ion. No man is bound
to be rich or great--no, nor to be wise--but every man is bound to be
honest and virtuous.

[Illustration]

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Family Government.

[Illustration: HEAVENLY MUSIC.]

1. GENTLENESS MUST CHARACTERIZE EVERY ACT OF AUTHORITY.--The storm of
excitement that may make the child start, bears no relation to actual
obedience. The inner firmness, that sees and feels a moral conviction and
expects obedience, is only disguised and defeated by bluster. The more calm
and direct it is, the greater certainty it has of dominion.

2. FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF SMALL CHILDREN.--For the government of small
children speak only in the authority of love, yet authority, loving and to
be obeyed. The most important lesson to impart is obedience to authority as
authority. The question of salvation with most children will be settled as
soon as they learn to obey parental authority. It establishes a habit and
order of mind that is ready to accept divine authority. This precludes
skepticism and disobedience, and induces that childlike trust and spirit
set forth as a necessary state of salvation. Children that are never made
to obey are left to drift into the sea of passion where the pressure for
surrender only tends to drive them at greater speed from the haven of
safety.

3. HABITS OF SELF-DENIAL.--Form in the child habits of self-denial.
Pampering never matures good character.

4. EMPHASIZE INTEGRITY.--Keep the moral tissues tough in integrity; then it
will hold a hook of obligations when once set in a sure place. There is
nothing more vital. Shape all your experiments to preserve the integrity.
Do not so reward it that it becomes mercenary. Turning State's evidence is
a dangerous experiment in morals. Prevent deceit from succeeding.

5. GUARD MODESTY.--To be brazen is to imperil some of the best elements of
character. Modesty may be strengthened into a becoming confidence, but
brazen facedness can seldom be toned down into decency. It requires the
miracle of grace.

6. PROTECT PURITY.--Teach your children to loathe impurity. Study the
character of their playmates. Watch their books. Keep them from corruption
at all cost. The groups of youth in the school and in society, and in
business places, seed with improprieties of word and thought. Never relax
your vigilance along this exposed border.

[Illustration: BOTH PUZZLED.]

7. THREATEN THE LEAST POSSIBLE.--In family government threaten the least
possible. Some parents