<TITLE>07. Par 17-19</TITLE>L-17 Then he said, no doubt, in his heart that he remembered how mother used to read him Bible stories. You know it used to be mothers had time to read their children Bible stories. They don't have it no more now. They got to get the new car, or get out and go to the ladies' card party, and--and everything. Mothers used to be they had to pack their water from the spring and boil it on the outside. I remember my mother had a great big old iron kettle, and do her washing outside, and... She had more time, now, than a modern mother does just to push a button, like that, do her washing, dishes, everything else, just push a button. But I don't think our modern conveniences has got us anywhere. And what it is, it's made us awful lazy, killing us with heart trouble and everything else.
Susanne Wesley had seventeen children. And with them seventeen children back hundreds of years ago, she could still take from two to three hours a day, in all of her busy schedule, to read the Gospel and pray for her children. What happened? She had a John and a Charles out of there that turned the world upside down. Susanne Wesley, I stood by her grave not long ago and put my hand on the stone. I said, "God, give America some mothers like that." That's right. She produced a Charles and a--and a John Wesley. Charles gave the world some of its vest--best Gospel songs. And John, oh, my, he was a surely a firebrand snatched from the fire. That is right. What a great man of God that he was.

L-18 Now, but today with all of our modern convenience, and instead of reading the Bible to her children, will turn the television on and let them look at something that's not even fit for them to look at. Now, that's right. That's right. And another thing, we'll give them these little old comic books, and little old story books off of some drugstore mantle that oughtn't to even be sold to make--make kindling wood out of, or fire out of. And yet we poke all that kind of stuff down our children's necks. Why, the American... I bet you there's--that nearly every boy in America can tell you who Davy Crockett was. But I imagine there isn't one third of them can tell you Who Jesus Christ is. That's right. Oh, the Lone Ranger, or somebody like that, or some movie star, they know all about it because it's laid before them. And the Bible is the Book that's put away. And when the minister comes, they dig it out, and dust it off and lay it up like that. It's never read. What we need today is some good old fashion mothers back to take their children back to prayer. That's the best remedy I know of to cure juvenile delinquency (That's right.), is good old honest mothers.

L-19 I hear them talk about the illiteracy of the Kentucky mothers up around in the part of the country where we come from, up there. Now, they may be... They wouldn't--might not know right and left hand. But you let one of their girls come in one night with their hair all turned inside out, and her clothes all off of her, and lipstick smeared all over her face and like that, and some little half-drunk, sallow, cigarette sucker bring her daughter in around daylight; I tell you, she won't be able to get out of bed for three months. I'll just guarantee you that now. Yes, sir. And you talk about illiteracy...?... that's... We need more of them kind of mamas. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. That'll--that'll bring back discipline.
In our home we had the ten commandments. They hung over the door. Hickory was all ten of them, out on the end like that. And I tell you, we got out--we got our education off of that. That's right. I can see my father yet reach over and say, "William..."
I'd say, "Oh, my." I knew what was coming. But I--I'm glad he did it. That's right.


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