In the great home of the mind there is a room of unusual importance
which can be known as the picture gallery. Here the great artist
Imagination hangs the products of his efforts. Picture after picture
is painted by this wonderful faculty and hung in this gallery. Each of
these pictures becomes a force exerted upon the individual in whose
mind it is hung. Thought and Desire wander in this gallery incessantly,
and gaze upon the pictures there, using them as patterns for their
efforts in future. From these pictures they get their incentive and
inspiration.
The young child's picture gallery is a wonderful room with clean,
white walls waiting for the artist to take up the task of painting and
hanging the pictures. This artist is young and inexperienced and easily
influenced and guided by one older and more accurate.
The parents should realize that this gallery is going to be rapidly
filled with pictures, and that the choice of these pictures can
be almost entirely under their control. You can help your child's
imagination paint clean, wholesome pictures that will result in helpful
and constructive influence upon his life. But remember that these
pictures ARE BEING HUNG, whether YOU take time to help in the work or
not.
If the pictures are negative in influence, or those suggested by wrong
companions and vulgar thoughts, the result will show itself sometime in
the future. The life will sooner or later reproduce these pictures in
personal character and action.
Pictures which are objectionable can be replaced, or covered over by
attractive ones, which will be helpful and lead Thought into right
paths and create Desire that will be a future blessing. Remember, it
is far more difficult to replace a negative picture than to paint
a helpful one before the other has made its impression. It is very
important that you place your picture first.
Imagination is the architect and his plans are hung upon the walls
of this picture gallery, where other faculties use them for building
the character and personality of the child. His future circumstances,
success, or failure, will be the result of this law of nature. The
contents of this picture gallery are great and powerful causes which
help bring about the desired result.
If this truth can be sufficiently impressed upon the mind of parent
and child, both will co-operate in an effort to hang the right kind
of pictures in the gallery and the result will be a finer and more
successful life.
Every parent should make it a duty to hang in this gallery beautiful
pictures of all the ideals which they wish to see fulfilled by
their child. Besides the ideals of growth, character, purity, etc.,
there should be such pictures as a home; a life of useful service;
financial independence, and a happy old age. The details are a matter
of individual choice and should be filled in as the years pass by the
growing understanding and ambition of the child.