The patterns of things in heaven may be
woven from those of earth ; and if so, then it is indeed true that
" the company in heaven and earth are one." Death no longer parts
the souls that love each other or destroys the family circle. The
little maiden's " We are seven," is true, although one enters at one
door, while another passes out of sight through another.
How cheering to the parent's heart is such a vision ! The thoughts,
the affections, the aspirations, and enterprises of father or mother
shall still live, and move, and have their being in the son or daughter,
and so we do not die but live, since life is thus constantly renewed in
those through whose veins our own life-blood courses. Charles R.
Darwin and Herbert Spencer in their life-work did but carry out the
work which their own fathers had begun, and left them as their intel-
lectual heirs and representatives. But if there is a bright side to such a
view, there is also a dark side. Human law teaches us the maxim that
he who commits crime through another commits it himself, and the
great Teacher of still higher law said to his disciples, " It has been said
by them of old time, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth ; but I say
unto you, forgive your enemies, and do good to them that hate you."
If parents thus live on in their children and can impress their own
TilE BABY IN THE HOME. 63
personal qualities upon them, how tremendous is the parental re-
sponsibility for their future characters and lives! Some parents seem
to think that it does not matter what their children see and hear,
because they are only children. "A mere child," to use a common
phrase, may see anger, quarrelling, and perhaps blows in the house-
hold and not be affected by such sights or sounds. What monstrous
folly ! As soon as a child sees he observes ; the gradually growing
brain is conscious, and the power of thought begins when sight, hear-
ing and observation begin. How soon a child learns to know its own
name, and looks to see who speaks to it ! When you laugh, and
smile at it and play with it, is it unconscious ? And it is just as con-
scious when it sees your face assume an angry frown, and hears your
voice raised in anger. I have seen a little child of three months old
who would chirp and spread its tiny arms for joy at the voice of
kindness, happiness and love, but whose little face would lengthen
with a solemn wonder, and almost a sense of pain and wrong, if its
parents only pretended to be angry with each other, or the nurse had
slapped another in a feint of chastisement. Let us be sure that every
act we do and every word we speak has a latent influence upon our
children. When old Samuel Johnson was asked by the mother of a
little girl three years of age how she should begin to educate her,
the wise doctor of laws and of social philosophy answered, " Madam,
you have consulted me two years too late." Education really begins
as soon as the child is born into the world. When the eyes open, it
is ours to take care that the first prospect they look upon is one of
light and peace. When the ear first listens let heaven's best music —
the true music of the home — fall upon it.
Page 35
Presented as published in 1883. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The patterns of things in heaven may be woven from those of earth ; and if so, then it is indeed true that " the company in heaven and earth are one." Death no longer parts the souls that love each other or destroys the family circle. The little maiden's " We are seven," is true, although one enters at one door, while another passes out of sight through another.
How cheering to the parent's heart is such a vision ! The thoughts, the affections, the aspirations, and enterprises of father or mother shall still live, and move, and have their being in the son or daughter, and so we do not die but live, since life is thus constantly renewed in those through whose veins our own life-blood courses. Charles R. Darwin and Herbert Spencer in their life-work did but carry out the work which their own fathers had begun, and left them as their intellectual heirs and representatives. But if there is a bright side to such a view, there is also a dark side. Human law teaches us the maxim that he who commits crime through another commits it himself, and the great Teacher of still higher law said to his disciples, " It has been said by them of old time, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth ; but I say unto you, forgive your enemies, and do good to them that hate you."
If parents thus live on in their children and can impress their own
personal qualities upon them, how tremendous is the parental responsibility for their future characters and lives! Some parents seem to think that it does not matter what their children see and hear, because they are only children. "A mere child," to use a common phrase, may see anger, quarrelling, and perhaps blows in the household and not be affected by such sights or sounds. What monstrous folly ! As soon as a child sees he observes ; the gradually growing brain is conscious, and the power of thought begins when sight, hearing and observation begin. How soon a child learns to know its own name, and looks to see who speaks to it ! When you laugh, and smile at it and play with it, is it unconscious ? And it is just as conscious when it sees your face assume an angry frown, and hears your voice raised in anger. I have seen a little child of three months old who would chirp and spread its tiny arms for joy at the voice of kindness, happiness and love, but whose little face would lengthen with a solemn wonder, and almost a sense of pain and wrong, if its parents only pretended to be angry with each other, or the nurse had slapped another in a feint of chastisement. Let us be sure that every act we do and every word we speak has a latent influence upon our children. When old Samuel Johnson was asked by the mother of a little girl three years of age how she should begin to educate her, the wise doctor of laws and of social philosophy answered, " Madam, you have consulted me two years too late." Education really begins as soon as the child is born into the world. When the eyes open, it is ours to take care that the first prospect they look upon is one of light and peace. When the ear first listens let heaven's best music — the true music of the home — fall upon it.