Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-05-28
FOR PARENTS.
A Story Whose Moral Should Appeal "a
Every Father and Mother.

Every Father and Mother.
"Well. grandfather, you have had
an unusually 5uccessful life-don'tiy you
think SOP" said Edward Bonner to his
grandfather, as they sat talking to-
gether one fine day.
"That depends on what you mean by
successful. l have made quite a for
tune; is that what YOU meanp"
mo, no exactly. although that is
part of it. Imean your whole life has
been a successful one; besides being
wealthy your standing in society is eN-
cellent." q
well, you have come to years of
maturity, and already have little chill
dren growing up around you, and as I
would like to impress upon you what
their needs are, and also tell. what [
think it is to succeed in life, perhaps it
would be we'll to give you a leaf or two
out OF my own history, showing where
| have not succeeded, and the cause of
it. When l started out for myself in
life | thought a rich man was a sue
cessful one, and so bent all my ener-
gies to money-making; my wife and
children We're always well clothed, our
table was excellent, u home comfort
able in every way. I spared no ex-
pense within my means for the educa-
ton of my children, and so was spoken
OF as an exemplary husband and
father"
"And SO you were. Tn sure you
couldn't have set me a better example,"
''There is your mistake. Like most
fathers, you think that if you provide
necessary food, clothing and teachers,
the work is we'll done. Now, my dear
boy, do not make this mistake with
your children. | made it with mine.
Success is to make the best use of ones
self in every direction. The most inn
portant element of success for a father
or mother is the training of their chill
dren in such a way as to develop the.
best that is in them. To do this they
should study their children, find out
their needs. their preferences, their
cravings - become acquainted with
them. This, at first. seems almost lu-
dicrous. You will say, how can they
help being acquainted with their own
children? But there are numberless
parents and children who grow up in
total ignorance Of each other; fathers
who do not understand their sons
mothers who do not understand their
daughters. And why? Because they
have not lived in sympathy with them,
not knowing their ambitions, desires,
hopes. and fears; they have lived with
their children in IN atmosphere of con
troll and submission; a false sense OF
dignity makes them afraid to manifest
their love. 1 tell you, sympathy
and manifested love would have
been more than all else to many a
young man or woman who has had a
sad, hopeless inner life of which no
one dreamed. Seek your children's
society; it will pay far better than tho
society of those with whom yon often
kill time and call it recreation. There
is nothing more truly r%e-creative than
association with growing minds. Romp
and play with the little ones; talk and
laugh and listen and advise with the
older ones; make c%onfdants of your
children; cause them to feel always
sure of your interest and sympathy.
This was the rock on which | struck.
l found out, when too late, that my
children were strangers to me. Your
Uncle George would have been a better
man if [ had cultivated an acquaint-
ance with him and had given him moro
of my time; but 1 thought as long as he
had what was necessary for his COM
fort my work was done. l afterwards
learned that there had been a time
when he would have given all that he
had or hoped to have for the society
and friendship of his father, but it was
too late; he had found other sympathy,
and his life was ruined. My failure to
understand my son makes me consider
my whole life a failure. Christian