Beautiful Childhood

Tire hnppk'st perto'd of human 'Ale, iï we oiaüy kn-ew ïfc, -t tlnat of ehlWi hiöo-d. Th Is i the golden age reic.iicil lm every goneratiian, -wliielj conies to a'.'l uiil-ess prevemfced by parentai dcpi-aviiy miiBfCH-tums. Au age of iimiooence, of beaoty, and oï n:iliiial fnjoyiii'iii, wlien mind and body arc soft and p'jastic, and a!J arouivd is fu'.'l of Ineshiraass and loveliness. No pJea8iuiés are so sweefc as e of cluijdhood, no iunn.niiia i ion so stng, ruo Jaith so ierfecit. lts wiiüest areduliities are as substancial as sober reailtles, a-ad it dwells perpetuaïAy dn the ïaii'y roalm of wonicterland. AU g-reat miinds have reverenced hood. All tender ones have regarded It wiith iiLfiuite Iw-e, ï(x-, apart, trom its O'wii sweetness, tfc is íuM oí possibijities, rioh wiüh the íwtemtial4i;fes of bumauity. lts harmLeesoess, -lts dracijity, its ti-ustiulniess, and ab soi'ut depenrlcince, endear it to evry feeCfflmg heart. Th,e no'Kiest poets have sung lts p:-tJses, the deepest phtosophers have ii'iveii to it tlneir wortihieat thoughts. The wisest iegisiattoi'S liave provided for iits ppatection. PiaJttitcTs represent c.Iiieruta as chJuilreu, md tho inf.-inl' CupJcl was t,ho Ghd of L.ove. Eren Ohrtet himseül aald of the little ones, wháOe He taok Hicin in TTis avms iml bCieesed them, tbat of suc.h is the ICimigü'om of Heaven oomposed. But wlien we contémplate society with the posstons whlch rend and the criimes thimt dLsgnace it ; its sufferimgs, He tears, its wants, its ödioese, lite Ilack o.! syimp.a't.liy and oí t-ruo enjoymemt, wtai we eee the nalions rud by the Bway of "blood erna ■fron," and Astraea, driveu trom the earth, it appears a'jmost liicredib'.e flint aJl the woria was once a liittle lniWDoent chiiM llilion said : "The ohdtidliood shows llis man, As morniiing sluows tbe day." If thfe be so, wby ai'e sa nia.ny iair promfl'ses betrayed ? "Why sbouM ooi the goMen ebate of ianooence be pro:ons'ed initio matmirtlty and age ? It oaiuuoib l)e tli at iice and mteery are necessairy ocviicomiltian'ts oí aduifc humanlity. Is it beoause we a'e wise overnwjch, beca use we fcmget that the miajofóity of manklaíd are a'.ways ■'öhitilren of a lairger growth," a.nd "iuistead of expeotimg them to be selïgoverning pattems of wisdom and váu-tue we sbouM ïiathsr look for the igiDoramt sianplfcity of children a,nd treiit t.hem accordiinigly. Or is it because tliat wlifch evwy ye-ar we go torther astray fro'm mature, and pjiu ou" luapplness on a conventional lite and comdoict iustead af a chi'.dliike o:bedïe.nce to her eteraaJl and universal laws ? Hannoiiy wütih Xature is ail tibiat Gcxd requünes from, all His cTeatiiire.s to nxake tlhaiir happinese and salvartjion sure. And h.owever muöli we may charnge, Naitui-e is ciotistant, "amiomg thie faiiithiess, faithfu] oaly she !" The ifafaint was wwshipped as the semWance of the Gadibead thousands 'of years befare the ChriBtian era. The ceiestiial Virgtn and Child of Paganism wre adtored íronn África to Iiidiila. The Virgiin's iwiinies were iunumeraKle. In Egypt eiue was Isis ; In Babay3icm, Ishtar ; in Assyria, Ri ; I.n Greeoe, Ceres ; in Cyprus, Venus ; In Hi'n'diostan, Sara ; in Persia, Arte.mis ; in Syria, Astarte. The peopZe of Mexico aLso worsihippodtlie Mother and CMM ages befoine Am.erifta was diiisoovered. As we wri'te there lie 1efö:"e us reproducltdlana of sonxe of t.hese : Isihtar oí NJtaeveh and her cihdM witfli a ehaven hoad ; AnaltiSj "The Mötiher oi the .CWM," who lies iwathed im her ip ; IsiB soiekling Hbrus ; aaid Devaki, Olwitstna. Devaki and ClüriB'tooia are representad as they were iiu India six iuundi-ed years B. C, wït.li aureoCes aromad tbeir heads like the Yjmgims and Glu-tots oi tlvo mediaeval patoter. The Virgin, alth'Oaig'li a Plin'.liíb diviaity, waiS ernVtíiemalfcíil oi Time, in wliiose fertile womb ai. öliaings ]1 hidden - tlie mother oí a0. araonig manlcii'iidi tlie 1i. au iidieai of 'a mouter was: oae in wluom were mijit'ed tilie beauty of a vl'Pgiii wltii tlio teiideirness o{ a motlier. The production of a chilld, although a natural marvel ín iitself, is so easy thiat an lidftolt ar a iunatic may toecoane a parent as readity as anyonc ellse. But prudence requires tJuat the nunnber of oifspriiiiig shotilld never excieetcl tihe meams of comfortaKe subBisbeucie, awd justlce (Iemands tluat no one staou'.id beoome a pavejib at all uii'ltess of a liiealthiy breed and sound iin body anid mind. The young infant - "all ïresshie befc-sveme the white and rede" - what is it but a little bundle oí instincrts and liereditary leandögs ? Ho'w tlin shall it know th.e pleasaxea oí cjuiadhoad and the joys of mialbuire age, or perform dts dTi'ti'es as a man ar woman, unless It toe eqniipped at starting wttb a sound oonistátutloii and good dlsposition ? Who oan preceive tbe latent powers tlint may be lts tiatural herttage ? Wlueu Juaus was oxcie&d írom bis moMutü-, who ooii'.d have iorseem t.liïit tho pi-eiu-ature weak'Jng would lay the íoiimlatTMns oí fohe greatost eiruiJd're of aivtlquity ? We sliou'.!;! like U fieie g&nuiiie porl raits -i: t!ie tíú.úluooil of tli'f; world's siobable ones. Oop.'ilra's, [o ae, in lier early mnitlíinihioiort ; Asjiasia'.-, wlirn shfl ivas a lifctle iinücnasiit gírl anút playeo in tlne gardenia of ■Mii'ctus ; hcrs ,-il w'hiOBC íeel miji sus U.iil.v woc-sdip, the Vdtgta Xfary oí BetíhCehenL. I-et us treal t'hism teuidarjy, thess human miit'es, tavwiever t.lvey íuay have been bpgobteii, lar wlio oan teül what tliolr ïuture wdOl l2. Tbe puny aran maj soime I:ty hew diorwin monsters, th-e lifepling pia'Ulcr mtay becoine a Socrabêe tw a Sliakospeare. The iiittle peasamt, a Oluiat to purify a sensuai Tlie best mart uree niay be ruiaied by dlnjudfcious training or evil surroundInigrs, and the vlO'nt ooiTecbed if acted upiü':i to tiime. Clhiuraciter is ot nio'iijded all at cxn.ce. EvaryttotDg Avi'tli whicli it coimes in contact infLuence i'ö for good or for evil. It is iwa-e tfaat. the nuather has such vast respioinBli'lMuiy, for it resta wifhi lier Tery ïargely as to wliat the charr ol chi'jd Bhall bs. She) has already mioulded ïts body, Biie has ha ruiO'Uvd i'ts ïiünd, to corree evii teiideneies and to develop tli ■gio'cvd. Alimost all good sous im üauglrters have liad good mothers ■cioce all nrosi tftoonild be oarefu in the 'seleotioa oï wi've, as womei to Uie chiotee ol husbarwls. ïhere ougirt to be of tho haphazard In sa momeutous a unión as marri'age, "vvliieli murfb bj a bLesáiiiiig or a curse to a long lime oí descendant. Tlie Uves oí úhiWlreai sliould be as íree as p-ossiib-Je, and. no restrictioos impiosed u-núess niecessajry. The Irtviiluus liiiKlrance.s to liieir freedom irrítate their temper, depreís their elastic buoyaacy oí spirits, and encourage t'hem to be líttle prigsi anid deceivers. No soift oL ileceib shou'.id ever be practiced towards thera, íor öeoett begets deceit. No theojogic dogmas nor catechisms slioulld ever be tiatight thiem, aar their loyalty in beS'ievinig be abused. by itotions told as truths, for all these breed hypocnisiies. Let them rather be allowec to fcn-muCate theiir beliieis lor themsüIvl ■whenj tliey are of am age to decide arul to liold fast tliat which ■is good. Otherwlee they majy be comptíled in casting oif tlieiir early creeds tío becoane Bkep'tteaii oi all igioodiniess. In the educaition oL chiid'lnood it wauCd be iair bstter to ineuli-'iato a senisse ot iuano'r than rejilgious be:'ief, beca.use th latter is alm.osï aüKvays flu.iig away in later life, vh creas horaor wótl uband by them to tlhe emd. BDomor wJEl preserve them Ln möttieinSts of dffftonity, and sustain them bemeath oppreasive eircumstances. A rel'ïgious dlevötee may be a sneak, a c.heat, oí" a iar, buit a man o-ï honor, mever. Whiat vij-tue is to a viirtu'Ous womian, hooior te to an noraocrab: man. He preserves it knowing thcit once !ost it would) be i'i"repiaraKe. Thie sensditiveness oí cliiMhODd makes it the most favorable periloicl for its oultivation. In the wotfd'S of AddSson : 'Honour'sa sacred tle. the lay of kiners The uoble mind's distlngulsblDg perfeetion, That aids and strengtlieus Virtue where it meets her, And imitates her actions where she is not."