The Indiana State sentinel., 1889-01-09
WHAT ARE OUR BOYS DOING.
Practical Thoughts Suggested by the II
cent Arrest of Four Young Men.

cent Arrest or tOur 1OunE wen.
4 babe in house is a wcll-spring Of pleasure, a
messenger of JOY and peace. Yet it is talent OF
trust 10 be rendered back with interest.-TuPPsr.
To THE EDITOR-Sir: 1t has been many
years since have given a thought to this
much-crticised author or his ''Proverbial
Philosophy" from which l quote. In the
absence of the book | am not certain that
nv quotation is entirely correct. but the
idea is there, and this has been resur-
rected from the graveyard of my memory
by recent occurrences within our prosper
Gus little town.
Four young men, hardly yet arrived at
their majority, have been arrested for
larceny and locked in the county Jail.
They are not old offenders who wear the
scars OF crime indelible upon their former
characters, but new recruits in the line OF
moral retrogradation. To all the good and
well-meaning people OF our community
this is simply sad, but to the parents and
relatives OF the boys it must be stingingly
so, when they come to realize that the
babbling babe OF only few short years
back, who was a Joy to a household, has
been transformed into a breeder OF shame !;
and how naturally do we all. under the
circumstances, ask ourselves the question,
Are we rendering back these talents of
trust with interest? | do not desire to say
one word to wound the feelings or to add
one wrinkle of sorrow to the brow of those
most deeply affected. / speak only for
the public good. | know where
their apology comes in and 'tis this: MY
boy has been led astray by other bad
boys" What a subterfuge Have you
restrained him from running with the
multitude to do evil?" 1t is to the parents
of those other boys. as well as those who
now cry in shame, that the question must
fall with equal force. Are YOU rendering
back with interest these talents of trust
which God has placed in your keeping?
The most plausible apology pales i'll front
OF this heart-searching question. Oh ''go
arouse yonder man who has wrapped
around him the robes of sanctity and
sleeps in church" Ask him If he has
heard the din of midnight revelry in our
midst. Has he seen the evidences of van
dalism Has his ears been shocked on the
streets by vile profanity. Ask him if he
knows that his son is a gambler. That
''up Wonder lane. in house of i'll repute,
his squandering fingers have unloosed his
purse" That toul fiends with flattering
tongues and strong drink urge him madly
on. Ask him what he is doing to restrain
him from running with the multitude to
do evil
Home should be the boys paradise on
earth and he should not be allowed TO
desecrate it, Kind at home he will be
kind abroad. Generous and gentlemanly
at home he Will be gentlemanly and gen
erOus away from home. Honest at home
he will be honest among strangers. Low
ing to his sisters and Considerate, he will
be considerate and loving TO his wife.
Respect and obedience to his parents is q
mine of moral wealth, the value of which
figures fail to convey. Have ! drawn
an exalted idea OF a home? One not
within the reach of all? Not at all Love
is its cornerstone and it is all the same
whether clothed in purple and fine
linen" or in rags. While money makes
some men presumptious, L don't think 1t
ever made anybody moral.
What can YOU expect as the outcome of
a home where disObedience to parents
disregard for the rights and welfare
of others are tolerated, where dispute
and contention, swearing and fault-find-
ing take the place of love and peace? 1t
only requires some devil to throw in a
little birthstone and you have hell on
earth; and let such families multiply in
any community and it will not be long
before vice will crowd virtue from the
streets and honesty will 90 begging.
Fathers and mothers, take warning and
see that YOU are rendering back these
talents of trust with interest. Yours,
Fairland, Ind, Jan. /. w. ID.