Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-03-30

right? How are your boys and girls In
reference to the moral law? BY the
moral law 1 mean all those laws that
teach honesty and purity and upright
ness. Do they respect other peoples
rights as they demand that others
should respect their rights?
III you are true parents you know
that 1t Is no easy task to make your
children obedient to moral law. 1t is
only by the most rigid kind OF disci-
pllne that they are taught to govern
themselves, SO that some day they
may be able to govern others. DIR.
William NJ. Taylor, late pastor OF the
Broadway tabernacle, once gave q
powerful Illustration OF this thought.
He said that many years ago a dIstin-
guished botanist was cxiled from his
native land, and he obtained employ
ment as an undergardener In the serv-
Ice of nobleman. While he was en-
ployed In this inconspicuous position
his master received n rare plant as a
gift. The gardener, thinking 1t tropic-
al plant. put 1t In the dollhouse, where
1t began to wither and to die. One
day this undergraduate saw II, and he
went to the head gardener and said:
"Sir. you have made mistake. This
is not tropical plant, but one that is
used to the cutting blasts of the arc
tic Winds" Then the amazement of
this nossemanawes unlimited when ne
-sawA his sndersardener not only take
fns plant cut OF the dollhouse and place
1t In the open air. but place ice around
The steuAs efsthe plant. Then, the plant.
which was dying under the heat OF
the tropics. began to grow strerg un-
der the cold OF the isortheTn -lcebergs.
Thus with character. 1t Is not by
yielding to the wishes of our children
that we make them morally what they
ought to be. 1t Is not by making sx-
cuses for them when they do wrong
that we teach them how to do right.
But 1t is only by stern, firm, memorable
teachings of right and wrong that we
develop their moral character as Il
ought to be developed Do not lower
the moral standard for your children
one inch. Make them toe the line of
the moral code. Do not make the mis-
take of old ELI. who had two sons, and
they both turned out to be bad BOYS
because "he restrained them not Is
1t well with your children In n moral
sense?
Need Discipline.
Then how is il with your children
spiritually? We will suppose that you
have cared for them physically, mental
~ and morally, but have you uided
them In their spiritual lives? Have
you ever Interested yourself in their
Sunday school Iessons? When the even
Ing hours come have you ever taken
them upon your lap to show them the
BibM pictures? Have you ever told
them about the great sacred characters
or the Old Testament and the NewY
Have you tried TO teach them to love
Jesus Christ and lead them to walk
hand In hand with their Saviour? You
know, by the-nw OF pedagogics there
are two ways Of teaching. The first Is
to b.ing out or develop what is In the
child. The second way is to contln-
ually have before you an ideal child
and then try to pattern all your chill
dren after the ideal child. In your
religious life have you continually tried
to hold before your little ones and your
boys and girls the ideal child? Have
you tried to pattern your children after
that ideal child called Christ?
By the higher spiritual law could
you say what the Shunammite woman
OF my text said II your child was dead?
Surprising one OF those terrible quick
and fatal diseases should come to your
home and take away your baby In n
night and that. as your pastor, come
TO your home and accost you In the
words OF Elisha. lis 1t well with the
child?" Could you answer, like the
Shunammite woman: 1T is well. Yes.
he Is well with Jesus He Is well with
my dear ones who preceded him. Yes,
my child Is well because he is forever
safe from sin. He is well In heaven"
Gould you say that7 II you could not
say that. you had better beware, for
the deaths angel seems to be partial to
our little ones. Oh. how many small
graves there are In the family plots!
IL almost seems that-to some of us life
may have reproduction OF that OF a
roor washerwoman who some years
ago came TO a photograph gallery In
western city. The proprietor looked Mt
her sharply. for she was evidently very
poor. as he said. ''Well. my good wom-
an. what do you wantT She said: 81
want to have my baby's picture taken
II could, please, sir But 1 amt got
no money. But II you VIII let me ]
VIII clean and scrub up the floors for
yeu In osder to pay for the picture"
Then. when the baby began to utter
piaintive vail. the poor woman said:
"Yeu see. sir, he don't cry IKE q well
baby. He amt never been strong.
None Of my babies are. I've buried
four. and AMT got no picture of any
OF them. so L thought I'd try and get
a picture Of this one In case ANYTHING
SHOULD happen ia dosany amount Of
scrubbing IL you would only take this
picture. for I'm afraid this little one
might go like the rest" The proprietor
brushed away a tear as he said: "Yes.
good woman, 1 viii take picture of
yo0r baby. Sit right down now" AS
l read the story I said: 20 God, art
thou going to take away any Of INV
babies as thou hast taken SO many
other babies? If they are taken away
shall be able to have any comfort?
Shall be able to say. They are well
with thee. because have given them
10 thee? And If ] am myself taken
away. shall still be able to say ere I
90 that 1t is well with my babies. be-
cause have taught them already to
netS me before the great white throne
n heaven?"
But cannot close this home greeting
without giving you still another saiu-
'auon- 1 would salute you with the
words. rs II well with thy neighbor.s
,hiid as with thine own chiidY' And |
when I aecost you thus would tell
you why l do 1t. have had In mind |