Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1881-02-03


You see, he said, ,'that make
companionssof my boys, and in govern
ing them | make companionship the
basis. / like boys--in fact Ike moth.
ing else so we'll, and ms theory is that
by cutivating a chiId's acquaintance
You get an insight into bis nature, and
are thereby enabled 20 adapt your teach
ing 70 his peculiarities.
The speaker was amanof letters, we'll
known IN this city. lie has two inter.
esting boys, aged respectively eleven
and eight years, -avt N
Suppose you found that one of your
boys had been smoking?n
"Well, a short time ago told one
of them that so far a. Smoking, was
concerned should have no objection
whatever %. his smoking, II he thought
best, after he became man, hr, that
should object to his doing so until he
was Of age, explained 10 him that
the highest authorities had decided
that this practice in youth had stunted
the growth. impaired the intellectual
and physical forces, and shortened life
by producing or encouraging certain
functional troubles that were by this
habit developed into something else aft
smoke uhtil after anl twehty-one. aud
not then IL think it hurts mel |
have since found out that vigorous
efforts have been. made by other boys
20 induce him 10 smoke, without sue
eess.n~ @
'sNIy boys" observed, every now
and then, especially after returning
from Sunday-sthool. ask for categoric
Inf ~,
oiogical dogalas, which | am entirely
unable 10 give them. They want to
knows eelfstiu things that have been
taught them are true but in my pres
cnt state OF MUD don't know whether
theseare true orIiots What is man
20 doe Is he 70 make agnosties Of his
children ~ once, oris he tn be insincere
Yg @Imake it arule,r shsreplied, ,f,nev-
er 10 teach dogmaticaliy anything which
don't believe. make il a rule never
70 teach my boys deshistically anything
Z whichI eon'tRegard as asdemonstrabie.
e. i give them facts. II | don't know
clearly what 10 think about q matter
tell them frankly that ] dop't know.
and then give them the common teach
ing and my own opinion of Il; but I
instruct them that my opinions are by
no means infallible that opmions rest
= upon evidence, aud that by aud by they
must gnther and weigh all such eyi-
dence for themselves. ! talk 10 boy
Of mine as frankly upon theological
subject as upon anything else as upon
the question. for instance, whether or
not the City Of Berlin is the largest
steamer that comes 10 this port. II he
asked me that question should say
that ! did not know, that had heard
that the City 0f Berlin and one or two
A others were the largest, bun whether
she was larger than the, others | could
not say Then would tell him that
had a friend who could give him exact
Information about steamships, and that
| would give him that friends address
incase he should wishto obtain definite
Inflammation. But don't let him think
that ] know what in fact, do moi
Z AHph. s3he ayR
"But in cases where exact informa.
tionis not obtainableP
% In those cases l tell him that it il
not obtainable, at the same time assur-
ing him that [ may DO mistaken in the
matter. give him tll the information
that is accessible, but never want him
TO think that the subject is exhausted
Hnd II try 10 leave the question open toI
future discussion, so that his mind Is
lree to think healthily about the mattei
IN the future. don't want him when
he has grown up eycrto look back upon
anything and say. MY. father showed
h there + lgant Of respect for. truth Far
eher, don't want him ever TO get int
MS own mindany lack OF reverence iol