Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1906-05-05

perfect visions ever before nln' ho"
much more important Is it for the un-
developed child to have visions betore .
bimi These visions, when they come ,
from God, are not like the unaccount-
able mirages Of the desert or ike air
castles builded in the sandy wastes.
They are rational visions bullded py
the angel of hope saying to the chlid:
"Boy. girl with thy physical ana men
tai and spiritual nature God Dlds thee
TO reach out to accomplish these Things
which thou now seest. Look up, look
ont. look on" Frances Hodgson Bur
nett looking into the dim past ana
writing the history Of her glrlhoou
days in that fascinating book calieu
"'rhe one | Knew Best of ALL Is not
seeing q more realistic character than
do some children when they look into
the dim future and by reason OF their
physical and mental and spiritual tehu-
encies picture themselves as SONIC
dav being lawyers or doctors or MIN
isters or merchants or bankers or IN
ventors or musicians or statesmen OF
poets or songsters or reformerS. 1hese
children by such visions hear the call
for future work. They hear it so clear
" and distinctly that in their minus
there is no doubt as to that call COM
ing direct from the throne Of Cod.
But we must not stop here in the dis
oussion of this mighty theme. 1t Is
very important to have the visions Oh
youth. but it is just as important 10
have the child developed aright alIer
those first visions have come and gone
These first visions Of childhood always
seem TO me like the little green shoots
which spring up out Of the ground.
Care for them. Give them plenty OF
sunlight. and let not the winds handle
them too roughly, or the cold freeze
them. or the droughts parch them, ana
they will change themselves into me
saplings, then after awhile into tne
stout Young trees and then into the
oiont oaks. but crush the roots or de-
strov the first visions and you may
ruIn the whole after development.
If might use another illustration
the visions Of childhood impress me
like the delicate films or plates whicf
/. tbe photographer puts into his instru
ment when he is about to take pic
ture. He carefully guards those hlmi
from all light or else they are destroy
ed When l was travelling around tn
world I had quite a number OF thes'
rolls Of films. | did not know now u
care for them. The result was tina
whom reached Calcutta, India, ant
, went to have my negatives develops
found that | had nothing but blanl
= paper Then after the pictures nav
: been taken the Photographer takes III
= NEGATIVES into dark room, where
: with certain acids, he develops then
Then he gives to you the photograph
= which you place upon your bureaus 9
hang upon your walls. So with th
y films of the child's brain. The divin
- sun shines upon them. The negative
- will then appear. They are Gods mrs
y visions. but oh, so delicate! They o
ten can be rubbed out almost at
- touch. We had better beware how "
~ laugh at or denounce the child.
s. Selfish Parents.
o. And vet inevitably we heed but lltt
le the visions of child Of twelve SUI
r mers. If your boy, just entering d
u teens, comes to you some evening
i'd the library and says, Father, l wou
7e like to give my heart to Christ 10
E. out as a missionary to China or Ar
RS ca " what would you do? Would y
sion and take that child upon your la
d. rs though he was seeing VISION ITO
u God? Would you tell him Of the glo
he ous usefulness which such life OF 81
ee sacrifice would produce? PerhaI
IL Inf 7 rather think this is the way y
Sc vould do. You would look up for
he instant from your book or ledger or [
ed manuscript you were reading or WI
IS, inc. and you would say: Yes, y
er, child. YES. yes! That would be MI
Is. Rut run away now. Papa Is very bus
ed Run away" Supposing some day y
Ie should find your little girl crying oV
i'd the story Of Little Nell" Supposl
Dol she looks up to you and says; I
tn. mamma. there is so much OF suHerl
all and poverty in the world. would &c
ng TO give up my life as a Christian nu
eat to work among the poor ana the ne
re- less" What would you do! Wo'
gh, Won take your little girl with }
through the slums and talk to her ap'
lis the poverty and the ignorance ana
ity eoualor Of a great city? Would J
ty. bring her to such a place as the II
ar House of Chicago and show her WI
fu- one Young woman like Jane AIDA
un- was able to accomplish for the poor
fire the great human beehive OF the mld
,ht. west? Or would say say: "Iush, u
cry doughterl You must not speak
sar that do not want you to go ana
in among the poor, but among the +
had Nurses never wear diamonds. w
lge. you to 90 not to hospital Dut L
eat fashionable boarding school. W
ms, Won TO be a social queen and not
fd- bind up the wounds Of the social
lbs, casts" All, my friends, is that y
her way Of dealing with the visionF Nj
| in Of the first visions Of possible tri
as nhant missionary for Christ have
ore suppressed by a selfish parent IN
heir such language as have quoted.
, so ware! Be careful how you deal
ork- the first vision Of child.
anu Gone Forever.
God = c.,u another fact I
five to the visions Of childhood to w
I would draw your attention. l
i'm NAV come to a boy or a girl at
lent when the parent thinks the child is
cribs Young to have any appreciation OF
the thought Of his own. They may c
the and 20 so quickly that, like the L
fore ming birds drinking out OF the ~
ee cups Of q garden, you can hardy
time whether they are truly here De