Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-08-13
Family Training. No. l.

The character and habits of childhood are
the results of family training, and they will
appear in manhood. Hence the great i'm.
portance of parental care and solicitude as
they contemplate their duty from this stand
point. The child must establish character
Of integrity, and be trained to habits Of
honesty, benevoleuce and industry, or he will
be lost to himself and to society. And, yet,
how many parents not only impart no prac-
teal lessons to aid in forming this character
and these habits, bur, by their own life and
management encourage dishonesty, selishuess
and indoleuceH Many practice deception in
dealing with their children and thus teach
them to be false. They make promises which
they never fulfill threaten punishments which
they never inHict, and sometimes tell their
children absolute falsehoods in regard
to their food, medicine, or sports. They do
not realize the fact nor understand the in
Auenco Of such treatment upon the heart and
character Of susceptible childhood but it
must be disastrous. Their own example of
truthfulness should be accompanied by posi-
tive moral lessons drawn from life and from
the Scriptures of truth touching this subject
to enforce the preceipts Of honesty.
Selfshness, too, is often encouraged and
cultivated under parental example. We
may not expect benevOlence to spring up
spontaneously 10 the heart Of the child. Ii
is plant Of tender growth, and must be
nourished by divine as we'll as human in-
Auence. Without knowledge and experience,
the child cannot appreciate the rights and
wants Of others, nor his own duty in regard
to them. His first attention must necessarily
be directed to himself, and the natural ten.
deucy Of his life is to form selfish habits.
To counterfeit this tendency, aud 10 cultivate
the feeling aud habit Of beDevoence, is evil
IDENTIFY an important duty of parents. In
deed, it is through parental fidelity alone
that the divine promise, Train up a child
in the way he should 60, and when he is old
he will not depart from it," can be realized.
The evil contemplated is often the result Of
excessive care and Indulgence. If all the
wants OF the child are anticipated aud every
member of the household is accustomed to
run at his bidding, the "little darling" will
have right to conclude that he is the most
important person on the premises, and will
expect and demand unlimited qualification
So INDUCED aud gratihed, the habits of self
denial and seli.reiance, which are indispeu
sible to success and happiness in life, will
not be formed nor will the ear be trained
to listen to the calls of mercy and beneyO
lence.
The Indulgence of children in every thing
that is harmless, is eminently proper. We
have, therefore, only to distinguish between
the harmless and harmful, to understand and
avoid the contemplated evil Whatever en-.
dangers life is harmful and hence children
must not be INDUCED in eating poison, OF
playing upon the margin of a Precipico
Whatever endangers health is harmful; and
hence eating at improper times, in improper
quantities, or of improper food, and especially
of those luxuries which serve to crafty Q
perverted appetite, should never be allowed
Whatever tends to depravo the moral char
acter is harmful; hence evil communica.
tions, corrupt literature aud every degrading
habit should be prohibited. PARESs.