30 BEAUTIFUL ANECDOTE. Parents and children all meet again, no more to part- all redeemed, renewed, sanctified, to spend their eternity together, in celebrating the praises of redeeming love! What are all other things that can be desired and sought for your children, compared with this? Go, then, and seek it with all your might. Let those whose thoughts have never ascended, grasp the world for their children; but let the Christian, true to his lofty hopes and glorious calling, seek for them an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of God. BEAUTIFUL ANECDOTE. In Mr. Kilpin's* school were two brothers, from 11 to 12 years of age. One of these children had, after repeated admonitions, manifested a determined obstinacy and sulky resistance. Mr. Kilpin told him that the result of such conduct would be a chastisement which would not easily be forgotten. He was preparing to inflict it on the still hardened child, when his brother, whose name was Paul, came forward, and entreated he might bear the punishment in place of his brother James. Mr. Kilpin remarked, "My dear Paul, you are one of my best boys; you have never needed chastisement; your mind is tender; I could not be so unjust as to give you pain, my precious child." Paul said, "I shall endure more pain to witness his disgrace and suffering, than any thing you can inflict on me. He is a little boy, and younger and weaker than I am. Pray, sir, allow me to take all the punishment. I will bear any thing from you. O do, sir, take me in exchange for my naughty brother!" "Well, James, what say you to this noble offer of Paul?" He looked at his brother, but made no reply. Mr. K. stood silent. Paul wept, and still entreated for the punishment, that it might be finished. Mr. Kilpin said, "Did you ever hear of any who bore stripes and insults to shield offenders, Paul? "O yes, sir, the Lord Jesus Christ gave his back to the smiters, for us poor little sinners, and by his stripes we are healed and pardoned. O sir, pardon James for my sake, and let me endure the pain. I can bear it better than he." "But your brother does not seek pardon for himself. Why should you feel this anxiety, my dear Paul? Does he not deserve this correction ?" "O yes, sir; he has broken the rules of the school, after repeated warnings, and you have said he must suffer. Therefore, as I know you would not speak an untruth, and the laws must be kept, and he is sullen, and will not repent, what can be done, sir? Please to take me, because I am stronger than he." Paul then threw his arms round his brother's neck, and wet his sulky, hardened face with tears of tenderness. This was rather more than poor James could stand firmly. His tears began to flow. His heart melted. He sought forgiveness, and embraced his brother. Mr. K. clasped both in his arms, and prayed for a blessing on them through Him who " was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities." * Rev. Samuel Kilpin, late of Exeter, England. THE MOTHER'S EXAMPLE. 31 THE MOTHER'S EXAMPLE. BY REV. J. S. C. ABBOTT. The question which every Christian mother deems more important than almost any other is, "How may I best promote the moral and spiritual welfare of my children?" This question I will endeavor to answer. It is by endeavoring to be ourselves, precisely what we wish our children to be. We must cultivate most assiduously ourselves the same traits of character we wish them to possess. We transmit far more surely to them our moral, than our physical image. Would you have the features of your children tranquil, smiling, expressive of a peaceful, a benevolent, and a cheerful heart? Let such invariably be the expression of your own countenance. Would you have your children cultivate pleasing manners, refined and gentle movements? Study ever to exhibit before them the model you wish them to imitate. Do you desire that they should avoid all those coarse and vulgar tones which grate harshly upon the ear? At all times let your voice be attuned to those soft and placid notes with which you wish them to speak in concert. Let your children never, under any circumstances, hear from your lips an expression, or a sound, which you would not be happy to hear from theirs. Do you wish your children to have their passions under control; to be able to govern their feelings under provocations; never to be angry, peevish, or irritable? Show them, by your own practice, how to control their passions. Let them see that none of the annoyances of life can ruffle the disciplined equanimity of your feelings; that when a careless servant spoils the dinner, or you hear the crash of the falling china, you can conquer your own spirit. It requires no greater effort for us to meet calmly our annoyances, than it does for our children to meet theirs. Do you wish your children to love God, to manifest a cheerful and grateful trust in his goodness? Then let it shine forth in your countenance, in your expressions; in all your demeanor; in your cheerful acquiescence in the divine will, continually, on every bright as well as every dark day. Would you have your children endeavor to promote the happiness of the family of brothers and sisters, by good nature, by an obliging disposition, by a willingness to relinquish their own wishes to gratify others? Show them how. Let the first accents of your voice in the morning, and the last in the evening, be those of cheerfulness and affection. Let no frown cloud your brow. Be yourself, amid the troubles and trials of life, the angel of harmony and joy in your family. Do you desire that your children should in all respects possess the spirit of Christ; that they should love their Savior, imitate his character, receive the impress of his image, and be educated for a happy immortality? Let your children see the image of Christ reflected brightly from your heart; and continually endeavor to adorn your own character by all the graces of a Christian spirit, and all the sympathies of heaven. Thus endeavor, in all respects, to be yourself precisely what you wish your children to be. Make yourself, if possible, the pattern which you wish them to imitate. This is the way, efficacious above all others, to influence the human heart. And now permit me to introduce a few thoughts to impress this truth upon the mind. This influence is of great avail, because it is incessantly operating. We cannot be always talking to our children; and if we could, we should only weary and deaden their sensibilities. But the influence of example is continually operating, and continually delighting. It never wearies and is never inopportune. In the morning, at noontide and in the evening; in sickness and in health; in duty and in pleasure; when happy and when sorrowful, it is ever winning the love, and moulding the characters of all the inmates of our dwellings. The constancy of this influence does but increase its welcomeness and its efficacy. And there are few children who, under such an example, from the cradle to the time they leave the parental roof, can fail to become amiable and lovely. This influence is all important, because impressions conveyed through the eye, are always more deep and lasting than those conveyed through the ear. We hear a battle described in the most glowing language of eloquence. How faint the impression compared with what it would be to witness the horrible scene of carnage and agony! And so it is with more placid events. What description of a sunrise or a sunset among the Alps, can convey those emotions which overwhelm the beholder of this scene of grandeur and of loveliness? We may urge upon our children, in the most forcible language, all the duties of life, and describe with glowing eloquence those virtues which are lovely and of good report, but the impression is feebleness itself compared with what it would be, were we to present before their eyes a living example of these virtues. They may forget our words, but they cannot forget our conduct. Can one of you forget the habitual character of your parents? Is not the impress of your mother's character now before your eyes? We easily forget what we hear, but memory is tenacious of what we see. Instruct your children through their eyes, and your instruc tions will be remembered. DULL CHILdren. We are not to suppose, that those who are at first exceedingly dull, will never make a great proficiency in learning. The examples are numerous of persons who were unpromising in childhood, but who were distinguished in manhood for their great acquirements. Adam Clarke, LL. D., F. A. S., was taught the alphabet with great difficulty. He was often chastised for his dullness, and it was seriously feared by his parents that he never would learn. He was eight years old before he could spell words of three letters. He was distinguished for nothing but rolling a large stone. At the age of eight he was placed under a new teacher, who, by the kindness of his manner, and by suitable encouragement, aroused the slumbering energies of his mind, and elicited a desire for improvement. Isaac Barrow, D. D., for two or three years after he commenced going to school, was distinguished only for quarrelling and rude sports. His father considered his prospects so dark, that he often said if either child died, he hoped it would be Isaac. But this lad afterward became the pride of his father, and the honor of his country. He was appointed Master of Trinity College; the king saying, "he had given the office to the best scholar in England." The Rev. Thomas Halburton, formerly Professor of Divinity at St. Andrew's Hall, had, until twelve years of age, a great aversion to learning. Manchester (Eng.) Sunday School Magazine. RESPONSIBILITY OF AUTHORS AND READERS. 33 Written for the Mother's Assistant. RESPONSIBILITY OF AUTHORS AND READERS. BY S. G. GOODRICH. In the preceding number of this work we sought, briefly, to set forth the power of the press, the responsibility of editors and readers, and the duty of society to discourage corrupt and vicious publications. We now return to the subject; and having suggested the evils that flow from them, let us consider, on the other hand, the vast benefit which may be produced, not to society at large only, but to ourselves individually, by well-conducted periodicals. The periodical form of publication is peculiarly attractive. The numbers come to us ever with the recommendation of novelty. They come to us from the living, breathing, and moving world. They are the fruits of the season, ripe, yet fresh. With what satisfaction do we sit down in the morning, to the damp newspaper, that brings the mirrored world, and all its mighty doings, to the fireside! With what satisfaction do we sit down, at evening, to the luxury of a new number of the magazine. With what pleased expectation do we apply the ivory folder, and peep into the list of articles, and then proceed to devour the contents. Under all these circumstances, how soft and favorable is the soil of the heart, and how strongly does the seed, thus sown, strike its roots in the mind! How great, how beneficent, then, upon society at large, and upon ourselves individually, is the influence of well-conducted periodicals. Should not a careful discrimination, therefore, be made in the encouragement we give to newspapers and magazines? Should we not keep ourselves aloof from the bad touch not, taste not, handle not? Should not those, then, of a doubtful character,- those which, if not guided by a love of falsehood, are still influenced by a reckless spirit, be discountenanced? A reckless editor, a reckless and random newspaper, is like a reckless engineer of a steamboat, with thousands of lives and hearts entrusted to him. Recklessness in such cases is wickedness. Above all, should not parents, teachers, Christians, of every name and creed, the common, friends of humanity, nay, combine to breast the tide of evil that is bursting upon us from the press in the hands of the selfish and the reckless? If parents will take evil companions and counsellors to their own bosoms, will they bring them home also to become the spoilers of their children? Will they bring evil or reckless papers, pamphlets, or books, into their houses? 34 RESPONSIBILITY OF AUTHORS AND READERS. Will they permit those whom God has given them, to breathe the contagion of evil society, of evil communications? Let us especially ask if mothers will do this? We are told of a mother, in ancient days, whose infant was approached by a tiger, thirsting for blood. With the devotion which a mother only knows, she rushed between the fierce animal and her offspring; and such was the energy of the action, that the fury and ferocity of the beast were quelled, and he slunk away, abashed and rebuked. Will not the mothers of our day step between their children and a danger that is stealing upon their immortal souls? This is a question for mothers. They are peculiarly bound to see that the moral atmosphere of home is pure. They know that to the young the raciness of vice has often a fearful attraction. They know that vicious books, and vicious papers and pamphlets, are often sought with avidity. Will they not step between their offspring and this tiger-danger? Will they not see that good, and virtuous, and safe publications, those, which furnish agreeable, but wholesome excitement, are placed within their reach, and that enough of them to satisfy their cravings, are supplied? Will they leave their hungering and thirsting children to feed on poison, and drink destruction? This is a subject of vast importance. The great whirlpool, now, in the voyage of life, the Hurl-gate, the Maelstroom of our day,lies in bad publications. Nearly all the vices of society find origin or support in these. Drunkenness, licentiousness, falsehood, have their champions, their organs, their periodicals, their newspapers. If they speak not openly, they speak effectively. And the evil is increased by the inundation from abroad. Boston is now brought within twelve days of Europe. The happy security which distance once gave to our country is gone; our continent is dragged from its moorings, by the force of steam, and we now breathe the atmosphere of the European press. In one hour after the Liverpool steam packet arrives, the news is repeated by at least four steam presses in the city, showering forth their sheets, almost as plentifully as the December snow-flakes. And these are reeking with the spirit of European society. The penny paper is not enough to disgorge the whole upon us, but mammoth, nay, "mastodon " sheets, such as the world hath not seen before, are provided to serve forth the feast. Now, we do not object to all this, only so far as editors, by selecting vicious articles, give currency to vice and immorality. We are for the full and free diffusion of light. Let knowledge run |