Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1880-05-15
Selr-Help.

There is no truth more worthy of be-
ing continually presented to the young
and established i'll their hearts than that |
the very best kind of help is sclf-help. |
We are all inclined to exaggerate the
Importance of the help to be obtained
from others and to underrate that which
comes from within. Conscientious par
ents and teachers undertake to do so
much for the children that there is but
little left for the children to do for them
selves. They form and direct their
minds, guide and control their actions.
mold and shape their destinies SO
largely, that the young insensibly ac-
quire the habit of leaning upon the
strength and Judgment of others, and
do not develop the power of standing
upright in their own. The same thing
may be observed in relations which have
other inequalities besides those Of age.
The poor lean against the rich, the idle
| and shiftless against the Industrious and
| provident, the awkward and slow against
the skillful and capable, the dull and in
different against the bright and enthusi-
astlc. Those who are conscious of in
feriority, instead of being spurred on to
extra exertions, seem to take it for
/ granted that some one else is to make
up their deficiencies, and what they can
not, OF think they cannot do for them
selves, they have right to expect others
to do for them
Now all this has show of Justice,
and involves principle which society
can never afford to lose. Sympathy,
that great bond of social union, de-
mands that burdens shall be shared,
sorrows relieved, weakness assisted, in
capacity led.s The spirit of human
brotherhood teaches us all to help one
another, and he who learns not its les
sons forfeits all its blessings. But the
mistake we make is in imagining that
bestowing something upon Others We
are just now beginning to appreciate
that almsgiving is the very poorest kind
of benevolence, more frequently injur-
ing than benefiting the recipient.
But we have not yet learned to ex-
tend this truth TO other things be-
sides pecuniary help. Whatever is
done for people has tendency to weak
en- their power to do it for them
selves. The mother who makes herself
slave to her chitdren's wants, supply
ing by her incessant labor that which
they could easily obtain by their own,
does injustice not only to herself but
to them. She withdraws from them the
natural stimulus to exertion, deprives
them of the healthy influence of in
dustry and encourages within them a
willingness to be dependent. The
teacher who smooths away all difficult
ties for his pupils, solving for them their
hardest problems, and allowing his own
thinking to take the place OF theirs, is
really enfeebling their mental powers
instead of developing them, and forfeit
ing the best ends of their education. In
the same way, when any one, pitying an
Impractical worker, takes his task out
of his hand and does it for him, the re-
lief he gives is temr orary and insignifi-
cant, while the injury he inflicts on his
self reliance is permanent and consid-
cradle.
Many persons think that the law holds
in its grasp all moral responsibility
that as are the wisdom and power of
the Government 50 will be the charac-
ter and value of the people It is true
that these two usually correspond, but
it is rather the Government that is made
> from the elements of the people than
] the people from tho Government. No