Norwich bulletin., 1922-12-09
GIFTS

I 4 principal of many years experience who did much character building was accus- toned to hear later in life What you said to me changed my whole life.'
 Of another successful teacher it was often said If l could only have had him for a teacher a little longer l should have know more."
 Many years ago a young matron had for her helper a poor but very handsome and attractive young gIsi. But like many other girls of that age. Mary soon decided to go to the city and work in the mill.
 Her employer before she left tcok her one side and gave ner very serious talk and much sound advice about her behaviour in the city.
 Mary did not seem much impressed at the time, but she could not forget the talk.
 And she soon saw the value of the warnings as she was very popular but she remained dignified and discreet. After a short time she married a poor but honorable young man and they soon owned nice home and became leaders m |! the church and community. She said 'I owe everything to that good advice and cautions of my country friend, my first employer. Without her l enough to have escaped the dangers met [ when I first came to the city to work. ] A rough girl from a very unpromising
 home spent the night with sciroolmate.
 The mother in the home was impressed ! with a sense of responsibility for this | girl and took her aside in the morning
 for a few words in prayer and of en-
 couragement and told her one should
 always begin the day with a prayer fo;
 help and guidance. This unpromisina
 young girl never forgot this scene anc this influence stayed with her.
 After several years she married a mis sionary and led a happy life working fol
 others. She said: I owe all I am t'
 those few words of prayer and those kinS
 suggestions from that mother. A thoughtless young school girl wa wasting her time in school not realizini
 that she might soon need and want t use her education to earn. Her neV teacher cautioned her seriously that i
 would be safer to prepare to teach am
 then if she did not need or want to i would do her no harm.
 She at once became interested in he school word and soon led her classes, an prepared to teach which she found neces
 sary. She holds that teacher in highes . esteem and gratitude. | Why not give more of the best gifts l The ideas that will change the whol i life. ! The ideas that will give success and satisfaction.
 | If you like books, enjoy art and mu
 sic, scenery and travel can you imagin
 how barren a life would be withou
 those interests.
 It is interesting to read the criticisr
 of the new book, >~The Freedom" certainly is not pleasing story but yer instructive. I think, if one reads it fo ? the motive for which it was written-t illustrate the lack of right teaching g children.
 The mother was a beautiful character but not understanding that she had mal ried a man untrained and utterly uni to be the head of the household. UnLe 7 these circumstances of course her chi
 dren could not get in their home life th Z. habits and ideas they ought to have hal II It was not strange that her younge: = daughter who Is the heroine of the stor !, should choose a career outside of he t home. The home life was bad and tL y children were bad not because the motht r worked outside of the home, but becauS q the mother failed and the father faile
 and the teacher failed to teach the chi l- dren right principles when they wei ,. with the children. The talk that change e the whole life may take but few mil e utes.
 ' We have many wrong ideas and wron y values. We fail as parents and teacher [. because the children necessitate change e in our adult ideas and habits-changt e with the age and advancement of eaC y child.
 But the work with and for the chi D dren enrich and broaden the family ii k and bring more interest into It than an e outside work ever could. > With thanks for the prize check. # JEREMY