
at home, for almost every time the
child will betray his training.
A good teacher expects to divide his
time and care impartially among his
pupils, whatever their condition in
life. but the love and esteem he feels
for the child that has received the
home education and morals and man
ners is far above that felt for the other.
Such p child is respectful among his
playmates, dutitul to his teacher and
industrious in his studies, and the
heart of the teacher goes out to him in
love and admiration such as is not felt
and cannot be felt for the rude, uncul-
tured child; and though he has never
seen the parents. he honors and re-
! spccts them for thus assisting him in
his great work.
The mind Of the young child is like
clay in tho hands Of the potter. You
| can mold 1t into almost any shape you
wish. BY proper training in early
years you can give j. almost any bias
or turn You desire. There is no trucr
saying than the old couplct:
It's education forms the common mind.
AS the twig is bent the trees inclined"
So exactly true is it that the paren,
who feels the great responsibility rest
ing upon the father or mother, and has
the high and holy purpose in the hear
of doing his or her whole duty to thu
child and to God, can take the immor
tai gift, pure as the falling snow, ant
rear structure, moral and intellect
I ual,. that shall be the admiration of tn,
purest minds of the race. Or, entirel,
forgetful of this great duty, by mean
of neglect, of abuse, of cruelty, of i'm
moral teaching, he can SO dwarf TIN
intellectual and smother the mora
faculties, as to produce hideous mon
ster of vice and wretchedness that will
be remembered only with disgust an,
adherence by the civilized world.
1 In educating the child the paren
should look away from the presen,
down into the distant future, and Loo
upon the probabilities of happiness o
Of misery. Morally the child is borl
!. upon the confines of two worlds
world Of joy and world of woe. A
tho infant lies before US is it not ap
,, palling to think that obligations reach
!! ing through eternity have already al
tached to him. He is to live one 9
: two Nves-either surrounded by goo
influences or evil. Parent you, NOR
!! than any one else. must decide which
! o. C.. G.