Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-10-09

acter. To this end, we should cultivate in
the mind of the child love for the beauti-
full, that beauty whose prime essence is
purity. Home must be made place Of at
traction and pleasure as well as usefulness
and training. pity the child who looks
upon home only as place to eat and sleep,
be clothed and punished 1t costs less to
make our home pleasant, yea, even beautiful,
than it will to drive our children elsewhere
for their pleasure Even the saloons learn
the art of pleasing, for they have kind
word and smile of welcome for the
youth who visit them, and they display taste
in the selection and arrangement of colors,
in windows, shades glasses, pictures and
other works Of art, and often the place
is fragrant with the sweet odors Of rare
plants and beautiful flowers. Music, too,
adds its enlivening and moulding power.
Much of the cost of these attractions is
furnished from homes which are now vacant
enough, homes which might have retained
their loved ones had they expended half the
money thus crminally wasted, in adjoining,
not only their parlors, but all the rooms In
daily use. Some homes have all that wealth
and taste could demand and yet because Of
their beauty and cost are largely closed
against the use and enjoyment of childhood.
Happy are those children who are taught
the wisest use of all the privileges of beau
tiful and loving home. A proper attach
ment to home will be safeguard against
the pernicious influences Of street life.
For ways that wander out Of sight Of home
Can scarcely lead to God"
Children are comparatively safe from the
evil influences of intemperance, as long as
they counsel with and confde in, kind,
judicious mother. Every mother should be
in such intimate sympathy with her child
as to be able almost to read its heart, and If
this be the case, she has the power to detect
the first inclination to go astray and often
may correct the fault before it becomes
sin. Even the divine gift of parentage be-
comes a curse when the children are wrecked
on the rocks of intemperance, ignorance and
infdelity.'
Mrs Partridge emphasizes the fact "that
each evil habit, however small in COMPARE
son, is nevertheless a step-and often an i'm
portant step--toward this browning vice.
Therefore we must kindly yet firmly enforce
the divine rule Abstain from all appearance
of evil Frebels beautiful motto, Come,
let us live for our children must be ex-
tended by us to include all the dear children
whom we may instruct and lead to Christ"
She holds that " four things are espe-
cially necessary in this temperance educa-
ton of children Prayer, by which we draw
near to God and secure his divine aid In
structions, by which the mind of the child
is expanded, directed and enriched Exam.
pie, by which proper instruction is illustrated
and applied to the life; and restraint, by
which evil tendencies are checked and the
child held to steady course of virtue, ODE
dience and truth"
She closes her really suggestive and prac-
teal essay with this assertion and appeal /:
"Success in any moral enterprise, and es-
pecially in this, demands the giving of time,
money, influence, yea, it requires self-giving
in its noblest sense. Much may be accom-.
plished in the present, but the grandest re-
suits are reserved for the future. This work,
in some measure, is given to the Christian
women of the land and we may not lay it
aside or give it to others. But if we prove
untrue ar inefficient, God will call others to
the work and give to them its reward. By
engaging in this work, in Chrst's name, we
are pledged to its complete victory. Let
me earnestly appeal to every mother, in be-
half of her own and others, and to every
! sister, to use their wisest, purest, strongest
influence to so educate the present children
that none of them shall grow to be the future
drunkards. When every woman in the land
feels and acts to the full extent of her priv.
lege, intemperance will be thing of the
past. ! thank God ! have faith to grasp
such result for the future. And let the
monument of the Woman's Christian TEN
perance Union of America be a sober, intel
ligent and Christian nation"