The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-12-04
FOR PARENTS TO CONSIDER,
Be Careful of Your Conversation In
the Presence of Your Chiidren-We
Also Reap What We Sow In Conver.
SatiOn as Well as Actions.
Ella-Wheeler Wilcox

| Ella. wheeler. wilcox
What are YOU talking about il
your home? What is the burden o.
your conversation day after day in
the presence of your children and il
association with your neighbors?
Whatever the nature of youl
thought and your words it is helping
to decide your future and the future
of your children.
If YOU are talking gossip. and sean
dal, and criticising all your associ
ates, and suspecting your neighbors
of wrOngdOing, you are creating con
| ditiOns OF discOrd and trouble for
yourself and your descendants.
Years to come you will be wonder
ing why Fate should treat you SO
badly-why you andyOurs should al
ways be in trouble of some kind
why people should turn against you
and disparage you.
1t will be hard for YOU to under
! stand that you are reaping what YOU
sOwed-that the daily conversation
and gossip at your table and fireside
furnished the seed for all this crop of
tares and thistles.
Every thought we send out is Il
magnet and attracts other thoughts
like itself We often wait years be-
fore feeling the results, and by the
time it comes we have forgotten the
kind of thoughts we sent forth But
it is indistructiable. and nothing can
hinder it from performing its errand.
The neighbOrs you criticise today
may not criticise you in return; the
people you are kind to may be un-
grateful, but as sure asyou live other
people will repay both the criticism
and the kindness in the same coinlas
years go by.
Besides this, you are today, every
hour in the day, creating conditions
for a whole community of people, if
you are allowing your children to
hear your conversation.
A child's mind is wax. and it is
shaped by its associations.
If you talk about hatred and re-
venge. of getting even and paying
debts, if anger fill your thoughts, the
child is going to cultivate those brain
cells and may some day figure AS n
criminal. Anger and revenge lead
to crime, to the most awful of crimes
-manslaughter. An uncontrolled
temper and an uncontrolled tongue
are dangerous to the peace of com
munity.
If you are inclined to ridicule and
make fun of YOUR neiphbOrs. YOUR
children will follow in your footsteps
and create enemies wherever they
90.
On the contrary, if you look for
the best quality in every one and
speak OF it, you train yourself to re-
ioice at the good luck of others, and
to be sOrry for their misfortunes,
you are creating friends for yourself
and your descendants. You are set
ting in motion those most powerful
vibrations of love, which will bless
you and all with whom you asso-
ciate as you pass along LIES high
way.
Besides this, you are creating sue
cess for yourself. Everybody will
like YOU, and be glad to do you n
good turn; friends will spring up for
you i'll unexpected places, and when
YOU do encounter an enemy he will
be powerless to harm you, for love
and good will are the spiritual body
guard who walk beside those who in
vite them and protect them from all
evil.
You can give your children no
greater endowment than to teach
them to think, talk and act love for
humanity; not only are you influenc
ing their lives for good, but the lives
of their future husbands, wives and
children.
Therefore be careful what you talk
about and what you think about, as
you close your doors to the outer
world and gather together in the
family circle.