The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1903-07-08
THE PARENT"

Of the relationships uniting
Gods great human family, none
equals in solemnity and sacred re-
sponsibility the relationship of
parent and child.
Between the true husband and
wife, the loyal brother and sister,
there is sacred bond indeed
but it is bond of equality-we
walk side by side abiding in the
strength, one of another. Only
parent can comprehend the awful
feeling of responsibility to God for
the human being placed in his keep
ing.
When the tiny being was first
placed in your arms-and your eyes
looked into those wondering, inno-
cent eyes upturned to your's-what
were your thoughts-fathers and
mothers? Were you not filled with
awe as you realized-this is a
human life, living soul placed in
my weak, human hands to mould!
When the day of final reckoning
comes what shall 1 be able to say of
this marvellous work given me to do
Did you not see yourself as you had
never seen yourself before? Was
not each fault magnified in your
eyes2 God pity the man or woman
who at such time did not feel the
longing to be better, nobler, more
worthy the treasure given into their
keeping. All! Those marvellous
baby eyes What power they hold
How they seem to question us-to
read our inmost thoughts How
can we but strive to be worthy the
love and respect of our little ones
praying to God for strength and
FOL guidance in our development of
these little lives.
1t seems but natural to take adj
vantage of all sources of improve
ment for our children. We are con-
stantly on the alert to adopt what
ever seems favorable to their physi-
cal or mental which is
as it should be. But do we not at
times grow over Jealous in this di-
rection-to the detriment of that
higher training? Do we as ardent
ly seek for the greatest aid in our
children's moral and spiritual up
building? And yet-here lies our
greatest responsibility. Today we
come together to consider the great
est help we parents can have in fit
ting our boys and girls for a
Christian manhoodapd womanhood.
We are here to discuss the Sunday
School-its power and it's great
needs, and l, especially wish to con-
slider our duty, as parents, in this
cradle Of the Church.
Do we. as parents, realize first,
what an important place is ours in
the Sunday School? Are we not
inclined to place all responsibility
with the pastor, the superintendent
and the teachers? Our pastors
may aid with presence and prayers
we may have earnest, consecrated
superintendent, with willing CO.
workers in their teachers-all striv-
ing to build up, and hold up the
Sunday School, working for the
good of or children-but, did you
ever stop to think how we may aid
them2 How almost powerless, they
are without our co-operation2 We
parents can not always attend Sun
day School but our presence may
be felt though, bodily, we are alb
sent.
We must comprehend the bond
uniting parent and child before we
may realize the important place the
parent fills In the Sunday School.
We can all look back to when we
were children-feeling that no one
in all the world was just quite so
wise as our father and our mother.
What they said was right, was right
in our eyes, no matter how much in
the wrong some of them might have
been