know that you really and
truly and sincerely love it. Yet some Christians, good Christians, when
a child commits a fault, drive it from the door and say: "Never do you
darken this house again." Think of that! And then these same people
will get down on their knees and ask God to take care of the child they
have driven from home. I will never ask God to take care of my children
unless I am doing my level best in that same direction.

But I will tell you what I say to my children: "Go where you will;
commit what crime you may; fall to what depth of degradation you may;
you can never commit any crime that will shut my door, my arms, or my
heart to you. As long as I live you shall have one sincere friend."

Do you know that I have seen some people who acted as though they
thought that when the Saviour said "Suffer little children to come unto
me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven," he had a raw-hide under his
mantle, and made that remark simply to get the children within striking
distance?

I do not believe in the government of the lash. If any one of you ever
expects to whip your children again, I want you to have a photograph
taken of yourself when you are in the act, with your face red with
vulgar anger, and the face of the little child, with eyes swimming
in tears and the little chin dimpled with fear, like a piece of water
struck by a sudden cold wind. Have the picture taken. If that little
child should die, I cannot think of a sweeter way to spend an autumn
afternoon than to go out to the cemetery, when the maples are clad
in tender gold, and little scarlet runners are coming, like poems of
regret, from the sad heart of the earth--and sit down upon the grave and
look at that photograph, and think of the flesh now dust that you beat.
I tell you it is wrong; it is no way to raise children! Make your home
happy. Be honest with them. Divide fairly with them in everything.

Give them a little liberty and love, and you can not drive them out of
your house. They will want to stay there. Make home pleasant. Let them
play any game they wish. Do not be so foolish as to say: "You may roll
balls on the ground, but you must not roll them on a green cloth. You
may knock them with a mallet, but you must not push them with a cue.
You may play with little pieces of paper which have 'authors' written
on them, but you must not have 'cards.'" Think of it! "You may go to a
minstrel show where people blacken themselves and imitate hu