The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-02-21


them, until they chose the wrong deliber-
ately and lied and deceived to escape the
pain. What dark pictures some people
carry forever with them of the homes of
their childhood, the spots that might have
been near to heaven, but to them were
much nearer the place of eternal
anguish. Who of us to-day with the chill
dren clustering around our knee would
deliberately blind them forever to the light
ana beauty OF earth; not one. We would
rather gather them close to our hearts, and
if any must suffer offer ourselves for the sac
riice, and yet unless we are tender and
thoughtful, are day by day binding our
girls and boys as we brutally take away from
them the gentle, loving kindness that is part
of their. birthright. We would not
cover the beautiful flowers just budding with
cold, hard stones and expect them TO fulfill
the promise of perfume and loveliness, and
yet on the warm, throbbing hearts of our
children we cast the cruel, bitter words; their
bodies we mark with the whip or ferule, and
yet we expect in their maturity that there
shall be no blight. We should never let
anger govern us when we punish a child,
nor should the mere theory of sparing the
rod and spelling the child influence us. Qui-
city, dispassionately, sadly We should show
the wrong; we should appeal to the heart
and conscience, and if these are the modes
of punishment from the earliest moments of
reason, we need never resort to harsher
L. Oh; 4 10.
rather be fogged than deprived of fathers
or mothers kiss, and to whom the reprov-
ing glance of an eye that was always loving
was punishment even to be Stunned. Oh!
when we kiss for the last time the frozen
lips, that never more shall offend, when we
press the fingers that shall be busy with the
childish play no more, and give our child
back to God our grief will lose much of its
bitterness and weariness, il on looking back
over the short journey that was travelled by
our side we find we did nothing to bring
sorrow and care to the young heart so soon
stilled in its beatings
five knew the baby fingers
Pressed against the window pane
Would be cold and stiff tomorrow,
Never trouble us again,
Would the bright eyes of our darling
catch the frown upon our brow
Would the print of rosy fingers
NeX us then as they do nOw2
The homes that are the happiest are those
where the parents, before they attempt to
govern their children can govern themselves,
where the fundamental principles of all law
and judgment are we'll understood, and
the child is not expected to OBJ
serve rules he does not understand or
meet requirements he can not observe. The
homes of our childhood are in the fairy land
that lies beyond the turmoil and WEAKNESS
of the present; they are among the things
of the long ago, and yet we hope 10 have
them again in that future where our man.
siOns shall not be made with hands-when
we shall meet again father and mother
whose love for us was like the current OF our
lives, always with us. We pray to feel
again the touch of our mothers fingers as
we knelt at her knee and her hands on our
bowed heads blessed the penitent weeping
child. We hope to be clasped to the heart
that had only forgiveness for the prodigal,
the ungrateful-the heart that could cherish
no anger or hatred We hope to walk the
gold paved streets with our father. who just
and noble yet could stoop to pity and com
fort the children of his home We clung to
his hands for strength and support IN our
first weak steps, and his arms were about US
until we folded them for the last time
over the grand old breast that was
broad enough to hide even fault and sin of
his sons and daughters. We are men and
women now. and yet. standing to day in the
midst of the conflict of life, we look back
ward to home and, taking courage from our
memories, thank heaven for such blessed
retrospect, and 90 on to the eternal home
where love shall rule forever, for love is of
God and God is love. Whatever else you
miss giving the children-money, education,
luxury, ease-do not deny them your love
and sympathy. They will be returned to
you ten-fold in the perfect, symmetrical
lives of the men and women who reverently
and tenderly call you father and mother.
Be firm. be just. be inhexible in the right,
but withal remember you are dealing with
immature young minds and hearts. and that
more good and discipline can be accom-
plshed with love than with pain and agony.
Let your demands be reasonable, your exac-
tions possible, Your rules movable, and let
your children expect sympathy in their
troubles, and for punishment the loss of
something that has become precious to them
never physical punishment-and the mo-
ment they have repented and asked forgive
ness that instant let their tears blot out their
offense
The age is one of kindness. of genfler feel
ing. of better impulses than those that are
past, and the rule, not the exception, is to
be "good will amorg men," Wars cruel
and ferc.. may he waoad hut the nnrsea