The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-08-25
Two Great Texts.
BY WILLIAM s. PLUMER. D. T

Two Great Texts.
BY WILLIAM S. PLUMER, D. D.
To that great church at Ephesus, Paul
says And, ye fathers, provoke not
your children to wrath" and to the
great church at Colosse he says: Faith
ers, provoke not your children to anger
lest they be discouraged" The teach
ing of the two places is precisely the
same. See Eph. wi: 4, and Col. iii: 81
in the original 1t is noticeable that the
apostle addresses fathers, not mothers
The latter may be guilty of the same
fault, but their natures are less rugged
and more gentle. Fathers most need
the warning. We often forget that chill
dren frequently suffer much from nerv-
Gus distress. In older people we sooner
detect morbid, nervous sensibiity than
in our little ones. In their seasons of
depression neither they nor their parents
know how much of sadness comes from
disease of the nervous system. Then as
children know but little, they have many
groundless fears but they will not know
them to be idle till the suffering is long
past Even inquisitiveness in children is
often repressed. In many things they
are awkward or slow in learning, and
they are upbraided for their dullness, of
which they are already painfully aware.
Sometimes commands are given in such
way that they are not well understood.
A failure to obey is enormously construed
into heedlessness, or even disobedience.
In both cases wrong is done. Sometimes
oblurgation and sometimes severe punish
ment follows. Then the child says, What
is the use of trying to do right? am
chided or punished, do what | will.
Thus he is discouraged. In solitude
he seeks the peace and quiet he cannot
find in his fathers presence. He gets
no sympathy in his Affections. His faults
or mistakes are recited to others in his
presence, and he is filled with chagrin.
l have known boys of different fami-
lies to meet and tell each other their
trials at home. l have known some boys
to elope from their own fathers houses,
and many others to mediate it. o, faith
ers be gentle. be kind, be sympathetic.
Do not upbraid your offspring uniustly.
Hear the tales of sorrow which your
children have to tell. Enter into their
feelings. Make their case your own.
One of the greatest trials human nature
can be subjected to is to bear censure or
punishment not deserved. Children have
rights as well as their parents. They
have right to be as happy as good pa
rents can make them under the orderings
OF Gods providence. Let all parents
study to make home the most pleasant
place possible to their offspring.
1t is rather pleasing experiment now
making to encourage little boys and girls
to write short letters for the newspapers.
The trouble is they do not feel free to
tell all they think and experience. They
often see how charming home might be if
there were more love and gentleness there.
A late number Of the iSa1adov School
Journal says some good things on this
subject, thus:
AS an illustration of the truth that
little children often suffer intensely in
their minds and are even driven to de-
SPAR under a sense of injustice, or in
their gloomy view of life with its disap-
polntments and trials, it is said that
gathered statistics show nearly two thou
sand suicides of boys and girls in Europe
alone, every year. Our children have
heavier burdens to carry than we are ac-
customed to consider. They need more
words Of cheer, and more inspirations to
a robust, hopeful faith, than most of them
get from us. Their necessity Of sympa-
thy is greater than our own to-day. Let
us bear this in mind in all our dealings
with them at home.or in school"
Let some Of our old and wise people
give us their thoughts and especially
their "reminiscences on this subject, and
we shall profit by their experience.
Interior.