Lessons From Edgar Guest

One of the many important benefits I love about Home Schooling, is the ability to choose your own texts and literature to teach your children from. The Holy Bible was a primary reading text in schools at one time! I have old history books that tell the stories of God protecting George Washington from bullets, and of General Washington praying to God for divine intervention, which he received. And so many more stories of the faith of our founding fathers and others who built the foundation of our great country.This painting by Arnold Freiburg hangs in my house.

I especially love the old English readers. Each lesson taught a moral or value while it taught the children to read, spell and comprehend. Here are a couple of gems from the great American poet, Edgar Guest:

True Nobility

Who does his task from day to day
And meets whatever comes his way,
Believing God has willed it so,
Has found real greatness here below.

Who guards his post, no matter where,
Believing God must need him there,
Although but lowly toil it be,
Has risen to nobility.

For great and low there's but one test:
'Tis that each man shall do his best.
Who works with all the strength he can
Shall never die in debt to man.


Results and Roses

The man who wants a garden fair,
Or small or very big,
With flowers growing here and there,
Must bend his back and dig.

The things are mighty few on earth
That wishes can attain.
Whate'er we want of any worth
We've got to work to gain.

It matters not what goal you seek
Its secret here reposes:
You've got to dig from week to week
To get Results or Roses.

If the children in America had continued to learn these kinds of lessons, our country would be very different today. There would be no welfare state or entitlement mentality. There would be greater respect, integrity, dignity and honor. Today's generation of children, will be tomorrow's lawmakers and rulers. Teaching our youth real values and morals, with Christ as their exemplar, is the best possible way we can prepare for "tomorrow".