Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-05-22
/. In the first place, remark: that un-
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happy and undiscipliaed homes are the ca
drons of great iniquity.
Parents harsh and cruel ON the one hant
or on the other hand loose in their govern
ment, wickedly loose in their government
are raising up generation of vipers. :
home where scolding ard fretfulness ar
dominant is blood relation TO the gallow
and the penitentiaryl Petulancs is sci
pent that crawls up into;tbe familysnurser
sometimes and crushes everything. Why
there are parents who even make religio
disgusting to their children. They scol
them for not loving them. They have a
exasperating way of doing their duty. Th
house is full of the war-whoop of conten
ton, and from such place husband an,
sons 60 out to die.
| Oh, is there Hagar leading ava,
Ishmael into the desert to be smitten of th
thirst and parched of the sand? In tn
solemn birth hour voice fell to thee from
the throne Of God, saying: "Take this chllt
and nurse it for me, and | will give the'
thy wages" At even time, when the an
gels of God hoyer over that home,- do they
hear the children lisping the name of Jesus
0 traveller for eternity, your little onei
gathered under your robes, are you leading
! them on the right road, or are you taking
them out on the dangerous winding bride
path, off which their inexperienced feet may
slip, and up which comes the bowling of the
wolf and the sound of loosened ledge anG
tumbling avalanche? Blessed is the family
altar at which the children kneel Blessed
is the cradle in which the Christian mother
rocks the Christian child. Blessed is the
song the little one sings at nightfall when
sleep is closing the eyes and loosening the
hand from the toy on the pillow. Blessed
is that mother whose every heart-throb is g
prayer for her children's welfare.
The world grows old, and the stars will
cease to illuminate it, and the waters to
refresh it and the mountains to guard it
and the heavens to overspan ii, and its long
story of sin and shame and glory aud
| triumph will soon turn to ashes; but infu.
enees that started in the early home roll or
and roll up through all eternity-blooming
in all the joy, waving in all the triumph,
exulting in all the song, or shrinking back
into Sail the darkness. Father, mother,
which way are you leading your children
A house took fire and the owner was very
careful to get all his furniture out. He goi
all his books out, and he got all bis pietnres
out, and he got all his valuable papers out,
but he forgot to ask, until it was too late
"Are my children safe?" Oh, when the
earth shall melt with fervent heat, and the
/ mountains shall blaze and the sea shall
blaze, and the earth shall blaze, will your
children be safe? Will your children be
safe? Unhappy and undisciplined homes
are the source of much of the wretchednesi
and sin Of the woo!d.
know there are exceptions to it some
times. From bright and beautiful Chris.
tian home husband or son will 60 oui
to die. Oh, how long you had that boy il
your prayersl He does not know how many
sleepless nights you have spent over him
He does not understand how many tears
you have shed for his waywardness. Oh
it is hard, after you have toiled for child
and g1ven him every advantage and every
kindness, to have him pay you back in in
gratitude! AS one Sabbath morning 9
father came to the foot of the pulpit as
stepped out of it, and said, "Oh my SOD, mJ
son, nv sonn There is many yonng mar
proud of his mother, who would strike init
the dust any man who would insult her
who is at this moment himself, by his evi
doing and his bad habits, sharpening {
dagger to plunge through that mother
heart, A telegram brought him from afar
He went bloated and SCARED into the room
and he stood By the lifeless form Of hi
mother.
Her hair gray; it had turned gray in sor
row. Those eyes had wept floods OF tear
over his wandering. That still white hant
had done him many kindness and hat
written many loving invitation and goot
counsel. He had broken her old heart. H
came into the room and threw himself Oh
THE casket and be sobbed outright: "Moth
ler. motherp' but those lips that had kissed
him in infancy and uttered SO many kint
words spake not; they were sealed. Rathe
THAN bave such memory come on my soul
I would prefer TO have roll over on me tn
Alps and the Himalayas.
i But while sometimes there are sons VIII
turn out very badly coming from goo'
ihomes, I want to tell you for your encour
agement it is great exception. Yet al
4 unhappy and undisciplined home is tn
poisonous caldion from which vast multi
tude drink their death.
Il II. I remark that another caldron @
iniouity is an indolent life. All the raj
trains down the Hudson river yesterday
all the rail trains On the Pennsylvani
route. all the trains on the Long ISLAM
road brought to these cities young men t.
begin commercial life. Some of them ar
here this morning, / doubt not. Do yo
know what one of your great temptation
is going to be? It is the example of in
dolent people in our cities. They are in al
our cities. They dress better than som
who are industrious. They have access t
all places of amusement-plenty OF none
aud vet idle. They hang around our grea
hotels-ths Fifth Avenue, the Windsor
the Brunswick, the Stuyvesant, the elise
House-all our beautiful hotels, you fla
them around there any day-men who d
nothing, never earn anything, yet we
dressed, having plenty. Why should
! work? Why should you work? VIII
drudge and toll in bank and shop and offic
or on the scaf'oId1pg, or by the anvil, whe
these men get along SO we'll and d
not work?
Some of them hang around the city hall
/ of our great cities. tootbpick IN the
mouth, waiting for some crumb to fall frol
: the ofiice-holder's table. Some OF thei
' hang around the city hall for the city va
/ bringing criminals from the station houses
They stand there and gioat ever it-reall
enjoy the disgrace and suffering of thos
. poor creatures as they get out OF the cit
e van and GO into the courts.
, Where do they get their money? Ihs
!, is what YOU ask. That is what ask. Onl
/! four ways of getting money-only four; b
j. inheritance, by earning it, by begging i
tude among us who get their living not b
: Inheritance, nor by earning it, nor by bes
ging it. do not like to take the respo,
sibiIity of saying how they get 1t!
n Now, these men are constant tempt;
! tion. Why should toll and wear myse
out in the bank, or the Office, or the stor'
or the shop, or the factory9 These me
3 have nothing to do. They get along
! great deal better. And that is the tempt;
ton under which great many young me
fall They begin to consort with thet
, men, these idlers, and they 60 down tE
: same awful sleeps. The number of men
our cities who are trying to get their livin
by their wits and by sleight of hand is a
+ the time increasing.
. A New York merchant saw youn
/ man, one of his clerks, in half disguise
going into very low place of amusement
: The merchant said to himself: 81 mus
look out for that clerk; he is going in ba
. company and going in bad places; 1 mu'
look ont for him. A few months passe