The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1875-04-15
How to Keep the Children Pure.

III you not use your influence in try
ING to deter large boys from contaminatinp
the minds of smaller boys? Things which
should be told in wholesome manner and
as solemn truths are distorted into vile
Shapes, and permanent injury is done to
chi!drens minds. Would it not be better
Tor the body to be poisned than the mind,
that parents might see the harm done. and
thereby be enabled to use cures and anti
dotes But | am sorry to say that [ think
the trouble lies deeper than with the big
boys. [ have been looking around. and
am quite sure that it dose. A jury might
acquit them with the verdict, more sinned
against than SHINING 1t is the men that
/ am coming at, for just so long as they
meet III 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
cast off the unclean thing and be noble
man."
No subject more vital in It's bearing on
the morals of the young could have place
in this column, says the New York Tribune,
in 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 oflife. This
is left shrouded in impenetrable mystery,
and all manner of lies are told in reply to
the questions which at a 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 tarcs that never
can be weeded out. The innocenthearted
boy learns from his rough companions
what his own father or mother should have
told him with perfect simplicity and in
genuousness, and learns a great deal that
would never have had him know. Truth
is sacred, truth is pure and never eorrupts
any one. 1t is the vile admixture of false
hood with it that contaminates. Every
fact in human physiology can be so com
municated to a 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 10 place for
shame. Where virtue reigus shame can
not come.
4 child thus taken into sacred intimacy
with its parent will instinctively revolt
from whatever is yulg lgar and base and OBJ
scene. At every period i'll 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 child to
virtue and honor and chastity, as perfect
and nnrestrained intimacy between it and
the father and mother We are careful
about the sewage of our houses, about
ventilating them, and see to it 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 simplicity, that
the pure air and sunshine 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 preven-
ton will be found better than many pounds
of cure.