Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1896-07-20

in society, light as froth, blown every
/ whittier Of temptation and fashion-the
peddlers OF filthy stories, the dancing
jacks of political parties, the scum of
/ society, the tavern lounging, store in
Testing, the men of low wink and filthy
chuckle and brass breastpin and rotten
associations? For the most part they
came from mothers idle and disgusting,
the scandal mongers of society, going
from house to house attending to every
| body's business but their own, believing
| in witches and ghosts and horseshoes
to keep the devil out of the churn, and
by a goddess life setting their children
on the very verge of hell The mothers
of Samuel johnson and of Alfred the
Great and of Isaac Newton and of St
Augustine and of Richard Cecil and of
President Edwards for the most part
were industrious, hard working moth
ers
Now, while I congratulate all Chris
tian mothers upon the wealth and the
modern science which may afford them
all kinds of help, let me say that every
mother ought to be observant of her
children S walk, her children S behavior,
her children s food, her children s books,
her children S companionship. However
much help Hannah may have, think
she ought every year, at least, to make
one garment for Samuel The Lord have
mercy on the man who is so unfortunate
as to have had lazy mother!
Her Intelligence.
Again, Hannah stands before you to-
day as an intelligent mother. From the
way in which she talked in this chapter
and from the way she managed this
boy, you know she was intelligent.
There are no persons in community
who need to be SO wise and well in
formed as mothers. Oh, this work of
culturing children for this world and
the next! This child is timid, and it
must be reused up and pushed out into
activities. This child is forward, and
he must be held back and tanned down
into modesty and politeness. Rewards
for one, punishments for another. That
which will make George will ruin
John. The rod is necessary in one case,
while frown of displeasure is more
than enough in another. WhiT ing and
a dark closet do not exhaust all the
rounds of domestic discipline. There
have been children who have grown up
and gone to glory without ever having
their ears boxed. Oh. how much care and
intelligence are necessary in the rearing
of childrenl But in this day. when there
are so many books on this subject, no
parent is excusable in being ignorant of
the best mode of bringing up a child.
If parents knew more of dietetics, there
would not be so many dyspeptic stom
achs, and weak nerves, and inactive liv-
ers among children. If parents knew
more of physiology, there would not be
so many curved spines and cramped
chests, and inflamed Threats, and dis
eased lungs as there are among children.
If parents knew more of art and were
in sympathy with all that is beautiful,
there would not be so many children
coming out in the world with boorish
proclivities. If parents knew more of
Christ and practiced more of his reli-
gion, there would not be SO many little
feet already starting on the wrong road.
and all around us voices of riot and
blasphemy would not come up with such
ecstasy of internal triumph.
The eaglets in the eyrie have no adj
vantage over the eaglets of thousand
years ago. The kids have no superior
way of climbing up the rocks than the
old goats taught them hundreds of years
ago. The whelps know no more now
than did the whelps of ages ago. They
are taught no more by the lions of the
desert. But it is a shame that in this
day, when there are SO many opportu-
mites of improving ourselves in the best
manner of culturing children, that SO
often there is no more advancement in
this respect than there has been among
the kids and the eaglets and the whelps.
Her Christian Character.
Again, Hannah stands before you to-
day as a Christian mother. From her
prayers and from the way she conse-
Grated her boy to God I know she was
good. A mother may have the finest cul-
ture the most brilliant surroundings,
but she is not fit for her duties unless
she be Christian mother There may
be well read libraries in the house, and
exquisite music in the parlor, and the
canvas of the best artist adjoining the
walls, and the wardrobe be crowded
with tasteful apparel, and the children
be wonderful for their attachments and
make the house ring with laughter and
innocent mirth, but there is something
woefully lacking in that house if it be
not also the residence of a Christian
mother. I bless God that there are not
many prayerless mothers. The weight |
of responsibility is so great that they
feel the need Of divine hand to help
and a divine voice to comfort and di-
vine heart to sympathize. Thousands of
mothers have been led into the king
dom of God by the hands of their little
children. There are hundreds of moth
ers today who would not have been
Christians had it not been for the pratt
tie of their little Ones Standing some
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