Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-04-16

- va: OoAt6Vl0R IN w{HnyNo0
and ghosts, and horseshoes 70 Laasi.n
ne o.' u .ne churn, and by a goddess
~ls v 'es.,ne their children on the verge Of
nell. The mothers of Samuel johnson,
ana OF Alfred the Great, and OF Isaac New
ton, n Of st. Augustine, and Of Richord
Cecil and of President Edwards for tha
most part, were industrious, hard. orL;n.
mothers.
now while congratulate all Christian
mothers upon the wealth and the moae..
science which may afford them all kinds If
ne'P, let me say that every mother ought
% be observant of her children's walk.
ner chlidren's behavior, he children,s food
ner children's books, her children,s com.
Partnerships. However much help Hannah
may have, think she ought every wear.
az least, make one garment for Samuel
III Lord have mercy on a man who ia a.
unfortunate as to have a lazy mother,
2. Again, Hannah stands before Won a..
an intelligent mother. From the wav in
which she talked in this chapter, and from
the way she managed this boy, you know
she was intelligent. There are no persons
IN a community who need to be so wise
and we'll informed as mothers.
Oh! this work Of culture in children for
this world and the next. This child is
timid, and it must be reused up and
pushed out into activity. This child is
forward, and he must be held back and
tanned down into modesty and politeness.
Rewards for one; punishment for another.
That which will make George will ruin
John. The rod is necessary in one case,
while a frown of displeasure is more than
enough in another. Whipping and q dark
closet do not exhaust all the rounds of do.
nestle discipline. There have been chill
dren who have grown up and gone to
glory without ever having had their ears
boxed.
oh! how much care and intelligence are
necessary in the rearing Of children! But
in this day, when there are 80 many books
OH the subject, no parent is excusable in
being ignorant of the best mode of bring
ing up a child. II parents knew more Of
~electics there would not be so many dys.
poetic stomachs aud weak nerves and in
competent livers among children. If par.
ents knew more of physiology there would
not be so many curved spines, and cramped
chests, and infamed throats, and diseased
lungs as there are among children. II
parents knew more Of art, and were in
sympathy with all that is beautiful, there
would not be SO many children coming out
In the world with boorish proclivities. II
parents knew more of Christ, and prac.
ticed more of his religion, there would not
be so many little feet already starting on
the wrong road, and all around us voices
of riot and blasphemy would not come up
with such ecstasy of Internal triumph.
The eaglets in the eyrie have no advan.
tage over the eaglets of O thousand years
ago; the kids have no superior way of
climbing up the rocks than the old goats
taught hundreds of years ago; the wheips
know no more 10Y than did the whelps of
ages ago-they are taught no more by the
lions of the desert; but it is a shame that
in this day, when there are so many OPP
portunities of improving ourselves in the
hest manner of %cultivating children, that
so often there is nc more Advancement in
this respect than there has been among
the kid and the eaglets and the whelps.
8. Again Hannah stands before you ass
Christian mother. From her prayers and
from the way she consecrated her boy to
God, I know that she was good. A ANOTHER
may nave UAc IlcSG CulUuIc, UuS IlIUSu UIlls
liant surroundings: but she is not fit for her
duties unless she be a Christian mother.
There may be well-read libraries in the
house; and exquisite music in the parlor;
and the canvas of the best artists adorn-
ing the walls: and the wardrobe be
crowded with tasteful apparel; and the
children be wonderful for their attain
ments, and make the house ring with
laughter and innocent mirth, but there is
something woeful- looking i'll that house,
If it be not also the residence Of a Chris
tian mother.
I bless God that there are not many
prayerless mothers-not many of them.
The weight Of responsibility is SO great
that they feel the need of a Divine
hand to help, and u Divine voice to COM
fort, and u Divine heart to syinpathize.
Thousands of mothers have been led into
the kingdom of Sod by the hands of their
little children. There were hundreds Of
mothers who would not have been Chris
tians had it not been for the prattle of
their little ones. Standing some day in
the nursery they bethought themselves,
''This child Cod was given me to raise
for eternity. What is my influence upon
it? Not being a Christian myself, how
can l ever expect him to become q Chris
tian? Lord, help me"
Are there anxious mothers who know
nothing of the infinite help of religion?
Then I commend hem to Hannah, the
pious mother of Samuel. Do not think it
is absolutely impossible that vour children
come up Ubiquitous. Out of just such fair
brows, and bright eyes. and soft hands,
and innocent hearts, crime gets it's victims
-extirpating purity from the heart, and
rubbing out the smootnness from the brow,
and quenching the ulster of the eye. and
shriveling up, and poisoning. and putrify-
ing, and scathing. and scalding, and blast
ing, and burning with shame and woe.
Every child is a bundle of tremendous
possibilities; and whether that child shall
com forth TO life, it's heart attuned to the
eternal h%armonies, and after a life
of usefulness on earth go to q life
of joy in Heaven, or whether across it
shall jar eternal discords, and after a life
of wrong-doing on earth it shall go to
home of impenetreble darkness and an
abyss of unreasonable plunge, is being
-