Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-04-11

in the spring ftlrrow insures ripened corr
in the fall. But to understand that law W,
have need to note its terms. Train up a chile
in the way he should go. says Solomon
We content ourselves with teaching. Now
the difference between teaching and train
ing is recognized in all education. 1t i;
commonly. though unphil6sdphically, dis
criminated by the terms theoretical an(
practical. In the one case the mind sim
ply apprehends a truth; in the other, un
der the influence of that truth, some organ
Of the mind or body is put into active ex-
ercise. A child is taught botany when she
learns tie names of classes and genera, and
the appellation Of the various parts of the
plant anatomy, from her text book. When
she goes out into the fields. picks for her
self the flowers, analyZcs them, eXan,ines
their parts and assigns them places, she is
training herselfin botany. In the one case
she is simply informed of a fact and quick
ly forgets it. In the other, 81 c exercises
her powers Of perception and judgment
and. if this is repeated until it becomes a
habit, to characterize every flower that she
sees by its class-name, she never wholly
loses the power thus acquired. Knowl-
edge gained is soon lost. Power once ac-
quired is almost Hcver wholly lost.
Now apply this distinction. You may
tell yonr child that it is exceedingly wick
ed to get angry, and accomplish nothing.
But if you succeed in habituating him to
control his temper when child. you may
rest perfectly secure that his temper will
not control him when lie. becomes man.
You may teach him that patience is vir-
tue. and he be none the better. But if you
develop within the. power of patiently
bearing the burdens of childhood, he will
never lose that power in his manhood.
\ OH may tell him that God is very good.
and that he ought to love Him. and yet
the boy may grow up IN atheist; but if
You have the skill to inspire a childish love
for God in his young heart. nothing can
etflce it. In a word, you may instruct
your child in religious truth and his man.
hood life reek with vice. But exercise his
faculties in religious life. and he can nev-
er lose the power which thus he will have
acquired.
For character is the product of habit.
We are what we have been accustomed to
do What the child does at first with diff
iiculty he comes by repeated experience to
do with case. What he habtually does
WIN case he does at length unconsclousiy
and by tie necessity of his nature. This is
the meaning of the familiar proverbs.
The child is father to the man," "Habit
oring put upon The surface of cloth-it
fades with the first washing. Habit is like
ii dye inf'ised into the thread before the
pattern is woven-nothiilg can extract it.
The principles that are learned in child
hood are often left bthind when the child
leaves the school-room. The habits, wheth-
cr for good or evil. grow with his growth
and strengthen with his strength.
We recognize this truth and we act upon
it in all the lower realms. We understand
that. as regards the use of the fingers and
the feet, practice makes perfect. We un-
derstand that the child must net only
comprehend the principles of any art. but
be versed in the practice. Reading cook
cry hook will not make young girl a
good housekeeper. Studying the princi-
pies of a thorough base will not make her
good musician: She mist have her piano
and practice her hour day. If a boy is
to learn to swim, he must go into the wa
ter and paddle till he learns. For the child
acquires dexterity on the piano by playing,
in the kitchen by cooking, in the water by
swimming, and dexteiity thus acquired is
never lost,
1t is enough, then that we teach our
children Alright. Your boy may commit
the catechism, and turn infidel. He may
repeat tie Ten Commandments without
missing a word. and not obey one of them.
He may be admirably versed in Scripture,
and never follow its guidance. Nay! his
Bible may be no more than mere spell
ing-book to him; he may learn not only
the text Of the Ten Commandments, but
their true significance, and yet depart very
far from them. He may be able to repeat
the first two commandments, and be cov-
etcus man, which is an idolator; he may
recite the third, and interlard his speech
with MANY oaths; the fourth, and be a
habitlal Sabbath-breaker; the eighth, and
die in States prison. A child may know
to do right, and choose to do wror q; as
one may be an adept in detecting counter
teit money, and yet habitually pass it.
Nor yet is it enough that we gorerm our
children Alright; that by the fear of punish
ment and the hope Of reward we keep them
from wrong doing while they remain un-
der our control. We must teach them to
govern themselves, cast upon them respon-
sibilities. allow them to act upon their own
judgment, permit them to suffer the in
Of their own bluEders. We
must put the wheel in the child's own
hand; and, standing by his side, and point
ing out to him the rock on this side and
the shore on that, and in the whirlpool the
evidence of the sunkeii reef, teach him how
to man his own helm. Then, when man
hood comes, he will carry the bark safely
between the Scylla on the one side and
Charybdis on the other.
So interpreted, Solomon's declaration is
true. So Interpreted. it is Gods promise
to the faithful: ''Train up q child in the
,oay he should go, and when he is old he ariH
not depart from, it.''
Anxious. wearied, fainting mother, lay
hold upon that promise, and, by. patient
labor of love. secure in the manhood lite |
Of your perfected children its abundant re-
Lyman Abbott.
A Girl came to Walla Walla by stage
from the east to be married to granger. |
but there were sixty dollars ehafgps for /
freighting her by stage from Ke.ton, and
the greom-te-be was long kept in waiting
because he hadn't money enough to get
her out of .'soak. oregon Exchange.