The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-04-26

that for all these excuses there is one
explanation, and you don't know how
ptiful that explanation is: A lack of
interest in the temperance training of
the little one, founded upon a failure to
appreciate the relation OF that training
to the child's character and usefulness
in future life. never allow myself to
believe that any mother is really care
less about the best interests of those
who are her nearest and her dearest.
But she lacks ''the arrest of thought;'
she has not appreciated at its true
value the systematic drill that would
have fortified her children against
temptation an made them practical
workers in philanthropy from the out
set of their lives.
If she can but perceive and feel the
truth about this training, she will
henceforth count the gospel temperance
education Of her little ones second to
nothing, except her own religious
teachings in the home. She will see
whoever takes the pains to teach them
that the body is the Temple of Gods
Spirit, and that pure habits are the
basis of pure religion, is the best
friend they have next to their parents:
that thus saith | nature, thus saith
reason" and thus saith the Lord" for
total abstinence from alcoholic liquors,
tobacco and profanity, drilled into the
forming brain Of childhood and hidden
in its plastic heart, means christian
manhood and womanhood, and christian
citizenship, too, when childhood is out
grown.
1t is fact of statistics that if every
one hundred men who reform from
drinking habits, ninety return to those
habits again, while Of every one hun
dred boys, and girls who sign the
pledge, ninety remain true to it through
life. 1t is also u fact that two thirds
Of the Band Of Hope children stand in
front rank at school for department
and for scholarship.
Now if your children were taking
music lessons, how careful you would
be to get them off in time; but what is
the ability to drum on a piano CON-
pared with the fixed determination,
based upon the reason why, that they
will never let brain poison have domin-
ion over them? When it is time to go
to school how careful you are to get
them started but how much less i'm
portant is arithmetic than the solving
of the problem OF a life kept pure in
the midst of temptation; and how much
less useful the geography that bounds
a state than that which locates on the
chart of life the maelstrom OF modera-
tion and Niagara OF drunkenness, while
it marks out the sure safe waterway"
of total abstinence? You may say, 81
can teach them all this at home" Hap
py is it lor them if you do, but in your
busy life it is doubtful if you have be-
como such an expert in this this teach
ing as our our modern methods and
facilities have enabled the modern
juvenile temperance teacher to he.
Besides, there is a mutual strength
and helpfulness,a "a CHEEKY espeit de corps
in the association of children banded
together with a common aim to fight
common enemy, such as no isolated
training can impart.- Line upon line
pr'cept upon precept, craven on the
brain and worked into the warp and
wool Of character in its formative per-
iod, will build strong foundations for
the ''lttle soldiers newly mustered
ill., this is their own dicipline, their
drill, and their preparation for the bat
tie.
You would not expect them to mas
ter the music lesson without patient
teaching and constant repetiti' ns; why
should you expect them to master
themselves and their temptations in
any other way? Nor is their battle
alas! conflict of the future. 1t sur
rounds them every hour 1t is set in
array by the boy whose seat is beside
that of your boy behind the desk at
school, and takes out bunch of cigar.
cites or plug of sugary tobacco aid
whispers, you shall have some at re-
cess" The battle comes in the oaths
and unclean words of the play ground;
il III Invitation to treat cider or beer;
in the disguised alcohol and tobacco
favors Of the candy shop conveniently
located near 10y; in the manncrless
habits, taught to pure boys and girls
10y the children of nnguidcd homes; in
the vile pictures and literature that
are as Il pestilence walking at noon
day. The school, whether public or
private, to which you send your child
ren, is as dangerous a battle-ground as
will ever demand of them that fore.
warning and forearming which the
Loyal Legion is organized on purpose
to afford
Some one has said, ''if you aim at
nothing, you will be sure to hit it,"
Alas, how many mothers, failing to
aim definite results definite results in
the habits of their children, have wept
bitter but idle tears when it was ever
lasting too late And here come our
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