The Columbus journal., 1910-04-06
THE LIBERTY OF CHILDREN.

If women hav. been SAVES. what shall
! say of children; Of the little children
in alleys and sub-ceIIars; the little
children who turn pale when they
hear their fathers f"'tsteps; little
children who run away when they
only hear their names called by the
lips Of a mother; little children-tbe
children Of poverty, the children of
crime, the children Of brutality, wher.
ever they are aotsam and jetsam up
on the wild, mad sea Of life?-my
heart goes out to them, one and all.
Children have the same rights that
We have, and We ought to treat them
As though they were humans. They
should be reared with love, with kind
ness, with tenderness, and not with
brutality.
When your little child tells a lie, do
not rush at him as though the world
were about to 60 into bankruptcy.
BE honest with him. A tyrant father
will have liars for his children; do you
know that? A lie is born of tyranny
upon the one hand and weakness upon
the other, and when you rush at poor
little boy with a club in you hand, of
course he lies.
When your child commits wrong,
take it in your arms; let the child know
that you really and truly and sincerely
love it. Yet some Christians, good
Christians, when a child commits q
fault, drive it from the door and say:
Never do you darken this house
again." Think of that! And then
these same people will get down ON
their knees and ask God to take care
Of the child they have driven from
home. l will never ask God to take
care of my children unless l am doing
my level hest in that same direction.
But will tell you what say to my
children: eco where you will; COM
nit what crime you may; fall to what
depth Of degradation you may; you
can never commit any crime that will
shut my door, my arms, or my heart
to you. As long as l live you shall
have one sincere friend.''
Do you know that l have seen some
people who acted as though they thou.
ght that when the Saviour said: "Suf:
fer little children to come unto me,
for Of such is the kingdom of heaven"
he had u rawhide under his mantle,
and made that remark simply to get
the children within striking distance?
l do not believe in the government
Of the lash. If any one of you ever
expect to whip your children again, l |
want you to have a photograph taken
Of yourself when you are in the act,
with your face red with vulgar anger,
and the face of the little child, with |
Eyes swimming in tears and the little |
hin dimpled with fear, like a piece
IF water struck by a sudden cold wind. |
Have the picture taken. Ifthat little
:hild should die | cannot think of
weeter way to spend an autumn after.
,oon than to 90 out to the cemetery,
when the naples are clad in tender
odd, and little scarlet runners are
coming, like poems of regret, from the
ad heart of the earth-and sit down
'pcn the grave and look at that pho
ograph, and think Of the flesh, now
lust, that you beat. 1 tell you it is
wrong; it is no way to raise children!
lake your home happy. Be home
nth them. Divide fairly with them
u everything.
Give them little liberty of love,
nd you cannot drive them out of your
ouse. They will want to stay there.
lake home pleasant. Let them play
ny game they wish.-Robert G. In.
ersOll.