The Savannah morning news., 1904-01-25
TO SAVE THE BOYS,
GUARD THEIR FEET
PARENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE
FOR THEIR CHILDREN, SAYS REV.
ROBERT VAN DEVENTER.


His Boy-MOthers Too often Neg
Iect Children for Clubs. Card
Parties and Other Social Gather
ings - Know Where the Boys
Are - Earnest Advice to Pa
rents and Plea for COmpaniOnship
Between Them and Their Chill
dren.
Rev. Robert Van Deventer, pastor
of the Duffy Street Baptist Church.
last night preached a sermon to par
ents from the subject, "A Lost Boy, 3"
An earnest plea was made to the par
ents to keep close watch over their
children, and especially over the places
which they frequent at night. IF the
home is made the best place." said the
speaker, "the boys and girls will not
seek Others"
The sermon was built upon the Incl
dent in the lift of Christ when He
was lost by His parents on their re-
= turn from the temple at Jerusalem.
The text was taken from st. Luke Il:4S,
And when they found Him not, they
turned back again to Jerusalem seek
ing Him." Among other things, DR..
Van Deventer said:
Late in the day the word ran from
lip to lip through the great crowd
that was jouneying homeward, "A
child is lost Then some one said it
was Jesus of Nazareth. Here one re-
membered seeing Him at this place
or ha All
had noticed Him, but none could say
where He was Many thought He must
be with Joseph, and Joseph supposed
that He was with His mother, for in
those days men and women Travelled
in different companies. When they
found Him not, however, they were
sore distressed and turned back again
to Jerusalem to seek Him.
Mary and Joseph were human par
ents, and much can be learned by the
parents of to-day from their lives. In
the stress of duties they had lost Him.
1t was no little thing to prepare for
the home journey. All the people go
ing north would be stopping at this
time. All were interested in what had
passed, and engrossed in what was to
come. The quiet hill people had seen
many things in the great city and how
much there was to talk about!
Parents Careless To-day.
To-day, in the multitude of affairs,
father forgets the boy. At last, when
he realizes the situation, the boy is
not where he imagined him to be; not
where he wished him to be. He is a
little fellow and safe, but all these
days he has been growing. Little
things he has picked up here and there,
habits have been gradually forming
until they have become a chain which
it is hard to break. We must watch
our boys lest we lose them ere we are
aware.
rs the boy not being deprived of
his rights when business comes be-
tween him and his father. To his
father he was given to be cared for,
to be taught, to be led to forming the
right habits. To the father he should
be help and a comanion. 1t is his
right to demand his fathers company
and to deny it to him for the sake of
business is not only dangerous for his
welfare. but it is depriving him of a
right with which he was born.
In needing the calls of social life
depend upon it, as you are. You speak
TO the little fellow on the streets who
you have seen there playing every
night, Why don't you go home my
little man? Where is mamma?' With
out an instant's hesitation comes the
answer; AT the club, or AT party
In this very city mothers have allowed
social duties to cause them to neglect
their daughters and they are to-day
e !
Even the duties of the church. high
as they are, should not be allowed to
cause a neglect of the child. The first
duty IS to make sure that the bows are
safe
Know Where the Boy Is.
Mary and Joseph supposed that
tnelr boy was safe, out of danger. un-
harmed. 1t will not do to depend upon
superstition. 1t is your duty as par
ents to know where the boy is. That is
a pathetic song Where is MY Wander
ing Boy Tonight. Do not let it come
nome to you with its full meaning!
DO not wait until your own heart is
asking you that question! Do not wait
untll your boy reaches the wandering
i have heard parents say You can't
stage. Know where his feet start.
Keep up with the boys. Yes, yes, Won
can. All that is necessary is to start
right Know always where he is and
never let him wander to those places
where you cannot call for him at any
time you may want him.
1t is not necessary to be a spy. or
to assume the role of detective. He
VIII naturally resent that Be his
companion, his confidant Let him
Know that he can always come to YOU
for sympathy. BE his companion as
other boys are. BE such a companion
that he will choose you in preference
to all others
Do Not Restrain His Liberty.
Many parents make the great mis-
take of restraining their boys liberty.
The constant restraint will some dav
become irksome and he will slip away
from you ere you know it. Then, too.
glass-house virtues cannot endure
the storm and frosts of temptation and
real life. Like glass houses, they look
nice, but are not strong. Jesus faced
wee and temptation and as a result
his virtues were sinewy and hard.
"On the other hand, do not thrust
him into vice, saying He has got to
learn some time and the sooner the
better. warn you that both WAYS
will end in harm. Both are old WAYS
and have been tried time and time
again and the result of the expert
ments is almost always the same.
Temptations Abound Everywhere.
TOO many parents satisfy them
selves that the boy is alright. confi-
IDENTIFY believe that he can come to no
harm. But temptations abound everv-
where and npaV tho most l,ot,.