The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-02-18
M WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

- WlkLAAM u. h4hAASs
Parenthood. priesthood. piety ana
power are the fourfold themes OF the
living pictures from the old BOOK
which IL this weeks Sunday schooi
lesson. One does not have TO searcn
far to nnd here q rational program OF
progress and reform for our own iand
and time.
The cynical proverb about Preach
ers' sons and deacons daughters ID
not true. ~ repeated statistical show
ings have demonstrated. Children OF
the manse do not ordinarily 80
wrong; quite the contrary. 5umcient
exceptions remain. however, 10 give
point TO the saying. The preachers
SON who strays Is sure TO be noted
because he Is q preachers son.
Some ministers are SO engrosseo
In the larger concerns OF spirituai
truth and moral progress. that they
impercepubly drift into the state OF
mind or that statesman who said that
he had no time for individuals"
Home to every minister and teacher
and Christian worker comes the In
timation that no amount OF pubic
service can atone for failure TO Do
true to ones responsibilities In ones
own home.
The American Fathers Failure.
Eli. the priest OF Israel at Shiloh.
was q good man and efficient priest.
He was devoted to the altar and TO
the glory Of God. He was kindly,
considerate character, az his dealings
with Hannah and Samuel showed. but
his love was lax In his own household.
where Q Arm hand was needed.
Old Eli was q prototype OF the
American father. engrossed In large
concerns. who let's his sons have their
own way. A prominent business man
In New York said TO me one day. u
really do not know my son. You see,
he has been away ut school and col
lege. and on summer vacations most
OF his life. and when he Is home for q
short time. he has evening engage
ments and friends at the house" That
man was beginning to realise that per
haps. In spite Of the success that had
made hin. q marked personality In
the great metropolis. he had not done
q mans full duty by his time.
a moral menace today Ii this lax
ity on the part Of the American par
ents. We arc building our homes
without woodsheds, and without thai
discipline for which the woodshed
|proverbially stands. The idea of Law
and discipline IL lacking from myri
ads Of American boys. whose parents
send them on to private schools In
the hope that hired teachers viii
make up for parental neglect. II IL
not uncommon for wealthy fathers Ia
give their boys huge automobiles a.
toys with which to break speed limits
and brighten pedestrians. Then they
wonder why the new generation IL
growing Needless OF the rights Of man
and Of the laws Of the land. We are
sowing the wind OF self.indulgence
and we must expect to reap the
whiriwind Of moral anarchy. Old FL
returns from the distant past to chal
lenge every parent to his primary
duty a. q man and father.
GLASS Houees.
II Ii easier to find fault with Ell
than to train our own sons. He dit
fail In the rearing Of Hophni and
Phineas, his sons. They abused theil
position and their opportunity. and
because he was 30 very lenient Will
them. God sent him q warning By thu
lips Of Athe child samuel. Evea thei
ELI was not equal to the drastic meas
ures required. and the corrupt priests
continued in their positions of In
fiuence. Eli bent beneath the sorrow
Of his life In pathetic dignity, perhaps
exercising the grace of resignation
when he should have employed thu
virtue Of swift, strong action.
When we are thinking about thu
failure OF Eli with his sons, we must
not forget that he also had much Il
do with the rearing Of Samuel. Is
raels greatest prophet II In true
that Hannah helped more than q LIT
tie. but II was under the influence ol
ELI that Samuel became o statesman
Of God. Lest we be moved to con
denim the old priest too much, we are
reminded that Samuels own sons
proved unworthy.
Since We live In glass houses. lei
us be easy on ELI the aged. He had
real nobility of character The blow
that killed him was not personal
bereavement, but the news that the
ark Of the covenant had suffered cal
amity. As we look about us, we can
not escape the fact that godly par
ents may have wastrei sons. Even the
best Of fathers and mothers cannot
wholly determine the moral and
spiritual life Of their children-al
though the home where holiness II
made attractive In the best co-operat
Ing agent that the Lord Almighty has
on earth.
The Preachers and the Add Test.
Quietly and soberiy. 40 they tall