Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1896-07-25


to keep the devil out of the churn, and
by n 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.
I Augustine and of Richard Cecil and Of
President Edwards for the most part
were industrious, hard working moth
ers.
Now, while l 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 g 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
bow. you know she was intelligent
There are no persons in Il 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 i'll one case,
while frown of displeasure is more
than enough in another. Whipping and
q 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 children 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 child.
II parents knew more of dietetics, there
would not be so many dyspeptic stom-
achs, and weak nerves, and inactive llv-
ers among children. If parents knew
more of physiology, there would not be
so many curved spines and cramped
chests and inhamed Threats, and dis
easod lungs as there are among children.
If parents knew more of art and were
in sympathy with oil that is beautiful,
there would not be 80 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,
ar1 all around us voices of riot and
[ .asphemy would not come up with such
ecstasy of internal triumph.
The eaglcta in the eyrie have no ad-
vantage over the eaglets of a 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 i'll 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 III
this respect than there has been among
the kids and the eaglets and the whelps.
Her Christian Character.
Again, Hannah stands before you tor
day as Christian mother. From her
prayers and from the way she conse-
Grated her boy to God 1 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 we'll read libraries in the house, and
luisite music III 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 attainments 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 Christian
mother. 1 bless God that there are not
many prayerless mothers The weight
of responsibility is so great that they
feel ne need Of divine hand to help
and divine voice to comfort and d.
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
.ie of their little ones. Standing some
day in the nursery, they bethought
themselves: "This child God has given
Inc to raise for eternity What is my
influence upon it? Not being Christian
myself, how can l ever expect him to
J become Christian. Lord, help mel"
Oh, are there anxious mothers who
know nothing of the infinite help of re-
ligion? Then 1 commend to you Han
nah, the pious mother of Samuel. Do
not think it is absolutely impossible
that your children come up iniquitous.
Out of just such fair brows and bright
eyes and soft hands and i'nocent hearts
crime gets its Misunderstanding pu-
rity from the heart and rubbing out the
amoothness from the brow and quench-
ing the luster of the eye and shriveling
up and poisoning and putrefying and
scathing and scalding and blasting and
burning with shame and woe.
Every child is a bundle of tremendous
possibilities. And whether that child
shall come forth in life. its heart atsuned
10 the eternal harmonies, and after
life of usefulness on earth, go to life
Of joy in heaven, or whether across II
shall Jar eternal discords, and after 0
life of wrongdoing Oh earth it shall &C
to home Of impenetrable darkness and
an abyss of Unreasonable plunge--is be.
ing decided by nursery song and Sab.
bath lesson and evening prayer and
walk and ride and look and frown and
smile. Oh, how many children III glory,