The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1912-05-24
LONN6 JUSTICE TO PARENTS.
81. j. ]. Iayborn. I.o.sIana. go.

the parent, 10 perhaps regarded as
privilege, he or she owes to the child as
| God given right. And so we think Of
parents as having the great right--a
privilege committed to them by the
Creator not only Of in some measure
pre-deterinining the physical qualities,
but also, more largely, perhaps, Of intiu-
encing the mental and moral character
Of their children even before birth. The
mothers right to go down to the very
edge OF the valley Of the shadow of
deaths'' IL need be, that they may live;
the right to give days and nights OF anx-
lions. watchful care and arduous toll that
the lives thus given may be kept and
sustained. Then the right to teach the
baby lips to speak those sweetest Of all
words, Father Mother" the right
to steady the tiny form when the first
tottering steps are taken. In very truth,
the right--nay, would say rather the
greatest privilege given to mortals in
this life, that Of caring net only Tor the
physical being of those who are their
own flesh and blood, but Of nurturing
and leading into right paths those
precious souls entrusted to their keeping
by the Great Father OF All. Aye, even
I
the right to teach the infant heart to
first recognize, and the baby lips to utter
for the first time, Our Father who art
ia heaven.
But the babyhood days pass all too
quickly; the boys and girls come to years
OF fuller understanding and greater re-
sponsibilty. The true parents continue
their right, or privilege, Of working and
doing for them, but what have they a
right to expect. in return, from their
sons and daughters? Many things might
be enumerated, but are perhaps all en-
comprised within the four shall mem
! ton, the first oil which is respect.
RESPECT SHOULD MARK HOME RELATIONS
/ I feel sorry for parents whose children
lido not show them proper respect, and |
fpity the child and all with whom he or
she may be connected in later life who
have not been early and definitely
taughtthis trait or virtue as necessity.
True, the lips may speak words ofre
spect aud esteem, there may be an out
ward show OF courtesy and favor, but
unless the acts OF the life are in obedi-
ence to the parents wishes. there IS not
true respect.
Parents, one or both, are generally to
blame when respect is lacking The
father who does not treat his wife with
due respect for womanhood, wifehood,
and motherhood, cannot justly demand
that bis children do so; and when the
mother finds fault with her husband,
and constantly scolds and nags at him,
She cannot expect her children to hold
their father in as high esteem as they
otherwise might. So | contend that
parents must honestly strive to do their
part. We are all human; we all make
mistakes; we are sometimes most cruel
to those we love best, but when we have
made mistakes, spoken wrong words, or
committed wrong deeds in the presence
OF children, let us see to it that we ac-
knowledge the wrong and ask for pardon
in their presence.
| But lot us take it for granted that
parents have honestly tried, with Gods
| help, to merit respect from their chill
dren, the respect they should demand,
and which can only be manifested fully
/ in one way That leads directly to the
second right, obedience.
OBEDIENCE Il NATURAL RESULT.
The requiring Of obedience must be-
gin il the superlatiyely impressionable
period Of infancy, and be carefully and
faithfully carried on and out through
the formative periods Of childhood and
youth, clear up to young manhood and
young womanhood ] have nopatience
with this notion Of long drawn-out
argument or discussion with child d
to the right or wrong OF d matter il
order to secure. obedience. There is the
necessity Of teaching the right and
wrong Of things, andNinaes and occa-
sions for such work, but il is not at the
critical point when obedience Is the is
sue. The fact that il is the will or de-
sire Of the parent should be sufficient
evidence to the child chat i is right.
II children, when very young, are moi
taught 10 obey because their parents
know what Il best for them. they viii