Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-01-01
FRoM THE NATIONAL ADVOCATE,
DOMESTIC ECONOMY,

WHICH 10 az 50 tnuCn Nllai l4tcrCSl, anu By
little understood, as the management Of
chRdreU. am confirmed inthe opinion,
from attentive observ alton, that this
branch Of domestic economy is very
much neglected, and that children were
better governed % years aga, than they
are at present. Parents, as we'll as So
ciety at large, the interests of country,
and the welfare Of mankind, depend, in a
great measure, Oh early impressions
on proper impulse and direction, given
TO children's minds and this cannot be
neglected, without violating those great
obligations which morality imposes.
am excessively fond of children when
they are not rude or noisy, and can pos
sibly have no higher qualification than
mixing in their innocent amusements
and participating in their joyful gam
eols; take great pleasure in conversing
with sensible, modest boy, and can
nurse rosy checked infant for hours, if
the urchin does not cry. With such
feelings, l accepted all invitation, from
a friend, to dinner, who had large
family of young children, and who
seasoned his invitation by assurances
that should meet some gentlemen of
intelligence, as we'll as being gratihed
with the sight of promising family.
These were sufficient inducements and
at the appointed hour l was there, for
nothing is more rude than to keep
family waiting dinner beyond the hour of
invitation. | met with friendly well
come; and the young cues, consisting of
three boys and girl, were, severally,
ordered up to shake hands with me, and
be exhibited. They each made some
resistance, shufilcd off a little and came
very reluctantly. | did not augur well
from this specimen of breeding child
should be instructed to approach Q
stranger with respectful confidence, d.
vested alike of assurance or timidity,
/ would not Judge hastily, and dinner
was shortly announced. The children
were almost the first seated, and there
was some indecent souffling for chairs,
which required the interference of the
father to stop, and which was done not
without some difficulty, as mama beg
Ked him not to create riot.--Order be-
ing restored, l began to eat my soup,
but with little comfort; the young ones
were again noisy and clamorous; one
did not like mutton-the other vo-
siferously demanded the hip of a turkey
1.-The third called for beer, with an air
Of authority-and papa whispered to the
fourth to ask me to drink glass of wine
with him, an honor which would have
declined, but was fearful of hurting the
feelings of the father, who was thus
cunning his child, by teaching him max
inns of high life, and customs of mature
age while yet an infant We got Through
the dinner after some wrangling, few
tears, expostulations from the father, and
opposition from the mother. The des-
sert was introduced, and the young ones
made dash at the finest of the fruit
helped themselves plentifully-and
while two were fighting for peach,
they knocked over butter boat with
sauce for the pudding, which they safely
lodged partly in mama's lap, and partly
ON nv. black small clothes. was very
near losing my tempero on this occasion;
it frettcd me to see children so much ne
elected. However, while the urchins
were busily engaged, in destroying what
ever they fancied, l was conversing with
a gentleman who sat opposite me, on the
subject of manufactures, and the means
Of decreasing pauperism, and giving
employment to our poor; but this deep
ly interesting topic was interrupted by
the nurse entering with an infant in her
arms, and boy, Of two years old, lead
ing by the hand. A new scene of up
roar commenced; the children seized
the baby--the baby squalled for fruit
the young one grasped at every thing in
his way-a perfect riot ensued-and it
was with great difficulty that the room
was cleared, after bribing each one of
them with something eatable. took
my departure with pleasure, happy in
terminating this unpleasant interview.
Times are strangely altered, or rather
wholesome doctrines have become un-
fashionable. When | was boy, my
breakfast, with seven others, consisted of
milk and water, or very weak coffee,
which was placed in large earthen pan,
and each of us had a tin cup, and two
good slices Of bread and butter: all our
meals were served up in this manner,
under the superintendent of one of the
family, and were despatched to school at
che proper hour; we had reasonable
proportion Of delicacies reserved for us,
and at night We joined the family party,