Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1898-08-11
LITTLE PITCHERS.
PARENTS SHOULD REMEMBER THAI
THEY HAVE BIG EARS.

som. ..f thu Things That Should Nevef
He Talked Of In the Presence OF Chill
dren-Repeating Their Bright Sayings.
Criticising Neighbors.
fancy. IL we grown up pitchers had big
ger ears, we should hear many whole.
some truth that would materially promote
our souls welfare-that Is, II being heard
they were likewise needed. have in my
mind truth or two that needs hearing
woefully. but | hesitate to make myself
its expounder, lest my so doing may SAVIOR
Of the | am holier than thou idea. You
will be saying among yourselves the
mighty Shakespeare was thinking OF Inc
when he opened his mouth and spake, II
could better teach 30 what Were good to bo
done, than be one of the 20 To follow mine
own teaching" Shakespeare was wise
with a wisdom that strikes home with
awful accuracy How he makes havoc of
orr net omissions and commissioner
The need of reform in this matter on
my mind is very great l have given IT
much thought lately, and the more | SEQ
its evil effects sown broadcast the more
sure am that now Is our time for the ref
ormation. 1t is SO easy for mother to
find herself accounting her little pitchers
bright doings and sayings over and over
again-and how often tho telling Is told
within hearing of the wee bit heroines
and heroes themselves, pulling up the
small vanities more than we imagine, l
expect. We say, ooh, they are so little,
II can do no harm now" Right there is
the danger, you see. IL begins so mper
ceptibly and suddenly that, while we are
assuring ourselves that we can be doing
| no possible harm, the harm has already
been done. The dividing line between the
safe and the harmful time for telling the
| blessed little exploits before the blessed
little doors of them is a line perilously
light and fine. We need To put on our
"nigh to's" to find it out.
The danger begins when the babies are
wee, and the story of their wonderful adj
ventures Is safe The habit grows with the
baby, and when his babyshp comes into
possession of his own little pair Of big ears
10! the proud recital takes on danger.
Imperceptibly at first, but none the less
surely, the danger increases, until in so
many cases the grieyous ending-a for
ward child We all see so much OF it every
day-Mrs Smith dreadful Johnnie and
Mrs. Jones terrible little Jane, etc.
1t is a libel on the blessed innocence OF
babyhood, and we, not the babies, are the
criminals. 1t was To be-began 10 be long
ago that afternoon when we proudly told
| a caller of wee bit Ruth's cunning speech
that morning, wee bit Ruth standing by
drinking in the sweet fiattery with de
light that would make a grown up proud
Bless the little pitchersl They 40 have
!, 1 n T.. Al yai N N
make an end of pouring into them thi'
, poisonous praise of ours the better. l won
, der if we begin to know the Importance o
taking the warning in timer The help i
would be in our leading the little STUN
bling feet into straight walking by and b!
and in avoiding many of the disagreeabl
places i'm our children's childhood A
} mothers heart is SO often wounded b.
some outsiders cool criticism or rebuke.
} Yes, | say it behooyes us TO take hec'
unto our ways Let us cure ourselves, an,
speedily, of this troublesome habit. lie
us SEQ TO it that never in tho little one
own hearing are his bowitching bits Q
5 baby cunning discussed Never should w
l allow our pride to run away with us {
the extent cf showing off our little folks
: Oh, the perniciousnoss OF it, The yer
ease with which we slip into the habit
, | its worst danger
There Is room for so much regeneratlo
in this precious, delicate work OF maxim
l men and women of our babies. Not ii
! the millennium can We hope to learn tn
dear trade perfectly, hut "A bit of it, ma;
v | tered now and then will insure the swirl
: err coming Of the millennium maybe.
e Right in INJECTION with the shown
off evil comes another equally injuriou
more perhaps in its ultimate lmpresslo
upon the chiid's character l mean IL
u fashion older persons have of criticism
@ their friends and neighbOrs In the present
a of little folks. Criticising ones friends
g any presence Whatsoever is hardly Chri
: tian proceeding; but, be that as 1t may,
am speaking only Of doing it for lit
= children to hear and initiate. And the
will initiate like little parrots. How oite
% we overhear little man or maiden pas
ing Judgment on some unfortunate qui
@ as scathingly as we could do it in our be
II estate Isn't it a Judgment upon usf
l. suppose there is no moro unilattering mi
O ror Of our petty sins and Weaknesses tina
!. the innocent mimiery Of little child.
9 AS we criticise our fellow men befo
: the little ones, 50 will the little ones {
y among themselves, and, worse still,
u will they do by and by when we yield OF
t places i'm the world to them. Where wi
If il end unless we end IL forthwith and f
q all?
J. IL occurs to me that perhaps the sur
q way TO cure this evil would be TO forswe
such criticism altogether, appalling rs Il
!, medicine looks. Annie Hamilton Donnt
In Housewife.