The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1894-04-26

S'A"Aou ~, ao VcrY lmpISSFlDl6 JUST now.
IheY are alert; they are gathering i'm
presslons you have no idea Of. Have
you not been surprised sometimes,
months or years after some conversation
which you supposed was too profound or
Intricate for them to understand.-some
question Of the child demonstrated the
fact that he knew all about il?
Your children are apt to thiuk that
what You 10 Is right. They have no
ideal of truth or righteousness but your.
self. Things which you 60, knowing at
tho time to DO wrong, they take to be
right. They reason this way: "Fath
er alwaye does right. Father did this.
Therefore this is right" That is good
logic but bad premises. No one ever
gets ovor having a bad example sot HIM.
Your conduct muro than your teaching
makes impression. Your laugh, your
trown, your dress, your walk, your
greetings, your goodbys, your comings,
your goings, your habits at the table, the
tones OF your voice, are making an I'm.
preston which will last a million years
after you are dead, and the Gun will be
extingulshed, and the mountains will
crumble, and the world will die. and
eternity will roll on in perpetual cylces,
but there will be no dimurition of the
iorce OF your conduct upon tho young
eyes that saw it or the Yonng ears that
heard IT.
Now, would Kot have by this the
Idea given to you that you must be in
cola reserve in the presence of your Chill
oren. Your are not emperor; you are
companion with them. AS far us Won
can you must walk with them, skate with
Them, fly kite with them, play ball with
them, show them that you are interested
IN all tEat interests them. Speusippus,
tho nephew and successor of Plato in the
academy, had pictures Of Joy and glad.
ness hung all around the schoolroom.
\ on must not give your children tho inn
preston that when they come to YOU
they are playful ripples striking agains /
rock. You must have them under.
stand that you were boy once yourself
That you know q boys hilarities, boy g
temptations, q boys nmbtlon-ye en-, that
you are boy yet. You may deceive
them and try to give them the idea that
you are some distant supernatural ellul-
gence, and you may shove thom of by
your rigorous behavior, but the time will
come when they will find out the decep-
tlon and they will have for you utter con
tempt.
Aristotle said that a boy should begin
10 study at II years Of age. Before that
his time should be gwen to recreation.
cannot adopt that theory. But this sug-
gests truth in the right direction.
Childhood is too briof, and we have not
enough sympathy with its sporttulness.
We want divine grace to help us in tho
adjustment of all these matters.
Besides that, how are your children |
ever TO become Christians If you your.
cell are not Christian2 l have noticed
that, however worldly and sinful parents
may be, they want their children good. |
When young people have presented |
IN emeeiyes Tor admission into our men,
bershlp, have said to them, "Are !, our
father and mother willing that you shall
;ome?" and they have said, "Oh yee;
hoy are delighted to have us como.
they have not been i'll church Tor 10 or
10 years, but they will be here next Sab.
bath to SEQ me baptized" l have no.
lced that parents, however worldly, want |
Lhelr children good.
SO 1T was demonstrated in n police |
court IN Canada, where a moLnor, her |
iittie child In her arms, sat by table on
winch her own handouts Law, and the lit |
Tie babe took up the handouts and play
ed with them and had great glee. She
<neW not the sorrow of the hour. And
hen when tho mother was sent to prison
he mother cried out: "OE, God, let not
his babe 60 into the jail! Is there not
some methor hole who will take this
mid? 1t Is good enough for heaven. 1t
8 pure. am bad. l am wicked. Is
here not some who will take this chlld2
cannot have it tainted with the prlsonn
linen DraZen creature rushed up and
alo. "Yes, I'll take the child" mo,
10, " said the mother, mot YOU, not you.
8 therc not some good mother here who
7ill take thia child?" And theu, when
he officer of the law in mercy and pity
ook the child to carry it away to find a {
ome Tor 1t, the mother, kissed it low
1gly goodby and said, "Goodby, my {
arling. 1t is better you should never
ee me again."
However worldly and sinful people are
hey want their children good. How are
on going TO have them good9 Buy.them
lew good books? Teach them a few ex.
client catechisms9 Bring them to
hurch? That is all very we'll, but cf lit .
le llnal resulC unless you do it with tho
race OF God in your heart. DO you not
ealize that your children aro started for
ternity? Are they on the right /
oad? Those little forms that are now
right and beautiful---when they have /
CATERED IN the dust, there will he an {
immortal spirit living on in q mighty J
heater OF action, and your tailhtulness {
+ your neglect now ls deciding that des- '
my. !
There is contention already among
spirits Of salvation and fal. f
en angels as to who shall have the mas. /
cry CT that immortal spirit. Your chill.
rem are soon going out in the world, |
,he temptations OF life will rush upon S
benz. The most rigid resolution will s
end in the blast OF evil. What will be {
he result2 It will require all the re-.
traints of the gospel, all the siren 9Th !
I q fathers prayer all the influence OF
christian mothers example to keep Z
hem.
You say it is too early to bring them.
90 early to bring them to God? do YOU ,
now how early children were taken to ,
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