The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-04-08
How TO Keep the Children Pure.

VIII you not use your influence In
trying to deter large boys from con-
taminating the minds of smaller boys
Things which should be told in q whole
some manner and as solemn truths are
distorted into vile shapes, and permanent
injury is done to children's minds.
Would it not be better for the body to
be poisoned than the mind, that parents
might see the harm done, and thereby
be enabled to use cures and antidotes |?
But l am sorry to say that 1 think the
trouble lies deeper than with the big
boys. have been looking around, and
am quite sure that it does. A jury might
acquit them with the verdict, more stunned
against than SHINING. 1t is the men that
1 am coming at, for just 50 long as they
meet in groceries, on street corners, and
in shops, telling stories unfit for the ears
of their mothers, sisters, wives and
daughters, just SO long big boys will
listen and think it cunning to emulate
the filthy example. Is it not terrible
thing to look into young mans face
and think of the impurities his mind
must be loaded with unless he has
had strength to east off the unclean
thing and be a nobleman I"
No subject more vital in its bearing on
the morals of the young could have
place in this column, says the New York
Tribune, iii reply to the above letter.
There are parents who recognize among
the duties they owe their children that
of instructing them with respect to the
origin of life. This is left shrouded in
impenetrable mystery, and all manner
of lies are told in reply to the questions
which at very early age children will
ask. The mother leaves this matter for
her daughter to be told about by any
chance schoolmate, who, with the few
grains of truth she may communicate, is
more than likely to SOW tares that never
can be weeded out. The innocent
hearted boy learns from his rough COM
panions what his own father or mother
should have told him with perfect
simplicity and ingenuousness, and learns
a great deal that they would never have
had him know. Truth is sacred, truth
is pure and never corrupts any one. 1t
is the vile admixture of falsehood with
it that contaminates. Every fact in
human physiology can be so communi-
Gated to pure mind that its delicacy
shall not be in the least offended. The
time to make these facts known is when
the desire to inquire into them manifests
itself, and the best teacher is the parent.
AS between husband and wife, so between
parent and child there is no place for
shame. Where virtue reigns shame can
not come.
A child thus taken into sacred intimacy
with its parent will instinctively revolt
from whatever is vulgar and base and OBJ
scene. At every period in the develop
ment of the young life the parent should
be before everybody else in preparing
and fortifying his son or daughter against
the dangers which lie in his or her path. |
There is nothing that SO strongly binds |
a child to virtue and honor and chastity,
as perfect and unrestrained intimacy
between it and the father and mother. |
We are careful about the sewage of our |
houses, about ventilating them, and see
to 1t with diligence that every nook and |
corner is kept neat and sweet. Let us
carry the same thing into character and |
open all the doors and windows of the |
soul by total frankness and transparent
that the pure air and sun
shine of heaven may have access to
them and keep them pure.
One word more. If home is made SO
attractive that boys and men prefer it
to the corner groceries, an ounce of pre-
vention will be found better than many
pounds of cure.