The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-30

any child would care about, was worth
writing in book. "Foolis hness is bound
up in the heart of child" was favorite
maxim in those days.
Boys and girls did sometimes become
FESTIVE under sermons three hours long,
especially when they had to attend them
three times each Sabbath day with cate
chisms and Bible classes in the intervals.
''The Sabbath in Puritan New England"
tells how good strong whips were placed in
convenient hooks about the church and
able persons seated near them to enforce
order among the young people. 1t was
not uncommon to hear the sound of blows
from the horse shed, where some father
had retired with his son to enforce the
teaching that ito spare the rod will spoil
the child.'
But "old Parson Chandler" we are told,
"was good friend of the children. He
only called out their names in meeting,
telling them to come to his house on Mon,
day. There they received such gentle
teaching and such friendly treatment that
they were happy never again to annoy or
disturb the kind old minister
But do not imagine that the days of '76
were days of frolic and tirecrackers.
All the work boy could do was so much
clear gain. His "time" belonged to his
father till he was come to mans estate and
| 1t was generous man who permitted his
son to work elsewhere without exacting
the full wages which the boy received.
Boys were "bound out" to service, and I
have never heard any one explain the diff
ference between this buying and selling of
the children and the slavery these men
protested to hate.
One is moved to hope the Puritan moth
ers were tender and loving, else must the
lot of those old-time boys and girls have
been sorry one. And that brings me to
what was going to say. Did you ever
think what very little time it has taken
to make this world a jolly place to be a
child in? A man said to me yesterday,
and not such very old man either: az
used to see man very often who was born
before George Washington was. He was
more than hundred years old, of course,
when he used to come to our home in Yer
| mont early in this century. I cannot now
! recall his name. But he was strong and
well, though he was so old, and he used to
walk along the road wheeling a cart with
all his worldly goods in it, and selling a
pamphlet in which the story of his life was
printed"
And this man who was talking to me-a
quiet, kindly soul, who never could have
done a cruel thing in all his life-told me
another little story that made me sorry
and made me thankful, too, that such
things are not happening any more.
MY father, said this man, twas New
England minister. He never was or
uaiAcu, because ne would not sign his
name to the belief that all the souls of un-
baptized babies must be lost. But he was
good preacher, and people always came
to hear him. He was good man, too,
and was not given to anger. He punished
his children according to the admonitions
OF the Bible, as he believed, and as 1 was
the Oldest son | presume / got lions
share OF the benefits. tie owned mill
near home, and when 1 had offended him,
sometimes without knowing it, he used to
say: Come to the mill next Saturday
night at o'clock. l am going to whip
YOU
My mother and my sisters used to cry
and beg a good deal, because my health
was not good, but that never made any
difference, and always got the promised
punishment. | used to do my best. mean
time, hoping to earn forgiveness. l never
got it, for my father meant to be a just and
truthful man, bringing his sons up, by
force, III the way they should go.
Il used to be tied to a post with my
arms stretched about it SO that could not
struggle. Then my father strove to please
the Lord by working hard enough to tire
himself out, and, you may be sure, to en-
tireiy break any rebellious spirit which 1
may ever have had"
Does not that story seem to imply that
"the good old days" in New England were
scarcely the days for children to be
happy in?