The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1906-11-22
a GREAT LECTURE.
Duty of Parents to Children-A
Problem of the Home.

OF Gary High School, on last Friday
night, Nov. 10th, delivered in tie
graded school auditorium here the
most instructive and effective lecture
ever heard in Scotland Neck. It was
lecture that every parent and guar
dian In the entire community ought 10
have heard. Indeed 1t would be a
great help If all the parents and guar
dams in the land could hear 1t.
Prof. Middleton is a graduate OF
Wake Forest College, and from the
time Of his graduation neariy twenty
years ago, he has given his life to
teaching, and is one of the abIest teach
ers ana leading educators IN the State.
Superintendent Wilson presented
Prof. Middleton in a lew we'll chosen
remarks, promising treat to the au-
dience, and every person who heard
the lecture will agree that the promise
was fully met.
In his opening remarks Prof. Mid
dleton said that he had not come to
Scotland Neck to deliver an educa-
tional address, but had come to talk to
parents concerning some things at
home.
The subject of the lecture was this !:
."Given q home, parents and children
to find the results" 1t was treated as
an algebraic problem with certain
known quantities IN the equation to
find the unknown.
The speaker was at perfect ease and
with his opening sentence riveted the
attention OF his audience and held
them chained by the spell of his earn
c .t3-ess: common sense, logic and eio-
quence for more than an hour. He
SAID That this is q day and age of prob
lens and no problem is traught witt:
greater Importance to individuals ard
the world than the problem which ne
proposed to djscuss--the problem which
cIings 10 tie home, whose chief factors
are the parents and the children.
With tact and ability and with the
aarnestuess of a soul fred with deep
conviction the speaker portrayed the
duty of the parent to the child in The
home, showing by apt aud telling illus
ration how every influence should be-
measured and weighed il the home
n order that the best examples shall
3e laid before the chii1 and the best
impressions made for the development
Of every possibility In tbs child. He
aid on the homes Of the land the re-
spoEsibiiity for the government OF the
people, declaring that ii we have cor
rupti0n in our government it is because
We have corruption in our homes.
Every government like ours Is the
product OF the homes, can be no better
than the home Influences and must
be as bad.
With emphasis the speaker declared
that the parents OF this age subordinate
almost everything to the consideration
Of money, and that the people for the
most part are dragging out seryiIe ex-
lstence under the tyranny Of the al
mighty dollar.
Having discussed with great power
and beautiful flaency the problem OF
the homo from the known quantities !
Of the hCma, parents and children, L6 |
broke up the result OF the equation
into four other problems: l. The re-
suit for citizenship and patriotism. 2.
The result in intellectual attainments.
3, The result in moral development |
The result IN spiritual excellence. |
Under each of these we're given the |
ideal results, altogether plausible and |
possible, with the proper course 10 BE |
pursued by every parent il the soln
ton Of this great problem which God |
to all parents in the lives
Of their children.
Prof. Middleton closed hy declaring
onat lAeE0 aIS ceftdlD palt5 Ia tIc !
working out of this great problem that |
parents cannot DO, but must turn over
to others, namely, the education OF
their children. Aud here he made s
strong plea for better pay to the teach
CTS OF the land.
The lecture was great and powerful
and 1t has been the common express
sion on all sides by those who heard i
that it was the most masteriul OF tie
kind they have heard, and there have
3een general regrets expressed by those
who did not hear It that they missed
such literary treat and 81 the same
time lecture of such moral force as
to produce almost sensation in the
town. il would be great blessing to
the people throughout the State If all
parents ard guardians could hear
this remarkable lecture.
uperintendent Wilson, of our grad
I'd school, has brought the community
under great obligation 10 him for Civ
ing the opportunity to hear such 5
great lecture free.