The Lake County star., 1877-05-10

cuouBe WOulO nave Deen IOur. l5uC M
has given me four and three-quarters.'
Then In q tone of satisfaction, she
added: I'm that much richer. you
see, Ruth"
Her sister smiled, but did not utter
the disapproval that was I'm her heart
Karl listened and took II all In. A lit
tie while afterward Mrs. OmdorR got
up and rang the bell, saying, as she
did 80, with short, gurgling laugh
that seemed ashamed Of itself: !
gaess Ven have 2 little Ice cream-7at'
Aunt Ruth only shook her finger.
and said, feebly: "Oh, that's too
But Karl was not able to see whether
she approved or disap,,roved. The ice
cream was sent for and enjoyed by the
child. While the sweet taste was yet
on his tongue, he heard his mother
say: "I'm very much Obliged to Poole
for this treat-it's delicious I"
Is II strange that the boys percep-
tion Of right and wrong should be OBJ
scured ? or that, In day or two after
ward, he should come in from the
street with an OrAngein his hand, and
on -beihg Questioned about it, reply !:
~ woman let IL fall from her basket,
and I picked u up She didn't zee It
"but Why didn't you call after herr"
askcti, Aunt Ruth. T.ElA
"Csnse I didn't want to-" answered
the child, :, AGhe dropped Il. ] didn't
knock it ofI.W ~
Ms. Omdor6 was not satisfied with
the conduct OF her child; and yet she
was amused At what she called his
cuteness, and laughed insteed Of re-
proving him for an act that was In
spirit theft.
: So the child's education for theft was
begun-his ruin initiated. The low
moral sense of his mother was perpet-
ually showing itself In some disregard
of others rights. A mistake made in
her favO. was never voluntarily cor
rected and her pleasure at any gain Of
this kind was rarely concealed. "He
cheated himself" was q favOrite say
ing, heard by Karl almost every week;
and rs he grew older, he understood it's
meaning more clearly.
Mr.. OmdOrf was man Of higher
integrity than his wife; and just In
dealing to the smallest friction.
"FOolish about little things-mOre
nice than wise, !" as she often said when
he disapproved of her why's Of doing
things, as was sometimes the case.
Mrs. OmdOrR had learned to be guard
ed in her speech when he was at home.
and 20 he remained In Ignorance Of the
fatal perversiOns going on In the mind
Of the child.
As the boy grew up his fathe RS 3su-
pervision became more direct. He
was careful about his associates, and
never permitted him to be away from
home without knowing where and
with whom he was. He knew but too
we'll the danger Of evil association !;
and guarded his boy with jealous solic-
itude.
Alas he dreamed not Of the evil In
fluences at home never imagined that
the mother was destroying in her son
that nice sense of honor without which
no one is safe; nor that she had taught
him to disregard the rights Of others |;
to take mean advantages; and to ap-
propriate what did not belong to him
whenever iC could be done with absO-
Lutte certainty Of concealment.
We do not mean to say that such
were the direct and purposed teachings
Of his mother. She would have been
horror stricken at the mere suggestion.
But she had 30 taught him by exam
ple. In heart che was not honest and
In many of her transactions she was as
much q thief as II she had robbed a
till. Retaining what belongs to an
other, simply because it has come into
our hands by mistake, Is as much
theft In Its spirit as purposed stealing;
and the fine lady who keeps the
change to which she Is not entitled, or
the yard Of ribbon measured to her In
error, IL Just as criminal as the sneak
thief who gets into her hall through o
neglected door and steals her husbands
overcoat. The real quality Of an act
lies in the intent. +.f
Is 1t any wonder that amid such
home influences, the boy did not show,
as he advanced toward maturity, q
high sense Of honor? That he should
be mean and selfish, and dishonest in
little things? "As the twig Is bent
the trees Inclined" Evil seed will
produce evil fruit.
Society punished and execrated this
unhappy young man, and pitied his
wretched mother; little dreaming that
by her hand his prison doors had been
opened.
Another instance of the baleful in
fiuence that may exist at home is to be
found In the ruin of o young man who
recently died in one OF the lowest and
yilest haunts Of the city. He had been
well educated, and grew to manhood
with fine sense ofhonor. His mother
was woman of rare culture, and be-
loved by every one In the circle where
she moved. All the moral sentiments
of her son had been carefully fOetered
and developed, and when he reached
manhood no one showed fairer prom
ise.
But. It was not long before q shadow
fell across his life. He had learned
one thing that was destined to work
his ruin-he had learned to love the
taste of wine.
His father belonged to q class Of men
who considered wine drinking as q
mark of good breeding. He knew all
about wines and had q weak vanity
In being thought q connoisseur. II he
had q friend to dinner, he would bring
out two or three kinds and discuss
them through the meal. He called the
men who were ranging themselves
against the terrible evil Of intemper-
ance, and seeking to stay Its baleful
course, "pOor fanatics" He talked Of
pure wines and liquors AZ harmless,
and gave them to his son at suitable
tunes and occasions, moderately; only
guarding him by warnings against
excess.
But these warnings went for moth
ing as appetite increased. At twelve
years Of age, the boy was content with
q single glass Of light wine at his din
ner. At eighteen he wanted two glass
es, and at twenty-one three. BY this
time he had acquired convivial habits,
and often drank freely with other
young men Of his age. His mother
was first to take the alarm; but his
father was slow TO believe that his son
was in danger. The sad truth broke
upon him at last in . painful humilia-
tion. At q large party In his own
house the young man became ~ badly
intoxicated that he had to be removed
from the company. -
From that unhappy period, wine
was banished from the fathers table.
But it was toolatei The work Of ruin
had progressed too far. At twenty
seven the wretched young man died,
L. ~ l.