The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1876-07-13
NAVE Farm IN your CHILDREN

and. though years of change had come
and gone since then, it had lett such an
impression on her mind that she could
never entirely Danish it from memory
She was quite q child when it happened,
and her mother, good christian woman,
was vet one of those strict, stern parents
who demand and expect, perhaps, too
much from their children, forgetting how
hard it is, even for us grown children,
tried in the rough discipline of life, to
submit to our Heavenly Fathers will
and Weld instant and perfect obedience
to His law. But this child was gentle
and yielding always. / well remember
her mild, amiable manners, and sweet
disposition when we we're children to-
gether-ever giving up her own will to
that of her parents. Above all she was
perfectly truthful; never had her lips
framed a falsehood, or uttered one de-
ceitfril word; she had never tried to
screen herself when at fault, or to escape
the punishment of her childish errors.
And her mother knew this-knew that
her child had never spoken aught to her
but the plain, honest truth.
There came day at school when it
was found that some grievous act of
disobedience had willfully been commit
ted by one of the pupils, and, in some
strange way, it was traced to this little
girl. The teacher accused her, she de-
MED the charge, but the proof seemed
strong against her, and the teacher even
accompanied her home, carrying the ac-
cusatiOn to her mother.
1t seems an unnatural thing for par
ent to do, yet she accepted the teachers
statement in preference to that of her
own child, who had never deceived her,
and tried by every means in her power to
make the little one confess the fault.
"Mother, mother, 1 did not do it;
won't you believe me ?" was all the re-
ply she could obtain. For a long time
she sat by the child, pointing out to her
the horror of falsehood, and beseeching
her to confess that she had committed
the error and ask forgiveness. The Child's
spirit became at last so affected, and her
whole little being wrought up 10 such a
state, that she actually confessed herself
guilty, and asked forgiveness for wrong
she had never committed From that
moment a feeling of reserve grew up be-
tween the mother and child, and, though
years have come and gone, and the child
is grown up to womanhOOd, she still re-
members that dreadful day, not, how
ever, with any undue blame to her moth.
er, "for," she said, II know she thought
she was doing right"
Oh, what feeling of forlorn wretch
edness must come over a little innocent
child when it sees its mother look
ing with suspicious eyes upon it,
and refusing to believe its expressions Of
innocence;
Oh, mother let your children see that
you have faith in them; that you can
trust them whether near or far away, and
it will be to them a cheering thought
that viii doubly endear to them the sa-
cred name of mother-checking them in
temptations hour, and leading their
souls to lofty purposes and noble aspi-
rations.
A mothers love and trusting belief
what a safeguard it has been to many a
boy fighting his way in the world 1t has
helped him to conquer many an enemy,
and frightened many anhOur of struggle
and sadness to know that a loving, pray
ing mother has faith in her absent boy.
A rnothers trust has kept many daugh
ter feet IRON straylng, and bound their
hearts together in atieCtionate sympathy
and confidence until death alone has
broken the tie, and then was left the
sweet influence of devoted life as a
guiding star
Mothers, have faith in your children
Sarah KeableS Hunt, IN PkreaologioqI
Journal. s..