The age-herald., 1900-09-23
THE MURMUR OF THE WORLD.

women and all men. Youth passes quickly but youthfulness may remain. The spirit of youth, the soul of beauty may be eter- nal as the fulfllment of Gods promises. One mother gave her lad The Word in miniature and bade him remember that each leaflet was tiny scroll inscribed with holy truth, lessons that within the heart should keep afresh the dews of youth. Unbeautiful childhood is a deplorable wrong; unbeautiful manhood or woman hood is a crime; unbeautiful old age is condemna ton!
 Whose would force a tear to stiie child hoods happy laughter wrongs innocence irreparably and offends the Master grev- ously. Yet savage instincts of men and women make woe for millions of children. It is kicking and cuffing, wronging and outraging innocent helplessness; and if there be any one guilty of that crime who doubts the vengeance of the Master let that criminal against nature go seek the teachers of God!
 There is nothing else known of man so peculiarly and so refreshingly beautiful as childhood, as youth, as young sinlessness; and whoso would besoil the white robes of the snless ones of childhood he or she is worse than an infidei. Yea, upon such offenders shall fall the curse that upon the blasphemer falls. Childhood will be happy if left to follow its own instincts, guided unobtrusively by loving hands di- rected by the Almighty a loving duty to do. Caress, and save the child; let fall the rod, and brutalize!
 Be it the loving task of loving years to counsel and to direct; to teach in fulness the heavenly certaintfes and the divine possibilities. It is enough for childhood to know what it is. Be it the purpose of every woman and every man to shield childhood from the things childhood should not know. And above all things shall the rights of childhood be scrupulously re- spectedi
 Many girl has gone a hapess way because she was without the saving grace of mothers real comradeship: com radeship that trusted and was trusted; a spiritual association into which doubt did not enter, nor caviling nor crossness TOT railing, nor quarrelsomeness!
 Many a boy has gone to evil to abide all life's while because he was denied the real companionship of fathers open, frank and constant good fellowship; be- cause he was kept at arms length and bidden to be seen too constantly and heard too seldom
 It is not true as has been said that childhood is a failure, manhood a struggle and old age a regret! It Is not true, o soul, it is not true!
 Childhood Is joy if 1t be not wronged and outraged, repressed and embittered by human beasts having physical power to ty rannize over and subvert virtue. Child hoods inherent emotion is to laugh; it's impulses lead it apart from stony paths wherein bleed the feet of those who are given to sin and to weeping. Whose would willfully wrong a child, whoso would pour bitter into its little cup of sweet, is at heart murderer. Whose would wantonly smite child is worse than coward.
 Give the children joy, joy, joy!
 Manhood and womanhood are something above and beyond a mere struggle. The greatest of blessings Is the necessity of striving. It is not struggling in the sense of discomforting or degrading toll; it is striving in the sense of manly and woman ly endeavor, without which there can be no real worthiness or usefulness in the world. So strongly does this people recog- nize these facts that man who remains without useful occupation lives without the respect of the community. Women who go out into the world to strive ih money-earn- ing occupations do so because it is best for themselves, and their striving Is en- noblng.
 Man makes his own life whatever he wishes it to be. within the range of his