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

and they would sit down. | could read
10 them book and explain TO them the
pictures. and they would accept my
statements rs true. because mother
said II. But there comes time when
| feel my boys hand looscning its
grasp upon my hand. Then | see him
move away and leave my side and he
gin to walk alone and to think for him
self. Then cannot say. Child, do
this AMI he Will do II simply because
his mother tells him 10 do H. cannot
say. Child. believe this merely be-
cause believe II. But must give him
an intelligent reason why he should do
SO and why he should believe" Then as
the child moves away from his moth
ers side the mother must sit still and
pray to God that he will help guide her
boy Yes. as parents we have all gone
through this experience. For years and
years our children have followed us.
ms bleating lambs follow the mother
sheep. But some day we turn our eyes
10 see where the children are. Then,
ahN' - w phi FhA HAASNf hlt lVt NY
our side. Then we look up the noun.
tain heights. There we see our boys
and girls beginning to climb Along
the dizzy precipices they go Over the
dangerous rocks. higher and higher,
like Alpine hunters. they mount or bal
ancc They are climbing up the noun
tains of original research They are
climbing up the mountains Of thought.
They are starting out for the noun
tains of fame. Then all that the par
ents can do is to sit In the valleys and
see their boys and girls disappear
among the cloudlands rs they pray:
10 God. guide my children. q God.
reach out thy strong arm and bridge
that dangerous crcvasse," This time
of starting for the cloudlands. for pio-
necring among unseen worlds. general
ly comes to the boys and the girls
when they are about to pass the
twelfth golden milestone. Looking into
the past. we know this was our own
personal experience. Thus is 1t with
the first coming OF Gods visions TO our
children
Boys Who Heard the Call.
Not only do these visions come to the
child of twelve but they come in n
rational way. When God gives TO the
young boy a vision he is net pictur-
ing for him a future life which is i'm
possible to be realized God is giving
TO him the same kind of vision that
he gave TO the boy Jacob. and 10 the
boy Joseph. and To the boy Samuel. and
to the boy David. and TO the boy Christ
These ancient boys as well as the
modern boys OF twelve may not fully
realize what their futures are TO be,
but something within them says. 20
child. thou art to he this or that or the
other thing ON account of thy mental
and physical and spiritual powers"
These hoy children of twelve feel the
OF the future. ar the great painter Ben
jamiG West when little child used to
makc' paint brushes from the hairs OF
his eats tail. and ms the boy Demos
themes felt the slumbering fires OF elo-
quencc burning within him when he
suffered so badly that In order 10 ar
ticulate at all distinctly he used 10 put
pebbles In his mouth, and as David
Brainerd heard the divine call to give
his life to foreign missions long be
fore he was out of the short trousers
of the schoolroom.
Not only do these youths and maid
ems feel the rational call of their fu-
ture life work. but the parents and the
guardians and the teachers may see
the trend OF their minds and hearts II
they only watch the actions of these
children closely and intelligently. The
other day | WAS very much Interested
in reading a letter which John Adams,
the young schoolteacher of Worcester.
Mass, wrote of his old college friends.
The second president of the United
States was then a young pedagogue.
This Is the letter II sometimes consid-
er myself IN my great chair AT school
as some dictator over n commonwealth.
In this little state | can discover all
EItut buu vi tut
actions and revolutions of the great
world in miniature. have several re-
nowned generals. only three feet high.
and several politicians In pettcoats.
have others who are catching and dis
secting flies with as ardent curiosity
as any virtuoso of the Royal society.
Their Investigations are sincere. ear
nest and based on the ambitions OF flu
turc greatness. Some rattle and thun-
der out \ i G. etc. with as much fire
and lmpctuosity rs Alexander fought.
Some of them often sit down and cry
when outspelled us heartily as Caesar
cried ut AleXander's sepulcher when In
formed that the Macedonian hero had
the world before his age
In short. my little school. like the great
world. Is made up of kings. politicians.
divines. Ii. D.'s. fops. buffoons, i'd
dlers. sycophants. fools. coxcombs.
sweepers and every other
character known in history or seen In
the world" In other words. just as