The Evening Star. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1874

Evening Star, Issue 3601, 7 September 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1874

During the last few years every journal published in Australia and New Zealand has had to condemn the tendency to larrikiuism manifested by youth born or educated in the Colonies. We do not know that it is more rampant here than at Home. Possibly it may be more unblushing, because many restraining influences, which operate powerfully there, are absent in the Colonies. The mischief may, however, be chiefly traced to the absence of that family training by which habits of correct thought and conduct are induced. This subject, in its general application, was most ably brought before his congregation, at All Saints’ Church, by the Rev. Mr Stanford, yesterday. Although not expressly dealing with this specific phase of our Colonial life, his remarks had so intimate a bearing upon individual and social educational development, that we think it would prove a valuable boon were his sermon printed and distributed broadcast over the land. We need net analyse the sermon, nor canvass the merits of the theological doctrine it was intended to establish. We have no doubt there are polemics who would undertake to prove that the spiritual theory propounded was not that of Saint this or Saint that, or of the founders or propagators ot the thousand and one cliques who put forth their various articles of faith as each the only true one. To disputants of that class we have nothing to say. Our duty as a journalist is not to deal with the visionary and unknown, but with that which is practical, and on that ground we desire to second the effort of the reverend gentleman, by drawing attention to the effect of habit on human character—habit of thought, habit of action —which formed the subject of his address. Having referred to his sermon as suggesting our observations, it is but right we should state his text. It was taken from Mark 4, v. 26, 27 : “ So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up he knoweth not how.” From this simple and beautiful illustration of the process of character formation, a practical lesson was drawn that, if known and fully comprehended, would go far to the correction of most of the vices, and follies of society. “What will he become f is the subject of a paper on the influence of morality or immorality on the human countenance in ‘ Cassell’s Popular Educator.' The normal type is that of a pretty babe, and in a series of diverging gradations are shown the physical transformations of countenance at different stages of life induced by habit. Id the ascending scale, step by step the child grows into the well-edu-cated boy, the handsome intelligent youth, the thoughtful member of a profession, and the venerable head of a ' family. In the descending series we

have first the “ Faubourg/’ which, translated, may fairly be rendered “ larrikin,” next the beer-shop, thirdly “ vice and misery,” and, lastly, “ beggary.” What is here stated of what is physical assumes it to be an index to the mental: habit leads either to the pure or the sensual. Mr Stanford said truly the power of habit, which in its influence upon the formation of human character is but another term to signify growth or development, is not sufficiently appreciated. Men and women permit themselves to do or neglect to do some apparently trifling duty, without feeling or knowing that in that single act of commission or omission they may have laid the foundation of a future either for good or evil. So it is with our boys and girls. What they will become depends very much upon the habits in which they are trained. To this fact much of the larrikinism of which complaint is made is attributable. It cannot be expected that children should understand how much depends upon their habitual obedience to home discipline. It is for their parents to see to that, and to remember that every childish defiance of their authority and every wilful indulgence in that which their baby intellect condemns is a step towards lavrikinism, which becomes the more difficult of cure each time it is repeated. We are not now alluding to those exceptional natures that seem to set at defiance all moral and social influences. These are fortunately rare, and perhaps society ought to deal with them as they do with the insane. Their very excesses disgust and horrify. The danger to society is not from them. It lies in the unobserved and munspected growth of habits of loose thought, and consequently loose conduct : of the non-recognition of the rights of others, and of the duties of man to man. Perhaps in the first instance a lad, through the mere spirit of fun, inflicts a mischief he would not have done had he been trained to think of the right or wrong of his own actions. Once enjoyed, the act is repeated until he is prepared to go any length without remorse ; and thus that spirit of larrikinism grows up which has reached so dangerous a pitch in Victoria, and of which symptoms have displayed themselves here. One important point eight not to be overlooked. As a corrective of this growing evil the lash is recommended. We should far prefer a reformatory. The rev, clergyman truly said, perhaps in a lifetime it was only possible to correct habits formed, once or twice. The lash cannot be termed corrective, but punitive, It forms no new habits, corrects no old ones ; and in ill-informed minds has a tendency to induce the desire of revenge on society for the indignity suffered by its decree. We spend tens of thousands on the impox-tation of immigrants : surely it is worth the effort to render those born amongst us worthy members of society through changing their habits. Our Industrial School is one of the chief ornaments of Otago: it is to be regretted that a reformatory is nearly equally needed, but if fathers and mothers could but realise the influence of good habits on their childrens’ future, they would leave but little for either the one or the other to do.