Mexico weekly ledger., 1883-03-15
!. IlaIsrERs' cHILDREs.r p
A sFrse Eeest N One Of Them, De.
livsrea q ~ Occasion Of His
Fathers Golden Wedding
Anniversary.

nv9k04 q ~ occasion OF His
Rather's Golden Wedding
Anniversary.
The following nest little speech was
made at Rev. James F. Smiths gold
len wedding anniversary at Hardin
College. Wednesday evening, March
! Z, by his son, Prof. A. j. Smith,
superintendent of public schools Of
Sangamon county, Illinois
We approach the discussion Of this
subject with heeoming modestywe
trust, and, al che same time, a feeling
that it could not have been confided
to j better person.. SAlthongh we do
not wish to be personal to ourselves,
as We are not encouraged 70 hope that
Justice to the children weald be done
by any one else. We have known
something of ministers children from
our earliest infancy, and we have
heard great deal more about them
than we ever knew, and what we have
heard concerning them in no way JUS
titles the impression that they are
possessed Of qualities that cause them
to grow bald in youth. 1t is mis-
taken impression, however, that min
ister's children are worse than others,
although much is done to drive them
in the way Of evil. When minister
is located, Or received a cali, the
neighborhood is all anxiety to know
something about the wife and chill
fdren. He has been called because
he is popular ministerially and social
", and common courtesy requires
that the famiiy should not be over
looked, and there is some anxiety to
know if they can be tolerated. The
mother accompanied by the girls and
boys are, therefore, carefully watched
as they enter church for the first
time-a little late, no doubt, for the
mother has much to do. The girls
usually hold their heads too high, or
do not look up at all. The boys ap-
pear saucy and forward, Or under
handed and shy. Outside the church
the boys are spoken to and patted
generally with the remark, land so
you are the preachers boy-wen, are
you as bad as the rest of them?'
Generally they are pretty hard lot.
They are encouraged to persist in
misconduct, and entieed by bad boys
into watermelon patches and orchards,
bullied into fights, and worried into
Impotence, into misdemeanors, until
soon they do not care if they do JUS
tify the opinion universally held
against them. The father, away from
home much of the time, hears but
little of it. And the mother, palned
and saddened. goes ON the best she
can. Pm glad of the opportunity
that enables me to say that my expe-
lrience convinces me that nine men,
Iby indiscreet talk, and unfair suspic-
lion, and unjust criticisms pull down
the preachers boy for every one
warm-hearted, large-souled man who
encourages and holds up, and says
confidentiaHy and earnestly 'be a
lgood man, my dear Minister
daughters are not deemed eligible
matches, while the boys drift into
: preaching, or teaching, or clerkship
not so often into hard work. They
don't like that. But what is the grea,
trouble with the ministers children
First, I think they are watched ane
criticised too much. 1 recall an in
cident in my childhood. I had joined
a Sunday school procession, and ex
cited by the music, and prospect o.
: a good time and good dinner, ane
; warmed up by the companionship O.
those about me, grew huoyant ant
! restless, but not disorderly. A goot
old brother, long since passed t,
his reward, shook to me and sait
sharply, behave yourself. l know
r you are a very bad boy. Yo,
D are parson Smiths son. The crit
, cism has hurt me ever since. Again
1 have known deacon, whose sol
had led the minister's poor boys int
Y many troubles, and whose misde
5 meanors had been known to his father
say. despondingly, "What can W
hope for our boys when the preach
p Ier's boys are so bads" Again, th
absence of the father from his home
great deal leaves the poor childre
a without that strengthening inauenc
that mans rigid and vigorous ma
ture inspires. The minister's childre
r are generally affectionate and genel
Ious, but they lack stamina an
they lack continuing perseverance
probably owing to the many change
! and buffetings that their parent
e meet. And as they are at the mere
i of the neighborhood, socially, finar
cially and morally. they instinctivel
4 shape their sails to catch what is bt
h lieved to be the popular breez.
o Helped downward they are seldoi
e helped upward, and SO we see WRECK
of this kind strewing the minister
thoroughfare. This much / hay
said plainly about minister's childre
" because I stand in position that
8 not so much affected by these thing
= and bespeak for those who occup
y the place that / did thirty years ag,