Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-02-26
PARENTS DUTY TO CHILDREN.
DIR. WrlGhts Sermon on This
Subiecf.


Rev. Or. W. L. Wright. OF Leigh-Street
Baptist church. preached a very fine SER
mon Sunday morning on THE Duty OF
Parents to Their Children" The text
was: And ye fathers provoke not your
children to wrath. but bring them up in
Ephesans vi, 4. The subject had been
suggested, the speaker said. by recog-
milton OF his own obligation in the mat
ter, and while he laid no claim to per-
fection in the management of children.
and recognized the difficulty Of the dis
cussIon. he was also aware of its import
ance. and had therefore been led to offer
the following suggestions:
First. parents are under an obligation
TO their children In the matter Of their
physical health and culture. II am glad"
said he, ito announce that we are soon
to have a series of lectures from this
pulpit by pious men upon the value of
physical mental and moral health and
culture" In the past we were In danger
of not having exercise enough. but now
perhaps we are going to the other ex-
IRENE. And here he touched upon the
damaging influence of football, as II Is
now played at our colleges and UNIVERSE
ties.
Cigarette-smoking Is another great evil
which parents should guard against. and
in this connection he mentioned the fact
that the government will not accept as a
student at West Point a youth whose
fingers bear the stain Of the cigarette.
The use OF roller-skates. too, he believed.
to be very injurious, as 1t resulted too
frequently in broken limbs and in curya-
ture of the spine. Even at the expense
of seeming to be an extremist" said he
Eve should guard against any fashion or
habit that endangers the health OF our
children"
INTELLECTUAL CULTURE.
Second. parents owe a duty TO their chill
dren in the matter OF their intellectual Gull
ture. He had read an article lately which
suggested that the duties OF a mother
lay in three principal directions: % to
her children; (9 her church work, go
to her reading and self-cuture. These are
all important. but II there Is any OF
them which must be neglected. give up
any one rather than the children. Cling
to them and instruct them, for In this
way will society be purified at its foun-
taln-head. IL we helped our children a
little more they would not fail so often
at school. 1t is bad thing for a child
to fail once or twice at school: they get
discouraged, and perhaps, though they
have good minds superior TO those of
many Of their more successful COM
panions; fail through lack Of proper stimu-
lation and encouragement. II would
impress especially upon you fathers" DR..
Wright said. "the obligation you owe your
children Of giving them a good educa-
ton. Do not heap up riches for them to
enjoy after your death, but put your
money into their brains. Suggest lines OF
study for your children. and get them
interested; and above all things, destroy
those yellow-backed dime novels, whose
pernicious influence Is so fatal to the
youth Of our fair land to-day. Help to
prepare them for business: don't decide
arbitrarily that John Is TO be a preacher
and James lawyer. but watch their in
clinations and encourage them to choose
such occupations or professions az they
seem to have a talent for. In helping them
to succeed in business, We help to make
them most independent
TEACH CORRECT PRINCIPLES.
Thirdly. we owe an obligation to our
children In helping them to the culture
of correct principles. Teach them to be
truthful; and II they have done wrong
to stand up and acknowledge Il. what.
ever the consequences.
Teach them the sacredness of pro-
perty.
Teach them to shun debt a. they would
shun Q pair Of handouts. -.ss I