The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-01-17
Teach Filial Reverence.

Foreigners often comment upon the one
point in which Americans most generally
fail in the home training of their chill
dren. That is the matter of teaching
them filial duty: There is good reason
for this comment. They see little chill
live in state of open and perpetual re-
bellion against their parents and supe-
riors, and this almost without comment
on the part of the elders because they
are so accustomed to yield to the impor-
tunities of their obstreperous offspring.
"Oh, Johnny will outgrow this condi-
tion," remarks his mother, ."he is such
good boy at heart, and then he is so
delicate that I cannot bear to cross him
in anything he sets his mind on" Johnny
in word makes his father and mother
miserable oftener than he makes them
happy; he knows nothing of filial rever-
ence and very little of filial love, for
children seldom love and revere parents
who cannot command their obedience.
Perhaps Johnny has a sister who is
not such favorite as Johnny is, and
somehow she is obliged to obey in just
the very matters in which Johnny suits
himself. Being a girl is possibly one
reason coupled with an easier-going tenn
permanent, why she obeys though she
does not want to. The result will be
grown. Both may be tolerably pleasant
adults, but If there comes a question of
will or filial duty, it is more than likely
that will will rule the day.
Another family of sons and daughters
has mother and father so devoted to
their children that no self-denial, no
fatigue nor anxiety is too great to ell
dure for them which will further the
chlldren's interests. Father tolls at his
work day by day and almost night by
hard, as he has had to do all his life.
And mother tolls in the kitchen and at
the sewing machine with the same object
IN view in regard to her girls. Yet, "ten
to one'' when pretty Maud and Mabel
marry, shortly after they leave boarding
school, and go perhaps to live in the c;ty'
they will not think it necessary to have
father and mother down from the coun-
try very often on account of their un-
conventional ways, you know Tom
and Bob, in course of time, will take to
themselves partners and set up house
will be left alone. Lucky will it he for
the dear, but foolish, self-denying cid
couple if one of the four retains a warm
corner in her heart for them and blesses
their old eyes with the occasional com
pany of loving and respectful grand
chlldren Luckier still will it be if the
OLD couple are secure in small compe-
tence which will keep them in comfort
to the end of their days. If they arc
poor there will be very little promise of
happiness when they must turn 10 the
children thus reared for comfort and
support, Children reared in selfshness
and having no idea of self-denial and ali
that it implies, will scarcely welcome
the parents who have neglected rhis i'm
portant training.
1t is not claimed that there are no
model sons and daughters There are
many, but not nearly so many as there
should be. If parents will only train
their children in the habits of obedience
and respect. at the same time winning
their affection by examples Of tenderness
and love, then, and then only, they may
expect in their old age happy Scturn.
And there is still another view Of the
matter-it is only fair to the children to
be just and firm in their training, and in
sist upon obedience and certain amount
of unseltishness and filial love will nat
urally Observation-Disclosures Times.