The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-02

sermon on The Child to come later, we will notice that this inluenece works both ways. The homes infiu- ence on the child and the child's in fluence on the home. An Illustration will serve for the latter idea here. great ocean greyhound of the Cunard line started out from the New York harhor with a thousand souls aboard, The first day out a beautiful little baby was noticed in the parlor; 1t was the center of attraction on deck and in the parlor. The second day it had passed around from one to another until all talked about the baby. The third day it did not appear and when someone whispered that the baby was danger ously i'll a common anxiety seized upon them all. The next day 1t was reported worse and everybody talked to one an- other about their sick baby The fifth day the little one was wrapped in its watery grave shroud and after an ib- pressive ceremony was lowered beneath the waves A thousand people wiped the tears from their eyes and talked about their common sorrow as If they were brothers and sisters born in the tongue and cline. If bright little life of a few days, sickness and death can introduce thousand strangers and make them feel akin, it Is not surpris- ing that the little one in the home passed from lap to lap and caressed' | by all should influence the home to new impulse and higher ideals. But what about the influence of the home on the child society and the world
 at large? Every form or life is protected by nature through its early existence by kind of pre-existing guardianship. The grain of corn that rots from around the living germ furnishes ample nourishment
 and protection until the germ Is strong
 enough to sustain itself without It. Like the eiderdown ducks mat pick off their own finest feathers to line the nests for their young, this is home influence-like nursery.
 "The wisdom of our Cerator is seen in His arranging that children should be under profound obligations to their par
 ents and have hallowed memories of their
 old homes. Unlike the lower animals, the
 baby is left for years in the home help less It can't talk, walk. feed itself like the mule. If they are not influenced right at home it will not be because there
 was no opportunity
 Origin of Civilization ''The home is the very origin of civili- zation. There at the fountain head is a place to effect the world. Someone has said, "If I could mo,aer the world could control and save it.
 "rhe child is neither virtuous nor vi l cious-simply innocent, like wax for im- l pressions, like tender twigs to bend and 1 train in any form. Some statesman and poet has said. Let me make the songs for the children and care not who makes | the laws of the land
 l "A dewdrop on the baby plant hath
 warped the giant oak forever. pebble i In the streamlet cast hath turned the
 course of many an ancient river. But | that pebble must be cast Into the stream
 let and not in the Mississippi; the dewdrop
 on the plant and not on the giant oak
 "rhe home is the place and tlme 10 start right. Notice l n;n not dividing up
 duties today in the home. .;ut world
 verdict would give the mother the chief
 place there.
 Tn Raphael's great painting. the 'Sistine ] Madonna at Dresden, the mother Is rep
 resented presenting her grand child to
 the world enthroned In her royal arms l glorious thought Well may a mother
 present her child to the world she so con trols through the influence in her home.
 The grandmother knew that she had so trained this child's mother who now held her arms around the earth and knew her | child would be safe in world thus l builded.
 | ..The home is a social unit out of which grow all the happy and splendid concep- \ tions of civilization.
 "The hearth stone Is the foundation rock upon which are built the principles of Kingdoms and republics. Then. 1t is well enough today to ask about, Hears' | and the hearthstone, as suggested by Q splendid article in tAe september Cen 'l tury Magazine. Yellow journalism strik' T ing at the integrity of the home, tht I Chambers class of novels that appeal onl,