Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1878-10-24
H'aresataI Eptu1ies.

Parents are the most i'm portant individu
ais in every community. Without rcheo
tlon, some may think this an unguarded
expression; but when properly considered
1t will bn found to be only the unYnrnishcd
truth. The influence of nearly all of the
human family is restricted, both in extent
and duration. Even those individuals who
in their own community are regarded as
model farmers, learned jurists, eloquent
divnes, or skiiiful workmen in any of the
manual labor avocatious of life, arc scarcely
known fcw miles beyond tho region in
which they were born. Every century
produces only few mon who exercise u
national influence. 1t matters not how
extensive tho Influence Of most mon, in the
ordinary pursuits Of life may be, their iuhu,
onoo generally desccnds with them to the
grave. Who knows anything about tho
farmers, tho lawyers, the physicians, the
dlvincs, or the merchants who fourishoa
half century ago? WHO cares anything
ebout theu'7 They lie in their graves for
gotten by the living. Even their names
nre unknown. AS parents, however, their
influence dcs;en,is from generation to gene.
ration. Like parents l;!o children aud
grandchildren, nay ba bad English, but it
is good sense. La tho features, tones of
voice, and motinns of their bodice, children
generally resemble their parcuts. Leading
featurcs are pcrpctuatcl for generations.
Sons and daughters arc recognized by the
resemblance which they bear to their pro.
gchitors.
This affects society very little, and did
the influence of parents cease here, the
relationship between parent and child would
DO Of trivial importance. Such, however,
ia not the case. When tho father and
mother die, they cease, in the majority of
cases, to exercise any influence only as
parents. Their mannora and customs they
bequeath to their children. On all ques-
tions of morality, children think und act as
thoir parents think and act. Death may
remove our parents from this world, but it
cannot make us believe that our parents
entertained hcterodox theories or practccd |
dangerous preoepts. 1t tmatters not who NAV
be wrong, either in theory or practice, We
ins,inctively regard our parents as being
right in both.
Such being tho influence which parents
exercise over their ohildren, it is ther duty
to set before them decent example. 1t is
not to be wondered at that so many BOYS,
not to mcution the girle, turn out so badly.
They learn to be bad from those whom it is
their duty to obey implicitly Children
learn tho larger number of their bud habits
from their father and mother. If parents
really desire their children to grow up and
become decent members Of society, thcy
must first bo decent themselves. It is true
thero are exceptions to nearly all rules.
it is the case that an Indecent
father rears decent son; and sometimes the
opposite is the case. Such cases oan be
pointed to only as exceptions. The rule is,
always has been, and always will be-, that {
ha SONS are like the fathers and tho daugh !
.ers like tho mothers.
The first lessons in citizenship are learned
around the family fresdc, and tho teachers I
ire tho parents. It is at homo that children t
earn to obey, and obedience Is the prime
number in good citizenship. Tho unruly !,
'hild must make an unruly grown person. d
Fho child that is not ruled by its parents, i
Jay mako, when grown, q slave. 1t can
lardly make citizen. Honco, parents are il
lnder obligations to teach their children to .
|bey. In their own homes, parents should d
bake their commands respected. In the Al
anily, the parental authority is above any r,
Tier except that Of God. tits, since this il
fShe case, the duty Of parents to command Of
Al oxaot scrupuous obedience to their "
9Slmands.
Ihe duty Of parents to their chidron, in in
haA1Sl point Of Wow, is far greater than in pl
KIM ,s;S s}bthor respect. Some persons pretend ot
hek that parents should exercise no 10
ma pntrol over their children at all. M
n ,9uld be left free and untrammoled 81
ApA&S Sthey pleased in all religious mat oy
eh q notion is go absurd, that It dc