The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-09-07
"Every Advantage"

ave have had only two," she said,
land we intend to give them every adj
vantage
She was proud mother, and they were
beautiful children-tender, fair, Fortunes
darlings-even the breath of Heaven must
not visit them too roughly. And yet, look
ing afar off down the futures dim and
distant vista, / saw that not wealth nor
love, nor any riches of external posses
sion, may be accounted able to keep these
little ones from harm. Not any purple or
fine linen can shelter them from the
drenching storms of sorrow; not any daz-
cling jewel of ornament can brighten the
darkness that may find and crush a soul,
even in the glare of a palace "Riches
take to themselves WINGS death claims
the presence of Love that would fain
shield and shelter-and what safeguard
may these children claim against the
storm and shadow of life's uncertain sea !?
One only, and her name is Wisdom. Her
"ways are ways of pleasantness, and all
her paths are peace" Ever and forever
may the tenpest-tossed find in her sure
and safe harbor, and without her there
can be only shipwreck and disaster! And
looking at these little ones, found myself
saying softly: "Our fortunes are the
fruit of our characters" and knew that
not mothers love nor fathers money
could avail anything toward making these
children happy unless Wisdom were the
handmaiden of their lives.
"We have been very fortunate. We
have money. enough, and we are deter
mined to give the children every advan-
tage," she repeated, tenderly, yet so con-
fidently that it was not possible to resist
the temptation to look into these little lives
and see how the sails of the tiny barques
were set, and what wind and weather pro-
PEELED the little souls.
"Go now, darlings, and nurse shall
dress you for a walk" said the mother,
and we followed them into the nursery,
taking book that we might conceal
our scrutiny and see how the children
lived.
Full Of life and play, they felt more
like r6mping than being dressed; but
nurse had no instructions to let them romp,
they must be dressed. Having, however,
no authority to compel them to acquies-
cence, and being forced to humor and
coax, or tease and morally coerce them,
they were at the mercy. of ignorance and
necessity, and the result was something
like unto this: :" Come, Maude, now have
your sash tied! Stand still, don't play
with Clarence. Come now, have your
sash on; quick, before put it on Clar-
ence. He hasn't got no nice sash like
black thing in the wardrobe, I'll open the
door and let him out;' and so she went
on alternately appealing to, the child's
fear, and pride and vanity, rousing all the
worst passions of her nature, and. to say
nothing of the ungrammatical language
used, exciting an antagonistic rivalry be-
tween the brother and sister, highly inju-
rious to both. So the days education be-.
gan. Then came the lessons:
We think it best to havea teacher in
the house, SO as not to contaminate the
CHI ldren by, vulgar ASSOCIATIONS such as
will creep into a school," said the mother,
with the same mistaken conviction of CIV
ing the children every advantage"
1--WE have most an excellent teacher" she
continued, mot prim and cross, but she
just devotes herself to the children and in
5terests them. We pay her we'll, and SHE
is anxious to retain her. situation, so she
tries to please the children.'' So it was
that the lessons were variation, in the
same direction of the morning expert
ence:
"Will Maud tell me what dog spells ?"
asked the teacher 31,2.9N
Maud is twisting the corner of her
apron, and looks up hstlessly.
d" Now, Maudie, tell teacher what dos
spells, and then teacherswll tell Maudie a
storyp' suggests the teacher 'coaxingly. d., 81
" want story now" says Maud.
s II want story too, =, says Clarence,
"Well then, we will tell the story first"
says the teacher, land then Maudie will
tell me what do gspeHs."Vr
So. the story is told, but when that is FIN
islled they must have another, and after
this the combination dog, is neither more
interesting nor more lucid than it was be-
fore; but the teachers Instructions, when
she was employed, were,. ftnot to cross
the children, not to punish them, not to
make learning odious by forcing them to
do what they did not wish tosdo." =,
So, for the sake Of keeping her situa-
ton, she merely plays at teaching, and
the mother fancies that because they like
stories and are fond of having the teacher
read to. them, that they are developing :. a
wonderful taste for books.'' Not one les
son of patience, not one earnest effort, not
one particleeof rugged mental discipline
these unfortunate children obtain.
Petted, coaxsd, bribed into selfishness