Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-03-30
Formation and Reformation.

Good men and women are everywhere ask
ing these days, "What can do for temper
ance :" All feel the need Of thorough ref
ormation There is charm in the very
word. But there is one thing better, and
the best means 10 a reformation. IL is for
nation. Our great desire for reform leads
us to forget this. There is, too, fascina-
ton about the work Of reform. It draws
the public gaze. 1t makes itself heard. It
wins applause. 1t thus lures us from less
conspicuous but more important work. 1t
is better TO make than to mend better to
keep men out of the ditch than 10 get them
out better TO cut off the recruits to the vast
army of drunkards while the old veterans
are dying off than to let a whole generation
rush to their ranks. II you were offered the
job Of forming twenty boys to temperance
habits and principles, or of reforming twenty
drunkards, you at once would say, "Give me
the boys it is the easier, more hopeful task"
TIT is not so much temptation and exposure
that make drunkards Of our boys as it is our
failure TO fortify them against the seduc-
tions of vice by faithful instruction and
good example The prime work of every
father and mother is to inlay the hearts Of
their sons and daughters with the princi-
Piles of temperance. The formative processes
| by which character is developed, solidifed,
| and made impregnable are quiet and I'M
seen, like the unheard and invisible, yet
mighty forces that are rearing the stalwart
forest trees to withstand the onset of thou
sand tempests. Side by side with the refor-
nation of men and morals the formation of
them makes no noise and gives no notoriety
at all. Hence the mistake of multitudes.
They fancy they are doing nothing for God
and humanity unless they are winning APP
plause and publicity, entering the arena Of
public debate, and getting into public prints.
| This same ruinous mistake OF undertaking
the quiet work of forming character is made
by hosts of Christian parents in the religious
culture of their children. There is little
culture about it. They simply do not train
them to God and goodness They wait for
the reformer and the revivalist to come
along and do up the work all in batch for
them. They seem to fancy that their chill
dren must grow up in sin and vice, and by
and-by get converted and reformed in some
tempest of excitement. This is why CONVEX
sions and reforms last only so long as the
wind blows. There is no trained toughness
of fiber; no muscle and gristle in their moral
natures to endure long pull, a strong pull,
and pull all together There is then a
vastly more important work for fathers,
mothers, wives, sisters and all Of US to do
than to shut all saloons and reform all inebri-
ates, infinitely desirable as this may be. 1t
is to form whole generation of temperance
men and women. The material is in our
homes. They are our brothers and our sons.
We can rear them into an invincible army.
We can make them into righteous legisla-
tors, judges, and jurors, governors and presi-
dents, who shall not be the slaves of appe-
tite, nor be bought and sold by goddess
dramsellers as so many sheep in the sham
bles Will we do it? viii we begin it to-
day in all our homes, and pursue it till we
have reared generation Of men who shall
be masters of themselves and blessing to
the world Sure and settled let it be that
formation is the royal and infallible road to
reformation.-THe Advdnce.