A Banistered Home
"When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence" -- Deut. 22:8
In olden times roofs were made flat and persons walked on them. Hence the requirement for building around the roof a battlement, or banister, to prevent persons walking thereon from falling off. Under the Mosaic law, a man building a house and failing to banister his roof was held responsible for any accident or loss of life resulting from his neglect.
Similar safeguards are required in modern homes. One would scarcely build a house without banisters for his porches and stairways where there might be danger of anybody’s falling therefrom. Should he do so, he could be held legally responsible in case of an accident.
It is doubly important that a home have proper safety devices where there are children. Older ones who have learned to be cautious might safely get along without so much banistering. But who would think of exposing his children to the danger of an unbanistered porch or staircase?
And yet, when it comes to the far more important matter of safeguarding our children against moral and spiritual peril, how poorly many of our homes are banistered. In many homes there is no established order for the government of the household, little or no attention is given to discipline, and religious teaching scarcely receives a thought. How pathetic and what a tragedy to find so many young people to-day who have never heard their father’s voice in prayer, and who do not know what it means to kneel at Mother’s knee.
For society’s sake, as well as for our children’s sake, let us see to it that our homes are well banistered with good order, proper discipline, religious instruction, and prayer.
