Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 September 1876 — “Every Advantage.” [ARTICLE]

“Every Advantage.”

“We have had only two,” she said, “ and we intend to give them every advantage.” Bhe was a proud mother, and they were beautiful children—tender, fair, Fortune’s darlings—even the breath of Heaven must not visit them too roughly. And yet, looking afar off down the future’s dim and distant vista, I saw that not wealth nor love, nor any riches of external possession, may be accounted able to keep these little ones from harm. Not any purple or fine linen can shelter them * from the drenching storms of sorrow; not any dazzling jewel of ornament can brighten the darkness that may find and crush a soul, even in the glare of a palace. “Riches take to themselves wings," death claims the presence of Love that would fain skidd and shelter —and what safeguard may these children claim against the storm and shadow of life’s uncertain sea? One only, and her name is Wisdom. Her “ \yays are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths arc peace.” Ever and forever may the tempest-tossed find in her a sure and safe harbor, and without her there can be only shipwreck and disaster! And looking at these little ones, I found myself saying softly: “ Our fortunes are the fruit of our characters,” and I knew that not mother’s love nor father's money could avail anything toward making these children happy- unless Wisdom were the handmaiden of their lives.

“We Lave, been very fortunate. We have money enough, and we are determined to give the children every advantage,” she repeated, tenderly, yet so confidently that it was not possible to resist the temptation to look into these little lives and see how the sails of the tiny barques were set, and what wind and weather propelled the little souls. “Go now, darlings, and nurse shall diws you for a walk,” said the mother, and we followed them into the nursery, taking a book that we might conceal our scrutiny and see how the children lived. Foil of life and play, they felt more like romping than being dressed; but nurse had no instructions to let them romp, they must be dressed. Having, however, no authority to compel them to acquiescence, and being forced to humor and coax, or tease and morally coerce them, they were at the mercy of ignorance and necessity, and the result was something like unto this: “ Come, Maude, now have your sash tied! Stand still, don’t play with Clarence. Come now, have your sash on; quick, before I put it on Clarence. He hasn’t got no nice sash like yours. Come now. Well, there’s a big black thing in the wardrobe, I’ll open the door and let him out;” and so she went on alternately appealing to the child’s fear, anSTpt-ide and vanity, rousing all the worst passions of her nature, and, to say nothing of the ungrammatical language used, exciting an antagonistic rivalry between the brother and sister, highly injurious to both. So the day’s education began. Then came the lessons. “We think it best to have a teacher in the house, so as not to contaminate the children by vulgar associations such as will creep into a school,” ejud the mother, with file same unshaken conviction ol' giving the children “every advantage.” “We have most an excellent teacher,” she continued, “not prim and cross, but she just devotes bereelf to the children and interests them. We pay her well, and die '

is anxious to retain her situation, so she tries to please tiie children.” So it was that the lessons were a variation, In the awe direction of the morning expert- “ Will Maud tell me whatd-o-gspells?" asked the teacher. Maud is twisting the comer of her apron, and looks op listlessly. “ Now, Mtftidie, tell teacher what d-o-g spells, and then teacher will toll Maudiea story 1” suggests the toscher coaxingly. i*‘l want a story now,” says Maun. “ I want a story too," says Clarence. “ Well then, we will tell the story first,” says the ieaclicr, “and then Maudic will toll me what d-o-g spells.” So the story is told, but when that is finished they must have another, and after this the combination d-o-g is neither more interesting nor more lucid than it was before ; but the teacher’s instructions, when she was employed, were, “not to cross the children, not to punish them, not to make learning odious by forcing them to do what they aid not wish to do.” So, for the sake of keeping her situation, she merely plays at teaching, and the mother fancies that because they like stories and are fond of having the teacher read to them, that they are developing “ a wonderful taste for books.” Not one les son of patience, not one earnest effort, not one particle of rugged mental discipline these unfortunate children obtain. Petted, coaxed, bribed into selfishness insensate, or tantalized into weak and ignoble discontent, the sails of their little life-boats are set toward the Isles of Disaster.

To dress, to appear well, to have others subservient to their whims, to have their faults hidden and their vanity fed, to be rendered utterly helpless for every stem emergency of life, what course of training coulu be more cruel or pernicious ? Yet thousands and thousands of children are going straight on in this way to misery and min while their wealthy and idiotic parents fold their hands and talk about “ riving the children every advantage.” Oh tools and blind, that forever drop the substance and chase the shadow, fancying that what looks well and seems easy will fit a human soul for Uie sublime heroism that is flic One Price for noble victory! Oh fools and blind that see not the storm in the distance, but spread silken sails of ease and pleasure and turn human souls adrifton life’s wild sea, with neither chart nor compass, nor skill nor strength for the swift coming tempest. But why cry unto these besotted Sybarites? We are told, “Though thou should’st bray a fool in a mortar w ith a pestle, yet will liis foolishness not depart from him;” and the last form of this folly is to lift up a wail about “ ungrateful children that having had every advantage, yet turned out so badly.” —Agnes Leotuird Hill , in Interior.