Stand dressed in living green,”
which are made more gloriously beautiful by every rare and precious plant that our Father transplants from this beautiful but stormy earth to his garden,
“Where everlasting spring abides,
And never withering flowers.”
LXXXII.
LITTLE FOXES SPOILING THE BELOVED VINE.
“A MOTHER” desires to know if she fails in discipline, or if her children are more troublesome and difficult to manage than other people’s. She has coaxed, reasoned, whipped; shut up in solitude, fed them on bread and water, or confined them in a dark room; but all appears to be ineffectual. They do nothing really wicked, in the strict sense of that term; but they forget or disregard all rules or commands, are mischievous and careless; boisterous and full of frolic one day, to the neglect of every duty, and the next, quarrelsome, irritable, and in every respect uncertain. This mother feels her responsibility deeply, and with all her heart desires to bring her children up in the right way, but is more and more conscious that she fails in her efforts, and now feels disheartened and discouraged.
We judge the great trouble here is over-anxiety. Her children are governed too much. It is not easy to lead young, conscientious mothers to see this; but the grandmothers, profiting by their own mistakes, see in these boisterous, careless, impressible children that which, if not too closely pruned, will mature into strong, healthy men and women; and in their irritability and disobedience they recognize the effect of over-restraint, and too great repression of youthful, exuberant, animal spirit, which, if slightly modified and gently led, will be an invaluable assistance to these little ones in after life, giving them strength and force of character to act well their part when they enter in earnest on their life’s work. No doubt quiet, demure, proper children would be the most desirable, just for the present comfort of mothers or friends. Overtasked bodies and aching heads find such children less troublesome. But it is not for present ease that good mothers live. They look for their reward in the future usefulness of their children, and “for the joy that is set before them” they endure the cross like good soldiers.
Yet while striving, in all patience, self-sacrifice, and love, to make your children happy in the formatory state, and at the same time teach them better ways, you must also be on the watch for the foes without and the foes within,—the “little foxes” that seek to destroy
“The beloved vine
Trusted to your tending