Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-12-02
The Angel in the Block.

1T is related Of Michael Angelo that
while walking with some friends through an
obscure street in the city OF Florence, he
discovered block of fine marble lying neg
lected in a ward and half in dirt and rubbish.
Regardless of his holiday attire he at once
fell to work upon 10, clearing away its filth
and striving to lift il from the slime and
mire in which II lay His companions asked
him in astonishment what lac was doing and
what he wanted of that worthless piece of
rock Oh there's an angel in this stone
was the answer and | must get out lie
had it removed to his studio and with pa
tient toll with mallet and chisel, he brought
the angel out. What TO others was but q
rude, unsightly stone, to his eye was bur
led glory OF ant, and he discovered at
glance what might be made OF it, \ mason
would have put it in a stone walk cart
man would have used it in filling in or to
grade the streets but he transformed it into
a creation OF genius and gave it a value for
ages to come
Every humaa being may be likened to
block of marble just as it comes from the
quarry, Parents, teachers and surrounding
circumstances are the artists, who chisel,
hew, polish, discipline and develope the char
acter OF the child And every child Is born
with the attributes Of both angel and devil.
II the angel be not developed we inquire why
not Ii the deyil--preyerted passions and
propensities- developed instead of the
angel-moral and spiritual sentiments-then
somebody is to blame. Do children take al
ter their parents Is there anything to
hereditary descent Can a child create his
own will, spirit, disposition, tendencies and
character Children are blocks of marble
right from the quarry, and the marble IN the
quarry is coarse or fine. From fine quarry
we get fine marble, from a poor quarry poor
stone. Pure and healthy parents will have
fine children, with angelic tendencies pre-
dominating Low, coarse impure, drunken,
diseased persons should not expect much an
gel in their children. Objectors may point
To seeming exceptions, We state the law.
God is not mocked." His laws are neither
revised nor repealed Obey and live. Dis
obey you prematurely die.
Parents, look at those little human blocks
/ before you. They are subject to your mold
/ ing chisel. You words, your actions, aye
your very thoughts, are intuitiyely working
/ ON those little statues. You bring irown'
or smiles on their plastic faces at your will
you encourage or you depress; you elevate
or YOU degrade You distort oryou beautlty
you make angels or you make devils
DO not shrug you shoulders and deny per
sonal responsibility, You cannot put the
blame all on Adam, Eve and the serpent
That child came into existence through hu
man agency. Its parents Were the agents
There were prenatal Influences at work whicl
gave shape, tone and direction to its body
and brain. Later the food, the drink, the
quality OF the air it breathed the language
the prayers, the music it heard the beauti
full or the horrible objects it saw-all ha'
their effect in forming its character Wa
it born in the Five Points of New York, o
in the slums of some other city, Were IL
parents low vagrants, vagabonds, or crml
mails, or were they selfish, though well-to citl
zens Were they rich, purse-proud, self
indulgent distant, naughty and domineer
ing? Wepity their children. Children ar
expected 10 resemble and take after thei
parents. Oh, that our parents had beef
what God intended them to have been Oh
that we may become what lie intended u
to have been-fnely-chiseled, polished AM
graceful sculptures in marble and beautiiu
works Of human art But how much NOR
grand, beautiful, graceful and ineomparabl
angelic are intelligent, kindly, loving, just
righteous, noble and godly men and women
Reader, let your studies, your efforts, you
life, be devoted TO developing the angel u
the human-block.