Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-05-05


perfect visions ever before him. how
much more important Is IL for the I'M
developed child to have visions before
him. These visions. when they come
from God. are not like the unaccount-
able miragcs of the desert or like air
castles buildcd IN the sandy wastes.
They are rational visions bullded by
the angel OF hope saying TO the child:
boy. girl. with thy physical and men,
tai and spiritual nature God bids thee
90 reach out To accomplish these things
which thou now scest. Look up. look
out. look on" Frances Hodgson Bur
aett. looking into the dim past and
days in that fascinating book called
"The One | Knew Best of AL" is not
seeing more realistic character than
do some children when they look into
the dim future ana by reason of their
physical and mental and spiritual tend
encies picture themselves as some
day being lawyers or doctors or min
listers or merchants Or bankers or in
vcntors or musicians or statesmen or
poets or songstcrs or reformers. These
children by such visions hear the call
for future work They hear IL So clear
~ and distinctly that IN their minds
there is no doubt as 20 that call com
Ing direct from the throne of God.
But we must not stop here in the dis
cussion of this mighty theme. II Is
very important TO have the visions OF
youth. but II is just ms important TO
have the child developed Alright after
those first visions have come and gone.
These first visions Of childhood always
seem 10 me Ike the little green shoots
which spring NJ ont 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 drouglts parch them. and
they will change themselves into the
saplmgs. then after awhile into the
stout young trees and then into the
giant oaks. but crush the roots or de
stroy 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 which
the photographer puts into his instru-
mcnt when he is about to take n pic
turc He carefully guards those films
from all light or else they are destroy
ell. When was travelling around the
world had quite number OF these
rolls Of films did not know how to
care for them. The result was that
when reached Calcutta India. and
went 10 have my negatives developed
| found that | had nothing but blank
paper Then after the pictures have
been taken the Photographer takes the
negatives into II dark room where.
with certain acids. he develops them.
Then he gives 10 you the photographs,
which You place upon your bureaus or
hang upon your walls So with the
films of the clild's brain The divine
sun shines upon them The negatives
will then appear. They are Gods first
visions. but OH. 50 delicate. They Of
ten can hc rubbed out almost at Il
touch We had better beware how we
laugh at or denuunce the child.
selfish Parents.
! And yet inevitably We heed hut little
the visions of II child of twelve sum
mers, If your boy. just entering his
teens. comes to you some evening In
the library and says. Father. | would
like to give my heart TO Christ TO go
out as missionary Ia China or Afri-
ca" what would You do? Would you
stop and take that child upon your lap.
as though he was seeing vision from
God: Would YOU tell him of the glori-
Gus usefulness which such II life of self
sacrifice would produce? Perhaps.
but rather think this Is the way you
would do: You would look up for an
instant from your book or ledger or the
manuscript you We're rendng or writ
Ing. aud you would say: Yes. yos,
child; yes. yes. That would he nice.
But run away now. Papa is very busy.
Run away" Surprising some dny you
should find your little girl crying over
the story of Little Nell" Surprising
she looks up 10 you and says: "Oh.
mamma. there il So much of suffering
and poverty In the world. I would love
TO give up my life as Il Christian nurse
TO work among the poor and the help
less" What would you do? Would
you take your little girl with you
through the slums and talk 10 her about
the poverty and the ignorance and the
squalor of a great city? Would you
bring her to such place rs the Hull
House Of Chicago and show her what
one young woman like Jane Adams
was able 10 accomplish for the poor In
the great human beehive of the middle
west: or would say say. flush. tush.
daughter, You must not speak like
that do not want You TO 20 and live
among the poor but among the rich.
Nurses never wear diamonds. | want
you 10 go not to II hospital, but to a
fashionable boarding school. want
you Ia he social queen and not 10
bind up the wounds of the social out
casts" Al. my friends. is that your
way of dealing with the visionf Many
Of the first visions of u possible trium-
plant missionary for Christ have been
..,,,.,n..y.J I.s "A anitish narauf In iuQf