From Letters of Love and Counsel for “Our Girls”
From Abigail’s Mother:
As a young woman I heard about an old, out-of-print book, entitled Letters of Love and Counsel for “Our Girls”, by Jennie C. Rutty. I have desired to read its contents and just recently some dear folks loaned us a copy! Isn’t the Lord gracious! He knew my desire, and granted it, just at the right time in my own girls lives!
We would also like to share portions of it with you. We trust it will be a blessing.
Right and Wrong
Dear Girls:
There are very few of you who have not some idea of the meaning of these words; for they are used very often in general conversation. Little children are taught by their parents that they must not do certain things, because “it is naughty,” or “wrong.” Teachers often express themselves that they are “glad so many of the pupils try to do right.”
There is therefore a consciousness in all that there is good and evil in the world, and that it is best to choose the good and avoid the evil. But there is not in all a strong decision to do so, and they are continually mingling some good deeds with some evil ones. Others find within themselves such a love for that which is wrong that they run in the way of all evil greedily, silencing the conscience within as it makes its protest, by plunging deeper into wrong-doing.
Now, dear girls, is it not the best and the noblest way to look everything squarely in the face and make a decision for that which will in the end be to our advantage or for our good? I think I hear some of you saying, “Yes, indeed, that is best.”
There is a time in every child’s life when it begins to know right from wrong; but it varies in age, as some are more perfectly taught than others. This is termed “age of accountability.” One sister remembered her first wrong-doing for which she was accountable. She was in her seventh year and was visiting at a neighbor’s with her older sister. As they were leaving, she spied a pretty piece of cloth near the doorstep. Picking it up, she hid it under her apron and followed her sister with shamed face. Her sister saw something was wrong, and by questioning found out the trouble, and they retraced their steps to return what was wrongfully taken. The guilt felt, the shame and remorse, made her determine not to do so again.
The heart of the child is tender, and wrong-doing is very keenly felt; but if continued in, the heart is hardened, and though the conscience may sometimes speak to faithfully warn the offender, its warnings are not heeded, nor is the heart pained thereby. There is a remembrance of my childhood days. When evil was presented, how very, very bad it seemed! But the longer I looked upon it and listened to the usual excuses for it, the less awful it seemed; and by and by, the yielding thereto seemed to be necessary, and I blamed my surroundings instead of myself. Perhaps you all have had like experiences. Do you not wish you could be as innocent as when you first beheld evil and shrank from it? Innocence is not ignorance; far you may have knowledge of very wicked things, but if you do not partake or indulge in that evil, you are innocent of it. So if you can be kept from all wrong, you are innocent as a little child that does not know right from wrong. There is a blessed opportunity of being innocent, and in a future letter I will tell you about it. Now we want to look further into this subject of right and wrong, of good and evil.
This world is a great battlefield, for two forces stand opposing each other—God and the right, and the Devil and wrong. Each force is trying to gain individuals to its ranks. God and the right give life—eternal life—heaven with all its glory, and a present life of peace and joy, to each subject. The Devil and wrong give death—eternal death—hell with all its terrors, and a present life of bondage to evil with its bitter pleasures, to each of their subjects. Just to look out upon this world you may not observe this wonderful battle. There are some things to which we need to have our eyes opened by the Spirit of God, in order to see clearly. But most of you have felt at different times in your life a real battle, a severe conflict in your heart and mind in regard to doing certain things. If you think of this going on in the heart and life of every man, woman, and child, after they are accountable, you may begin to comprehend its magnitude and importance.
Why is it thus? Why is it permitted? Oh, dear girls, wiser minds than ours have asked these questions, brooded aver them, and gone to their graves with them unanswered. As our eyes look out upon this beautiful world with so many blessings and comforts, so many things to make life enjoyable to the inhabitants, and we behold how wonderfully the laws work together far their good, our hearts and minds confidently assert there is a mighty God, creator of all things. In showing his love to us, He reveals himself as a God of love, and those things we do not understand, we leave unquestioned, knowing He doeth all things well, according to His precious word— “All things work together for good to them that love God.” (Romans 8:28) “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” (Psalm 91:1-4)
What beautiful language to declare that the works of God are drawing us to himself, and every people and nation should be inquiring for him and learning of him! Can we not stand boldly for the right in all things, when we have such a mighty King?
If we compare right and wrong in their present effects upon ourselves, we find right always gives a clear conscience, a sense of victory, a knowledge that it will work for good to others, and it makes ourselves into nobler beings. While evil may appear mast lovely and give promise of working out great good, its appearance is always deceitful, and it works against our own welfare and against others. One wrong-doing leads to another and that leads to others, thus bringing into bondage in many ways.
Each individual has a certain disposition, which is inherited, that desires to be gratified. It is natural therefore for all to choose a life course that is pleasing to themselves, and they often try to believe that there is nothing wrong in their course of life. But they find others condemn as wrong many of their motives and actions. So there arises a questioning in their minds. Should they expect it to be settled by the opinions of men, they will be disappointed; for there is a great diversity of belief as to what constitutes right and wrong. So we see the need of a steadfast and true standard of right; but where shall we look for it? As God is the great Creator and has shown His loving-kindness in supplying our temporal needs, would it not be wise to look to Him? Should we not expect, as He is ruler of the universe, that He would wish to control and instruct His subjects in all that pertains to their best interests, and in His great wisdom decide all questions arising in regard to their welfare? This He has done, and we should be truly thankful that he has supplied the great need by giving us His word, the truth, the Holy Bible.