The colored American., 1901-11-16
ONE GREAT DEED
Mrs. L. ". Brown.

| our progress as Il race Is the RICK OF
| good homes. When I say good homes,
| | do not mean simply good residences.
we'll furnished, for indeed we are
| progressing along that line at a splen-
| did ratio; but my meaning is the lack
| Of homes where wholesome religious.
moral and intellectual training is i'm
| parted TO its members especially the
| young where they can converse upon
| the events Of their daily life and re-
| ceive instructions and advice which
| will help them over the hard places.
| thus terrifying them for the future.
Oh, how many mistakes and mis-
| fortunes might have been ayerted, how
| many wrecked homes might have been
| saved, how many precious souls might
have been spared had the parents
| made their fireside places of counsel
and exchange of events and ideas for
| their children. Many Of Us do not un-
derStand our duty to our children. or
we are too indOlent-I Will not say too
| mean. to perform it. When they come
to Us they know nothing. they are as
clay in the hands Of the potter. It is
in our power TO make of them what
we will. If we have made the home
what it should be for their reception.
we can train them in all the beautiful
harmOnies of a symmetrical character
in body and in mind that will rebound
to the glory Of God, both in time and
eternity
Many men and women. who grOvel
in the gutter of disgrace today. might
be occupying places Of prominence and
renOwn had their homes been what
they should have been.
Let us notice some Of the requisites
of a good home: First, the home should
have family altar where the little
ones should be taught TO lisp Gods
name in prayer and learn of Him
through his Holy Word. Second. it
should be a moral hOme-nO tainting
atmosphere or blighting influence
should be allowed to intrude to
quicken the natural tendencies of evil
in the little Ones-for it is a fact that
they learn the bad much more readily
than they do the good.
Parents themselves often demOraIiZe
their children by telling them false
hoods to frighten them from wrong
doing, when little chastisement
would be better for both parties.
Third, it should be an intellectual
home, place of mental Improvement.
not only for the children but the en-
tire family. The little QueStiOner
should be answered in a concise and
simple way so that its litJle mind may
conceive ideas correctly and acquire a
correct way of expressing them |
Fourth, it should be a busy home. |
where each member as soon as capa- |
bic should have something to do |
Some regular little duty for the little |
ones develops in them a habit of use |
fulneSS and industry which will be of |
vast benefit to them when they are |
older. For remember that Satan finds |
work for idle hands These are a few
Of the requisites Of a good home. and |
if even these were adhered TO we |
would soon see ewOnderfulre results in the |
direction of advancement. Many of |
the jails, county farms. houses of i'll |
fame, and even the lyncher. would |
close out business for want of |
material.
Let Us strive then in every possible |
way TO bring some Of these forces to
bear. Let the strong unite to build up
the weak along this line, in every
village, town, and city, till the people
of color all over this broad land shall
have banded themselves into one solid
compact for the purpose of building
good homes, good communities. good
towns. good cities-SO far as their DODu-
latiOn goes to help-and in this way
win, not only the right and honor To
dine with the President Of the United
States, but an equal representation in
ThiS and he orb To /