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To Mothers

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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 3, 1863

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 21, No. 14.

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To Mothers.

The first book read, and the last book laid aside by every child, is the conduct of its mother.
1. First give yourself, then your child to God. It is but giving him his own. Not to do it is robbing God.
2. Always prefer virtue to wealth—the honor that comes from God to the honor that comes from men. Do this for yourself. Do it for your child.
3. Let your whole course be to raise your child to a high standard. Do not sink into childishness yourself.
4. Give not needless commands, but when you command, require prompt obedience.
5. Never indulge a child in cruelty even to an insect.
6. Cultivate a sympathy with your child in all lawful joys and sorrows.
7. Do not expect to make your child perfect.
8. Be sure that you never correct a child until you know it deserves correction. Hear its story first and fully.
9. Never allow your child to whine or fret, or bear grudges.
10. Early inculcate frankness, candor, generosity, magnanimity, patriotism, self-denial.
11. The knowledge and fear of the Lord are the beginning of wisdom.
12. Never mortify the feelings of your child by upbraiding it with dullness; but do not inspire it with self-conceit.
13. Pray for and with your child, often and heartily.
14. Let no one interpose between your authority and your child.
15. Feed its mind, no less than its body, food convenient for it.
16. Encourage all attempts at self-improvement.
17. Let your child be, think, and speak as a child, but encourage it of its own accord to put away childish things.
18. Never deceive, nor break a promise to a child.
19. Reprove not a child severely in the presence of strangers.
20. Remember that life is a vapor, and that you and your child may be called out of time into eternity any day.—Sel.