Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1921-03-04

pai Church. carried the followinp
Ttlcic IN recent issue, and am
Siau I" nave the privilege of pre-.
>entlnS II through these colunrS.l
TIE CITADEL. OF TIE uONII
From sermon BY the Rev. Geo
W. Lay, on "Thc Manners and Cos
toms OF the Present Da>." we take
these extracts:
The core OF the trouble is in the
nome life. That is the citadel of
our society. Parental laNi,y is the
bane OF our time. If fathers and
mothers will moi protect their chill
dren. who will? 1t require. sense.
religion and grit to stand against
the foolish and dangerous demand,
OF our modern social life. but il is
worth the price. We need more
Puritan" parents. The rules Of
the home that are regarded rs hard
and cruel need TO be rc-c>tabliShcd
and rigidly enforced. What seems
3reviouS 10 u boy or girl now will
IN In the years to come bring him
the highest JOY and gratitude.
The family iirc>ide has too large
~ disappeared. iignrativcly rs we'll
as literally. Too seldom do We gath
er together. and for amusement one
must always go somewhere"
The family altar is too often I'm.
known. Family prayers and grace
at meals have lost out. Private
prayers at night are not universal,
and III the morning seems TO be
very largely omitted.
Religious instructions, choosing
The easy way, has been largely ne
elected by the parents and handed
over TO the inadequate attention Of
others few minutes on Sunday.
Parents have too often forgotten
their responsibility and resigned
their parental authority, while the
children have gayly mounted to the
empty throne and rule, not only
themselves. but their elders too.
SO We must try TO bring back
more OF the old family life. Chang
cd conditions make ii impossible to
hope 10 restore it in all its sim
plicity. But nj least We can enter
tain simply ut home instead Of ex-
travagently III public places, VIC can
encourage more amusement at home
and provide for ii. and we older
ones can know better those who
know our young people. Then We
must put definite daily religious
practices into our organic home life
The parent who has no family
prayers and no grace at meals. or
neglects his own private prayers
and those Of his children, who does
not take them with him TO church
on Sunday and perhaps does not 40
himself. must mend his ways or else
not bc surprised. il those whom ii
IS his duty to bring up in the way
III which they should go, fail to
walk i'll it, because they have never
learned 10 travel on il.
Lastly and most important Of all.
Parents must assume full RESPONSE
bility for their own children, and
establish parental authority and
Youthful obedience.
Let us NOT try to abolish every
Thing that is misuscd. But lc; US
control them and not be controlled
hclplessly by them.
Much can be done by regulation
but We must not stop there. II is
fundamental weakness Of our
times that We are full OF zeal to pass
laws TO keep others straight, or to
put on others the task Of keeping
Us straight, instead OF facing square
~ the responsibility of keeping our
selves straight.
am pleading for our young pco-
pie and for the nobility Of the next !
generation. am pleading more cs-
pccialiy to the women on behalf of |
our young men, as we'll as our !
voting women. On behalf Of men ] I;
plead to women moi to shock their |
highest rcycrcnCcS for women and !
to co their part to make il easier |
Tor men to live rs We would wish |
TO have them.
plead to women specially as the |
ones who make the standards Of !
conduct for men, and who arc
largely responsible for maintaining
thea.
Our women have been what our
men demanded that they should be.
our men are largely what our wo-
men make them to be.
The Southern man has put wo-
man man ON lofty pedestal. May
she ever Stay there. If She steps
of and in the future Is content 10
stand on lower plane than IN The
uasi. the man will cease TO look up
ward, aspiring to the highest ideals,
and with diminished respect for
womanhood, will have less respect
for his own best manhood, until he
ceases to deserve 1t.
Let us then try to reserve the