A Man's Character

How to build character?

Man, that can be tough for a child in training. When mistakes are made, you point them out, mete out some punishment and hope they learn something from them, but can you ever be sure?

If they are really sorry about what they did you've made progress, but if they are just sorry they got caught, well, that's another matter.

I sometimes wish for wisdom of ages past, like Ralph Moody's father in his autobiographical Little Britches. Ralph had been caught in a web of lies he had spun and here was his father's response:

"Son, there is no question but what the thing you have done today deserves severe punishment. You might have killed yourself or the horse, but much worse than that, you have injured your own character. A man's character is like his house. If he tears boards off his house and burns them to keep himself warm and comfortable, his house soon becomes a ruin. If he tells lies to be able to do the things he shouldn't do but wants to, his character will soon become a ruin. A man with a ruined character is a shame on the face of the earth."

Ralph's father was a poor man of richest character. I suspect Ralph became like him, but he sure did get into mischief as a youngster. It gives me hope!