Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-04-18
OO tiiein ail tha sFaiijsala Of etofnal his.

tory
You Iced the religion Of Christ in the
t,iecj jplino of your children. The rod
which i'll other homes may be the first
means used in yours will be the last.
There will be no harsh epithets-"you
knave, you villain, you scoundrel, I'll
thrash the life out of you; you are the
worst chilu ever knew. " All that kind
OF chastiscment makes thieves, pick
pockets, murderCrs ard the outlaws of So
c2cty. That parent who in anger strikes
i.is child across the head deserves the
tanitentiary. And yet this work of dis
tipliue must be attended to. Gods grace
r3n direct us. Alas, fer those who come
10 the work with fierce passion and reck-
Icssness of consequences Between Sc
verify and laxativeness there is no
choice. Both ruinous aud both destruct-
i've. But there is healthful medium
which the grace Of God will show to us.
Religion an Example.
Then we need the religion of Christ
to help us in setting a good example.
Cowper said Of the oak: Thine was
when settled on thy leaf a fly could
shake thee to the root. Time has been
when tempest could not. " In other
words, your children are very impressi-
bic just now. They are alert; they are
gathering impressions you have no idea
of. Have you not been surprised some
times, months or years after some con-
versation which you supposed was too
profound or intricate for them to under
Gtand-some question of the child dem
onstrated the fact that he knew all about
it?
Your children are apt to think that
what you do is right. They have no idea
of truth or righteousness but yourself
Things which you do knowing at the
time to be wrong. they take to be right.
They reason this way: Father always
does right, Father did this. Therefore
this is right. That is good logic, but
bad premises. No one ever gets over
having had bad example set him. Your
conduct more than your teaching makes
impression. Your laugh, your frown,
your dress your walk, your greetings,
your goodbys, your comings, your GO
ings, your habits at the table, the tones
of your voice, are making an impression
which will last a million years after you
are dead, and the sun will be extin-
guished, and the mountains will crum-
BILE, and the world will die, and eternity
will roll ON in perpetual cycles, but
there will be no diminution of the force
of your conduct upon the young eyes that
saw it or the young ears that heard it.
The Age For Study.
Now would not have by this the idea
given to you that you must be i'll cold
reserve in the presence of your children.
You are not emperor. You are companion
with them. As far as you can, you must
walk with them, skate with them, fly
kite with them, play ball with them,
show them you are interested in all that
them. Spensippus, the nephew
had pictures Of joy and gladness hung
Ill around the schoolroom. You must
not give your children the impression
that when they come to you they are
playful ripples striking against rock.
You must have them understand that
you were boy once yourself, that you
NOW boys hilarities, boys tempta-
ions, boys ambition-yea, that you.
ire boy yet. You may deceive them
md try to give them the idea that you
ire some. distant supernatural effulgence,
md you may shove them off by your rig
)rous behavior, but the time will como
when they will find out the deception,
md they will have for you utter con-
empt.
Aristotlesaid that boy should begin
% study at II years Of age. Before that
lis time should be given to recreation.
cannot adopt that theory. But this sug- |
rests a truth in the right direction,
Childhood is too brief, and we have not |
nough sympathy with its sportfulness.
We want divine grace to help us in the
adjustment of all these matters.
Besides that, how are your children
ver to become Christians if you your
elf are not Christian? have noticed
hat however worldly and sinful parents
nay be they want their children good.
When young people have presented
themselves for admission into our mem
,ership, have said to them, "Are your
ather and mother willing you shall
ome?" And they have said, "Oh, yes;
hey are delighted to have us come
hey have not been in church for 10 OF
. years, but they will be here next Sab
ath to see me baptized. l have noticed
hat parents, however worldly, want
heir children good
Good Mother Sought.
So it was demonstrated in police
ourt in Canada, where a mother, her
title child in her arms, sat by table
n which her own handouts lay, and
le little babe took up the handouts and
layed with them and had great glee.
he knew not the sorrow Of the hour.
nd then when the mother was sent TO
rison the mother cried out: 20 God,
i not this babe 60 into the Jail Is
lere not some mother here who will
Ike this child? 1t is good enough for
eaven 1t is pure | am bad l am
-icked. Is there not some one who will
Ike this child? / cannot have it tainted