The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-04-25

nigh SCHOOL.
The word home is one of tn
sweetest and most sacred words il
the English language for tendc
memories cling around it, and font
recollections entwine about oul
hearts when home is mentioned
Home embraces the most beautiful
and noblest words ever spoken. Love
the magic word of all time, must
have ire pre-eminent place in the
home else it is mere dwelling A
home is no home without the tender
touch of woman. Home is place
of refuge where we may share our
responsibilities, joys, sorrows, smiles,
tears and hope. AS one writer says
1.-The place where angels dwell--that
is home"
Do you realize what the home
means to us as individuals, to the
school, to the community. to the ma
tion, to the universe?
The home more than any other
element affects the individual. AS
a child, the home is the one that
about which all others cluster. If
the childs feelings are hurt or be-
cause of any childish troubles, the
little one thinks of home as the place
of sanctuary and so it should be.
The fathers and mothers have the
implicit faith of their little ones and
every word dropped from the par
ents' lips and every movement is
sunk deep into the heart of the child
who idolizes his parents AS these
small children grow and develop they
need the influence of a good home.
Virtue should be the watchword of
every home. Pure ideals and noble
aspirations, morality and above all,
honesty must be fostered in the
home. If parents practise and ap-
prove dishonesty the children are
very apt to do likewise. The home
influence on a child could be liken-
"You may break, you may ruin the
vase, if you will,
But the scent of the roses will cling
to it still"
Two boys of eighteen started out
in life with equal chances as far as
education and intellect were con-
cerned. Both had their eyes on the
goal, success. Their salaries were
equal, and each was trusted by his
employer. The first boy found that
in order to keep pace with his fash
ionable set he must have more mon
ey. BY his course of reasoning he
decided it would do no harm to Dor
row little of his employers money
without asking his permission, think
ing he would pay it back soon. The
other youth decided to give up his
social standing rather than to act
dishonesty. The first young man
was unable to return the borrowed
money, lost his employment, and was
stamped thief. Unable to secure
any work he drifted on from bad to
worse and today is in the peniten-
tiary. The honest boy worked stead
lily upward until now he holds one
of the best government positions pos
sible. Now what was the difference
between these boys? Both were tai
ented, bright and willing to work.
The difference was this, the first boy
in his early home training was not
taught the value of absolute honesty,
while the second boy learned that
those who succeed do so by right do
ing. More cases could be enumerated
and in nearly all the home influence
has told when the crises came.
Thus we see that habit formed un-
der the influence of the home is the
moulding of the character of an in
dividual, and when he assumes the
responsibilities of life, his home in
f1uence may be a blessing or it may
be curse. And then our very
natures demand home for it is an
essential of our social being, attract
ing the weary as well as the happy
and careful. After a long days
work, what is so pleasant upon ar
irving home as finding loving hands
and smiling faces awaiting one? And
yet, there are men and women, boys
and girls, who do not care for home
Why is it? Perhaps it is their fault
and they have done nothing to make
home life pleasant, for it lies with
US as individuals TO make our homes
very Eden on earth or mere
dwelling.
There is a mistaken idea that the
school can form the character of
child. Everything that gives force
and energy to the character must be
fostered in the home. The home and
the school should form a unit, for
what one teaches the other should