It's Only John | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 8, 1883

"It's Only John."

Six years ago I was teaching school in the northern part of Illinois. One cold, blustering evening after school, I went along home with some of my pupils to spend the evening. It was one of the well-to-do families of the district that I was visiting. I had a special object in going to this place. I desired to see how the parents governed their children in this particular home. I had been greatly puzzled over the character of one of the little boys, and in order to better understand his nature, I wanted to see his home training. He was a very bashful boy—sometimes almost to stupidity—but, by noticing his answers in the class, and his actions while playing, I soon found that he really had a clear head and a warm heart. At times there was a sullenness, and a doggish stubbornness over which I could gain but little control. When I spoke kindly to him, or did him a favor, he would look up with such a strange look of wonder in his countenance, and seemed to act as if in doubt how to receive it.

We were kindly received by the father and mother, and it made the stranger's heart beat for his home to see how mother and the older sister moved the wraps from the shivering children, kissed their rosy cheeks, and made room for them around the fire. But there was a difference. Little John came in behind the rest, and stood for a moment looking for a place at the stove, but there was no room made for him. He walked hesitatingly around, and sat behind the stove on the wood-box. After taking off his mits and comfort, he sat with his head down, looking as if he felt he had done wrong by entering his own home on that cold winter night. There were no kind words, no kisses, no notice from the household for him, that had been given so freely to his more forward brothers and sisters.

When the father and sons did the feeding, I noticed that John carried the heavy swill through the deep snow,-while the older boys fed and watered the horses, a much easier task. When he came from his work, he stamped the snow from his shoes; and his sister, looking from the window, to see who was coming, said carelessly, "It's only John." This sentence told the whole story. I could not help but notice during the entire evening how the backward little fellow was slighted.

Here was a heart actually starving for kindness—and mind blunted and heart made sullen and wicked by this starvation. This incident of partiality in parents made a deep impression upon my mind. How careful Christian parents should be to avoid the evil of partiality to children, for often a bad nature is forming behind the shyness of the quiet, neglected child; and many a big trouble rankles in the little heart when the little lips are silent. Remember, that want of indulgence spoils a child, as well as too much of it.—Selected.