The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-01-04
Filiai Confidence.

Through babyhood and childhood, TO
The teude' and careful mother. the soul
Of he child Is Is an open book. She
notes eve-y new wogd added to his vo-
ca5uia Y, eve-v new phase of his char
actCr 4 1t develops, every growing ten
iency 10 vi tue o, vice. every opening
sign of expansion in intellect. as she
notes his increase in stature, the va ia
tionS in his health and the peculia ties
Of his taste. Should he he parted ON
her for awhile, how ca efully does she
.'gO Ovec him when they a~e together
again. and find out how and in what he
has changed; how delicately does she
probe his consciousness TO see if he is
everywhere sound; how earnestly does
.he examine the growing harvest of his
soul to see if any enemy has been SOW
inc tares therein, And when she is as
Sured that theIe are no concealments
from her maternal eyes, no hidden, tan
gled spots where the light of her love is
forbidden to shine in, no bruise or
wound she may not be permitted to care
for, she is satisfied and at rest. Why
should not this disposition last through
life? The mother is always the mother,
and if she can hold this sacred relation
through ali the changing phases of her
own and her childrens lives, what a
guarantee that both she and they are
sound and pure.
Lord Bacon saws: a man were bet
ter relate himself to a statue or picture.
than to suffer his thoughts to pass in
smother But far better than this,
when a man can in the mind and heart
OF 4 friend find the mirror of his own
mind and heart. and see himself reflect
ed therein As is his image in his friend :
eyes where he looks in them, he is for
titled within and without against innu-
merable receptions, dangers and enmi-
lies. He has the two fruits of friend
ship. as Lord Bacon terms them, of see
ing himself somewhat Is he i, and of
having his own judgment of himself
and affairs corrected by the judy
ment f his friend The two points of
view give him two sides and an angle
which he may measure. and 50
determine his approximate relative
position. If this is desirable for
an adult, how necessary is it for
those who have not attained mature
wears. for those Just on the threshold of
manhood and wOmanhOOd and facing
the problems given for solution. When
they are deciding upon plans OF life.
upon was of accomplishing cherished
hopes. and OF realizing ardent aspira
tons, they need, not Il whit less than in
childhood. the wise counsel of the
parent. the ready sympathy, the unfail-
inc affection, the impartial Judgment,
The Young mother ne DIS to remember
this. and to make such division and inn
provement of her time and care As will
enable her to anticipate the needs of
her children when they approach ma
turity no less than when they nestle
in her arms in babyhOOd. She may
allow her capacities to become so mar
rowed and dwarfed by exclusive devo-
ton to mere nursery duties that when
her babies have outgrown the cradle she
must still continue to rock them.
The son who finds in his parents his
wisest counsellor, his truest friend, and
who loves to bring to them whatever of
good or of evil he finds in life. and dis
cusS with them all his experiences and
hopes and plans, is not likely to err
from straight paths. The daughter who
finds in her parents her most trusted and
sympathizing contidantS is insured
against ten thousand perils that lie in
wait for ungu;ded and misguided feet.
Whatever will preserve to parents and
the children the broadest area of mutual
sympathy and interest should be Sedu-
lousy cultivated. Parents need con-
tinually to remind themselves how it
was with them when they We're young.
and to treat their children not always IS
they Were themselves treated. but as
they might have been treated had the
cipe>t wisdom and the soundest judG-
ment in their parents been tempered
with genuine sympathy for youthful
enthusiasm. Where this is done it sell
dom or never happens that strangers
know more about the hopes and fears
and actions of child than his own
parents do. but first of all to those from
whom he derived his being does ne
hasten TO open his mind and contdc
what : in his heart.
When child arrives at Years Of dis
cretion, which is often long before he
sttainS majority. the tone OF parental
authority may with great propriety he
laid aside and the youth be taken into
the coun>elS of the parents. and hence
.orth be guided rather by suggestion
than command. and encouraged to eN-
erciSc his own discretion, subject of
course to parental revision His own
needs will compel consultation with
those of wider experience than he has
and will compel him to come to the
nearest congenial and sympathetic
heart Happy the child that finds this
heart in his father or his mother. Happy
the parent whom the child makes his