Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-17
MLoS Angeles Homes

X Memorial Baptist church, Grand
Az avenue and Twenty-third street. in
his long and successful pastorate here
has come in touch with the home life Of
Los Angeles closer than is given to many
men to do, as his center of human in
terest has ever been in children and the
young people. Himself the center OF
home life that is nearly ideal, he is
capacitated to speak intelligently and
pertinently on the homes Of Los Angeles.
A visit to his home study brought forth
the following: 'I am heartily glad that
The Herald has taken this theme Ior
treatment. In the rush for preferment
and gain the average citizen Is apt 70
overlook the most valuable asset we nave
and which is found in our homes-which
makes our homes-the children.
"The visiting pastor sees daily lie IN
the homes and Is never at loss TO ac-
count for fluctuations in church attenh-
snce. The home makes the church, and
while q good percentage of church at
tendants is found In the transient ana
bachelor elements, the solid force OF al
church life begins in the real homes or
the city.
'Iet us emphasize one fact here which Is
of vastly more import to parents In Los
Angeles than it could be to those VINO hVe
in less favored climes. 1t Is that there Is
greater need for attractive home lie for
the young here, because or our constan'
beautiful climate, which keeps the cnli-
dren 30 much in outdoor life and SO llttle
actually at home. The short hours they
spend in the home should be made at
tractive to them, for no matter Wna'
PHILOSOPHERS and thinkers tell to the con-
trarv II ia a fact in daily life that genuine
character must find Its basic support IN
home life or the child Is at the mercy
of chance to succeed. :,
"In my visits to men who nave 1aiien py
the way and lost heart In the struggle Ci
life have always found them to be tnose
who never knew home life, and when
temptation beset them they had no basic
character and fell. OF course men fall
who have known home life, but they are
the exceptions to. the rule.
"I am pleased and proud to say that the
home life of Los Angeles compares IaVor-
ably with that of any city l nave KNOWN
and the famed ideal life of Boston can
be found duplicated here and Oh all tne ne
eastern cities 1 have lived In can fecdil
none where homes are purer, heaithler UT
more helpful to the young than here.
'.The grand secret of true motherhood
is at the base of this truth, and the nopie
womanhood of this city, coming as II ooes
from all the centers of American lie IN
the east, seems to thrive here ana 10
magnify all that makes for the true
home One has but to stand near Ihe
entrance to any public school ana look
on the scores of children from MONIES ~
wealth and from the wage earner's cot
tage. and see the doctrine of home lie
written in the clean dress and contented,
happy manner of ALL
.'To impress on business men Win
homes the necessity of care Tor lneir l
children 1 may cite case Wnlch naPl
pened recently here. boy was taheil -
in charge by the truant onlcer anu ms
parents notified. When the Iatnei !,
who is a wealthy and very successlo'
business man, arrived he was aston
ished In an interview he could not
+ell where or how the boy spent MS
time. and actually was in doubt as 70
the boys true age. His knoWleoge VI
the boys life was so small tnat ne
did not know anything of his associates
or plans, hopes or aims; IN snort ne hws'u w
been so deeply engrossed IN money ,
making that he had no time or tnousnt
for his boys welfare. The incloent
cured this man, and 1 hope lts reci'ai
NAV serve to warn other parents
"Mv ministerial brethren and myself
often discuss the homes of Los Angeles
and while we are glad to see civic
safeguards erected and public utliltles
eunnlied. we cannot but long for a re-
naissance of parental care in the .teacn-
ings of home life here, that was sucn
noted feature of the young lives OF tne
men who now are in the battle OF me.
II is not at all uncommon to pastors OF
citv churches to have men burdened
with the cares and sorrows of business
life seek them for sympathy and con-
collation.. and to have these Worln-
WARY men tell of the parents and
homes of long ago, choked in the recital
NV emotion proof of the lasting good
of the home life of forty years ago.
"If I have criticism of Los Angeles
home life at all to make 1t is OF the
tendency in parents to allow their love
for the children to cloud their better
Judgment in matters of grave import 10
them. While as a people we are al
most surfeited with the good things OF
life we must not forget that the harm
FIJI things are here also, and that the
boy's or girls one best friend is the
mother. One needs not necessarily
he cruel to be kind, but good judgment
tells us we should often be hard as
adamant against the wiles of loved
child who seeks company we know to
he detrimental to it; and the cases OF
juvenile dereliction which come to the
front are almost always traceable to
questionable liberties allowed children
against the better judgment of parents
"As I look out on the future of this
great city and mentally see the COM
plex problems that must come with the
years I feel the men to handle and
solve them will be forthcoming, being
now in embryo in the children of today
md the sufficient guaranty that they
will be Forthcoming lies in the homes
of Los Angeles, and they are legion, by
far the greatest of them all is the for
native home life enjoyed by her chill
dren. 1t is an asset convertible into
nrime manhood and womanhood and
that is what we shall need most I'M the
years to come"