character-第8节

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sorrow；　the　first　success；　the　first　failure；　the　first

achievement；　the　first　misadventure；　paint　the　foreground　of

his　life。



All　this　while；　too；　the　training　of　the　character　is　in　progress

of　the　temper；　the　will；　and　the　habitson　which　so　much　of

the　happiness　of　human　beings　in　after…life　depends。　　Although　man

is　endowed　with　a　certain　self…acting；　self…helping　power　of

contributing　to　his　own　development；　independent　of　surrounding

circumstances；　and　of　reacting　upon　the　life　around　him；　the　bias

given　to　his　moral　character　in　early　life　is　of　immense

importance。　　Place　even　the　highest…minded　philosopher　in　the

midst　of　daily　discomfort；　immorality；　and　vileness；　and　he　will

insensibly　gravitate　towards　brutality。　　How　much　more　susceptible

is　the　impressionable　and　helpless　child　amidst　such　surroundings！

It　is　not　possible　to　rear　a　kindly　nature；　sensitive　to　evil；

pure　in　mind　and　heart；　amidst　coarseness；　discomfort；　and

impurity。



Thus　homes；　which　are　the　nurseries　of　children　who　grow　up　into

men　and　women；　will　be　good　or　bad　according　to　the　power　that

governs　them。　　Where　the　spirit　of　love　and　duty　pervades　the　home

where　head　and　heart　bear　rule　wisely　therewhere　the　daily

life　is　honest　and　virtuouswhere　the　government　is　sensible；

kind；　and　loving；　then　may　we　expect　from　such　a　home　an　issue　of

healthy；　useful；　and　happy　beings；　capable；　as　they　gain　the

requisite　strength；　of　following　the　footsteps　of　their　parents；

of　walking　uprightly；　governing　themselves　wisely；　and

contributing　to　the　welfare　of　those　about　them。



On　the　other　hand；　if　surrounded　by　ignorance；　coarseness；　and

selfishness；　they　will　unconsciously　assume　the　same　character；

and　grow　up　to　adult　years　rude；　uncultivated；　and　all　the　more

dangerous　to　society　if　placed　amidst　the　manifold　temptations　of

what　is　called　civilised　life。　　〃Give　your　child　to　be　educated　by

a　slave；〃　said　an　ancient　Greek；　〃and　instead　of　one　slave；　you

will　then　have　two。〃



The　child　cannot　help　imitating　what　he　sees。　　Everything　is　to

him　a　modelof　manner；　of　gesture；　of　speech；　of　habit；　of

character。　　〃For　the　child；〃　says　Richter；　〃the　most　important　era

of　life　is　that　of　childhood；　when　he　begins　to　colour　and　mould

himself　by　companionship　with　others。　　Every　new　educator　effects

less　than　his　predecessor；　until　at　last；　if　we　regard　all　life　as

an　educational　institution；　a　circumnavigator　of　the　world　is　less

influenced　by　all　the　nations　he　has　seen　than　by　his　nurse。〃　（2）

Models　are　therefore　of　every　importance　in　moulding　the　nature　of

the　child；　and　if　we　would　have　fine　characters；　we　must

necessarily　present　before　them　fine　models。　　Now；　the　model　most

constantly　before　every　child's　eye　is　the　Mother。



One　good　mother；　said　George　Herbert；　is　worth　a　hundred

schoolmasters。　　In　the　home　she　is　〃loadstone　to　all　hearts；　and

loadstar　to　all　eyes。〃　　Imitation　of　her　is　constantimitation；

which　Bacon　likens　to　〃a　globe　of　precepts。〃　　But　example　is　far

more　than　precept。　　It　is　instruction　in　action。　　It　is　teaching

without　words；　often　exemplifying　more　than　tongue　can　teach。　　In

the　face　of　bad　example；　the　best　of　precepts　are　of　but　little

avail。　　The　example　is　followed；　not　the　precepts。　　Indeed；

precept　at　variance　with　practice　is　worse　than　useless；　inasmuch

as　it　only　serves　to　teach　the　most　cowardly　of　viceshypocrisy。

Even　children　are　judges　of　consistency；　and　the　lessons　of　the

parent　who　says　one　thing　and　does　the　opposite；　are　quickly　seen

through。　　The　teaching　of　the　friar　was　not　worth　much；　who

preached　the　virtue　of　honesty　with　a　stolen　goose　in　his　sleeve。



By　imitation　of　acts；　the　character　becomes　slowly　and

imperceptibly；　but　at　length　decidedly　formed。　　The　several　acts

may　seem　in　themselves　trivial；　but　so　are　the　continuous　acts　of

daily　life。　　Like　snowflakes；　they。　　fall　unperceived；　each　flake

added　to　the　pile　produces　no　sensible　change；　and　yet　the

accumulation　of　snowflakes　makes　the　avalanche。　　So　do　repeated

acts；　one　following　another；　at　length　become　consolidated　in

habit；　determine　the　action　of　the　human　being　for　good　or　for

evil；　and；　in　a　word；　form　the　character。



It　is　because　the　mother；　far　more　than　the　father；　influences　the

action　and　conduct　of　the　child；　that　her　good　example　is　of　so

much　greater　importance　in　the　home。　　It　is　easy　to　understand　how

this　should　be　so。　　The　home　is　the　woman's　domainher　kingdom；

where　she　exercises　entire　control。　　Her　power　over　the　little

subjects　she　rules　there　is　absolute。　　They　look　up　to　her　for

everything。　　She　is　the　example　and　model　constantly　before　their

eyes；　whom　they　unconsciously　observe　and　imitate。



Cowley；　speaking　of　the　influence　of　early　example；　and　ideas

early　implanted　in　the　mind；　compares　them　to　letters　cut　in　the

bark　of　a　young　tree；　which　grow　and　widen　with　age。　　The

impressions　then　made；　howsoever　slight　they　may　seem；　are　never

effaced。　　The　ideas　then　implanted　in　the　mind　are　like　seeds

dropped　into　the　ground；　which　lie　there　and　germinate　for　a　time；

afterwards　springing　up　in　acts　and　thoughts　and　habits。　　Thus　the

mother　lives　again　in　her　children。　　They　unconsciously　mould

themselves　after　her　manner；　her　speech；　her　conduct；　and　her

method　of　life。　　Her　habits　become　theirs；　and　her　character　is

visibly　repeated　in　them。



This　maternal　love　is　the　visible　providence　of　our　race。　　Its

influence　is　constant　and　universal。　　It　begins　with　the　education

of　the　human　being　at　the　out…start　of　life；　and　is　prolonged　by

virtue　of　the　powerful　influence　which　every　good　mother　exercises

over　her　children　through　life。　　When　launched　into　the　world；

each　to　take　part　in　its　labours；　anxieties；　and　trials；　they

still　turn　to　their　mother　for　consolation；　if　not　for　counsel；　in

their　time　of　trouble　and　difficulty。　　The　pure　and　good　thoughts

she　has　implanted　in　their　minds　when　children；　continue　to　grow

up　into　good　acts；　long　after　she　is　dead；　and　when　there　is

nothing　but　a　memory　of　her　left；　her　children　rise　up　and

call　her　blessed。



It　is　not　saying　too　much　to　aver　that　the　happiness　or　misery；

the　enlightenment　or　ignorance；　the　civilisation　or　barbarism　of

the　world；　depends　in　a　very　high　degree　upon　the　exercise　of

woman's　power　within　her　special　kingdom　of　home。　　Indeed；　Emerson

says；　broadly　and　truly；　that　〃a　sufficient　measure　of

civilisation　is　the　influence　of　good　women。〃　　Posterity　may　be

said　to　lie　before　us　in　the　person　of　the　child　in　the　mother's

lap。　　What　that　child　will　eventually　become；　mainly　depends　upon

the　training　and　example　which　he　has　received　from　his　first　and

most　influential　educator。



Woman；　above　all　other　educators；　educates　humanly。　　Man　is　the

brain；　but　woman　is　the　heart　of　humanity；　he　its　judgment；　she

its　feeling；　he　its　strength；　she　its　grace；　ornament；　and　solace。

Even　the　understanding　of　the　best　woman　seems　to　work　mainly

through　her　affections。　　And　thus；　though　man　may　direct　the

intellect；　woman　cultivates　the　feelings；　which　mainly　determine

the　character。　　While　he　fills　the　memory；　she　occupies　the　heart。

She　makes　us　love　what　he　can　only　make　us　believe；　and　it　is

chiefly　through　her　that　we　are　enabled　to　arrive　at　virtue。



The　respective　influences　of　the　father　and　the　mother　on　the

training　and　development　of　character；　are　remarkably　illustrated

in　the　life　of　St。　Augustine。　　While　Augustine's　father；　a　poor

freeman　of　Thagaste；　proud　of　his　son's　abilities；　endeavoured　to

furnish　his　mind　with　the　highest　learning　of　the　schools；　and　was

extolled　by　his　neighbours　for　the　sacrifices　he　made　with　that

object　〃beyond　the　ability　of　his　means〃his　mother　Monica；　on

the　other　hand；　sought　to　lead　her　son's　mind　in　the　direction　of

the　highest　good；　and　with　pious　care　counselled　him；　entreated

him；　advised　him　to　chastity；　and；　amidst　much　anguish　and

tribulation；　because　of　his　wicked　life；　never　ceased　to　pray　for

him　until　her　prayers　were　heard　and　answered。　　Thus　her　love　at

last　triumphed；　and　the　patience　and　goodness　of　the　mother　were

rewarded；　not　only　by　the　conversion　of　her　gifted　son；　but　also

of　her　husband。　　Later　in　life；　and　after　her　husband's　death；

Monica；　drawn　by　her　affection；　followed　her　son　to　Milan；　to

watch　over　him；　and　there　she　died；　when　he　was　in　his　thirty…

third　year。　　But　it　was　in　the　earlier　period　of　his　life　that　her

example　and　instruction　made　the　deepest　impression　upon　his　mind；

and　determined　his　future　character。



There　are　many　similar　instances　of　early　impressions　made　upon　a

child's　mind；　springing　up　into　good　acts　late　in　life；　after　an

intervening　period　of　selfishness　and　vice。　　Parents　may　do　all

that　they　can　to　develope　an　upright　and　virtuous　character　in

their　children；　and　apparently　in　vain。　　It　seems　like　bread　cast

upon　the　wa