San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-08-25

to a greater or lesser extent trans
gressors.
Instead Of thus trsmpling upon
the nature with which you, as pa
rent, have endowed your child, you
should feel an infiiniteness of pity
for the conditions that you would
thus ruthlessly change, for your
self and not your child is RESPONSE
Bile for them. 1t is by strange
perversion of human nature that
the most glaring defects in the
child, and those which are most
brutality assailed, are those very
warnings OF character which ap-
pear 30 strongly in the parents
who most condemn. So generally
true is this that it would be a
miracle, almost, il the parent
seeking for the real reason of the
child's faults did not find them
largely the outcropping of parenta,
character and temper and conduct.
Instead of coming down like a
hunderbolt upon the head of your
erring child you, as parent, should
carefully and honestly consider
how far these errors are or are not
a direct transplanting from paren-
tai character. The chances are that
IL you do your examination
thoroughly you will feel as though
you and not the child were the
criminal party, and you will in
spirit If not in form fall down at
the feet of the little innocent in
heritor of your crankiness and Gus.
sedness and ask pardon for the ter.
rible load you have weighted its
young life with.
How Internally mean it is, prop
erly looked at, to take advantage of
a baby's inability to do itself JUS
tice and father upon it the sins of
your own heart and mind, COM
mitted by you and stamped into
the grain Of your character years
before the little one was weighted
with them by your own voluntary
act. The fathers and mothers OF
the LIGHT congregation are not
guiltless in this thing, any more
than those outside of the pale of
this church OF humanity.
Let the word of appeal find a
home in your hearts this morning,
dearly beloved, and let it bear
fruit to the greater charity and
long suffering Of your government
over the little ones. They come
honestly by the natures that they
Inherit from you, they have
right to them. 1t is not 80 clear
that you had any right to thus en-
dow them with what is an unfortu.
nate possession, but that evil is al.
ready done and abides. The ques-
ton is now one of remedy, and
that remedy must be applied with
out any harsh repression Of natural
tendencies for which the child is
not responsible, but for which you
and your inherited tendencies
stand sponsor.
Direction and not destruction is
the true work Of the correctionsts.
Recognition Of rights and not de-
thronement OF them is the wisdom
OF government. You are patient
with yourself, why not be doubly
p ttient with that smaller self that
Iyou have lowered with all Of your
8 ,lf that can find transmission
through natural descent? You are
tenacious OF your rights as parents.
Be equally 30 of the rights OF a
childhood you have created. There
is not a tendency that is shown in
the life of the youngest child, but
should be recognized as having its
legal right to be, in so far as the
childIis cones rned, and should be
treated accordingly.
Be just with your children ard
they will respect justice aud grow
to practice 1t. Be honest WITH your
b sbes while in the cradle aid you
will lead them into honesty of life
Recognize and respect th9 rights Of
that little one in the cradle, an ia