Smyrna times., 1875-09-29


cause the old man was poor? How can all
the books or society of his later life teach
him the real value of the money jingling
in his pocket, or give him the instinct of
veneration to age, or make him innately
less a vulgar snob? This boy, with his
saddle-making ancestor, is an extreme case
perhaps. But we all know innumerable
cases in every class where the parent has
made sacrifices to urge the child up to
higher levels in culture or society, and the
child, having gained them, is ashamed of
the father and mother left behind. The
shame may be kindly concealed, or cruelty
shown, but in any case it is felt by the old
man and woman, and is bitter as death.
1t is not always snobbish vulgarity or
false pride, however, which brings on the
separation between parent and child; nor
is it always lack of affection or respect from
the young people. There is the good old
Parson Parr and his wife-what have they
not done for their boy and girl? They
have made doctor of young Harry and
given Mary and education which fits her
to conduct the best school in the town.
The money it cost put them to sore straits;
but if it had cost their lives, no doubt they
would not have complained. The only thing
they would not give was the effort to make
themselves companions to their children
to gain, by reading, intercourse with cur
rent events, or enforced sympathy with
their tastes, higher kinship than that of
blood. There was no reason why they
should not have kept pace with the young
people old Mr. Parr is a man of keener
Judgment and sounder sense than the
chatty young doctor; the mother certainly
as nimble and ready to wit as her daughter
there is no reason, we say, why the old
people should take the old husks of the
ologic dogmas or village gossip on which to
feed their intellects, and leave to their chill
dren the grain of living ideas and the
knowledge growing into sight with each
day. Of course to keep up such companion
ship requires effort, and effort too at that
season of middle age when man usually
finds the simple work of making a living
enough to exhaust his force and vitality
A few years ago when the old parson haC
finished his sermons and parochial calls
and his wife the weeks cooking and sew
ing, they were little in the humor to reaC
Carlyle with Harry, or go out to see hin
scull against Joe Pratt, or to plan picnic
or nutting- parties for Mary. For the wan
Of just such efforts they fell apart from tn
boy and girl; at first by hand-breadth
now by a gulf which no love can bridg
over. If they had once established tina
spirit of comradeship with their children
and tried to look at the world throug
their young eyes, they would find the chi
dren able now to make allowance for the
quieter saddened vision. Instead of bein
thrust into the back rooms of the hou:
and out of the current of thought, tast
and amusement, they would go on han
= in hand with them, until the older gras
should weaken, and the gray-headed cor
! rade be laid to rest.
While all that we have urged against Il
selfshness and arrogance of the your
le folks is strictly true, the other side of Il
ri story is just as true and unpalatable.
rs stinct and dependence command the 10
b. of child for the parent while it is a chile
m but when the child begins to see with
ne mans eyes, the father and mother must
he ready to meet at every point the critic
RS Judgment of those eyes, or the love W
to change to familiar pity. Mere gratitu
10. to the mother who nuIsed him and t
ke father who gave him life will not hind
re. him from seeing that they are vulg
as trucking, or false. Nor is it wise to re
lg, too much, as most parents do, on tI
Id gratitude. 1t is not half so strong as
fe, affection founded on sympathy and respe
ar. and it should not be. The child did 1
it ask to be brought into the world, and VIII
he brought it was the duty of the parent
cir nourish it-no special favor.
me If old folks and young folk in the hon
for where the Tribune enters will give lit
yue earnest thought to these matters, the comi
ing Winter will be a happier one, whetl
md stocks or incomes go up or DOWN..
ess Tribune.