The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-01-08
How Children arc Spoiled.
BY MRS. MARY c. CUTLER.

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How Children are Spoiled.
BY MRS. MARY c. CUTLER.
We speak of anything as spoiled
when it is ruined for the purpose fol
which it was intended. y garment
isspoiled when it is rendered unfit fol
wear, though it's material may be put
to further use. Food is spoiled When
it is no longer suitable to eat
though, in the economy of nature, il
may still serve some inferior pur'
pose.
A child is made for the kingdom OF
heaven; and he is spoiled by whatev.
er units him for that kingdom,
though his life may run on for scores
of years, and, according to the worlds
low standard, bc accounted prosper
Gus.
1t may be well, then, to think OF
some of the ways in which children
become unified for the kingdom OF
heaven, which is to be made up of such
as unspoiled children are.
First, ny not being taught about
that kingdom. Heaven lies about
them in their infancy.
"NOt In entire fOrSetiulneSS,
But trailing clouds OF glory do we come
From God, who Is our home
But soon the shades of earth's pris.
on-house close upon the child; he sees
"the vision splendid" die away, "und
fade into the light of common day.
The child who can read, and is not
taught how to use his Bible, is being
spoiled. The Bible is not merely 4
text book to he studied i'm Sunday
school or read according to some pre-
scribed method at home. 1t is guide
book to show the way through life /:
and children should not only bc taught
such truths us they need now while
they are young, but they should be
learning how to make practical use of
the Bible when, as they grow older,
they will have to se0k out for them
selves the paths in which they should
walk.
Another way Of spelling children is
by awakening in them the spirit of
doubt. 1T is the nature of unsp0ilcd
childhood to be trustful. But this
spirit of trustfulness, so necessary to
those who would enter the kingdom
of heaven, begins sometimes to be
lost at a very early age, because of pet
ty deccptions prac;irsti upon i!;!lc ones
at home. And then, aS S:H.n ~ " c!iild
goes out into the world, lac is a:!iiusit
sure to find the spirit of d0"b: pr.-
vading The very atmosphere he
breathcs. When parents are not them
selves of skeptical mind. they sonc-
times allow their children to read or
hear that which foste Il habit Of toaht.
But, saddeSt of all, the influences
sal, .t,tl ii tf,I I nj
ity of the kingdom of heaven is the
influence which comes from the incon-
sstent lives Of Christians. How can
one teach children to seek first the
kingdom of God when they can plain
ly see that it is the last thing that
many Christian people seek? How
can we make them believe that it Is
for their highest interest 10 live accord
ing to the Golden Rule, when they
see people all about them who seem To
delight chiefly in driving hard bar
gains? Or how Call we teach them the
sin of selfishncss, when all the people
they know seem to be wholly inilu
enced by present selfintcrest:
'.Do you hear the children weeping and dis
proving,
Omy brothers! what yc preach?
For Gods possible is Taught by his worlds
loving,
And the chi:d:cn doubt of cach.''
Some children have been spoiled hy
not being recognized us Christians
when they were already within the
kingdom of heaven. They have been
taken, as it were, from the very arms
of Jesus, and set Gown in the cold
world, and told to stay there until thry
were able to give AL account "i li"'n-
selves. They have been nIa!r 10 'r"l
that they must pass through SOM" IL.
culiar experience before The: cal! Lc
Christians and so they wait and wait
for something which newer comes, uiI-
til the enemy hats had time to build 80
many barriers between their souls
and the kingdom of heaven that they
never. SO far as we can see, find their
wav back again. We may hope thar
some power unseen by human eye will
lift them over the bar. iers; for Jesus
said. at is not the will of your Father
which is i'm heaven, that Que of these
little ones should perish :" but he also
said, "WhOSO shall cause one of these
little ones which believe on me To
stumble. it were better for him that 4
milestone were hanged about his neck
and that he were drowned in the depth
of the sea- The Holy Spirit can re-
new the hearts of little children, even
from birth, either i'm response to the
prayers of believing pare nts, in ac-
cordance with his own sovereign will;
for the wind blOweth where it liStctl,
and we hear the sound thereof, but
cannot tell whence it comes or whith-
or il goes; $50 is every one that is born
of the Holy Sirit's work is to he found
i'm its results, and not by prying int"
the method Of its operation.
A child may he spoiled hy failing t"
teach him to follow the Lords will.
Children should he learning how to
discern the Lorl's will in his provi-
Dental dealings as we'll rs in the writ
ten Word and the promptingS OF the
Holy Spirit; and, ut the same time,
their own wills should be educated i'll
TO conformity with the divine will.
Another way of spelling It child is hy
allowing the latent scllishness Of his
heart to develop. This is such Il cnm-
, mon result of his heart to develop.
This is such Il common result OF the
thouphtless trainidg OF children, that
it is quite commonly spoken of as tile
way hy which children, are spoiled.
Willie needless dcnials of chlIdS
wishes are wrong because Of their
discourage effect, thoughtless and i'll