Parental Blindness by MARTHA E. WARNER

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 16, 1916

Parental Blindness

By MARTHA E. WARNER

MARTHA E. WARNER

PARENTS are often blind, sometimes it seems wilfully blind. Because their children have joined the church, many of them suppose everything else will take care of itself. Their children cannot do wrong.

One mother was in the habit of putting her children to bed as soon as Sabbath was over. Then she went down town shopping, returning about ten o’clock.

As soon as their mother left the house, the children dressed, and went out on the streets to play until nearly time for her to return; then they went back to bed. That mother “knew she could trust her children,” and those children knew they could deceive their mother, and grew expert at it.

Another mother could give two or more hours to missionary work each afternoon,

provided she could find some one to care for her baby. A neighbor’s small girl was glad to help her, if she was allowed to wheel the baby up and down the street. Permission to that effect was given, and up and down the streets she went until she met a certain boy. That was kept up day after day, the girl receiving praise for being willing to give up her afternoons to the care of a baby. Not until the mother of the girl met her face to face, would she believe her child guilty of such conduct.

Dear mothers, when your boys and girls are converted, your work is not finished, but only begun. Train your children from the outset wisely and lovingly. Fill their lives so full of faith in mother’s word and wishes, that they will not dream of having any secret that she may not share. Trust your children, but trust them with your eyes wide open.

Clintonville, Conn.