Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-11-29

msaned myself, during my lonely pill
grimage, that | am not unlrequently the
chosen conidant Of my married acqua,n-
tsnce. ! enclose you u letter, recently
received from a distant relative, whose
vile, ] know, sometimes looks into the
Ladies' Magazine. 1t is evidently writ
ten under the influence Of strong feeling:
aud IN The age OF confession, may prop
erly be ,erned,-
COME siONs OF A HUSBAND.
Dear Madam = Do you recollec. an
interesting conversation in your little
parl0r, a lew weeks previous to my mar
rage! circumstances have deeply IN
pressed it upon my memory-and be-
lIeve me, nothing but imperious u, ccssi-
~, could now wiring from ne the humil-
iatins confession, hat your predictions
have all pr"vec true. II is with shame
aud regret ! own, that | have no COM
panion IN my wife tina, my children have
no instruct ss in their mother. Ye, l
will moi blame her. Her education,
which ] thought good, was faulty, aid
superficial in the extreme. There must
have been radical defects in my own
too; or ] could not have been 50 indif-
ferent 10 the real value of her acquire
ments. For the ten years Of our mar
rage, have kept pace with the world:
she has renamed stationary, absorb
ed in domestic concerns, in dressing and
visiting, and ! nov feel, aud deplore the
difference. Yet she has amiable, and
estimable qualities, and l often think
how well | could love her; f.
but no more OF myself.
With the best intentions, and the war
NEST wishes for the welfare Of her chill
dren, she hss adopted a code Of govern
ment f"r them; 40 cOercive aud reslric-
tive in its operation, that il they have
but u common share OF intelligence, and
animal spirits, they cannot fail Of daily
incurri0g It's penalties. You know how
iustlnctively recoiI from sights and
sounds of animal suffering. could as
soon pinch or burn, or infiict any other
animal torture upon Il child as to lacerate
It's little body with stripes.
Ii 10 in vain that | ask her, by what
process it is she expects that the appiica-
ton Of brute force will improve the NOR
al qualities Of her child! In vain l as
sure her. that stripes, aud blows, engen-
der ten bad passions, where they ex2el
one. Equally in vain, that | tell her,
that children early emancipate themsel-
yes from the control of a mother; whose
influence is not a moral influence; and
like that Of angels, rather felt than seen.
To all this, her invariable answer is,
"spare the rod, and spoil the child"
W. are the slaves Of association, and
Of prejudice. suppose that in enrly
life, my wife as closely associated the
idea OF Solomon's rod with that Of a
real birch, or maple stick, as | did, the
idea Of learned woman, with that Of a
masculine virago.
"lfl marry a Bieu; where will be my
security, that she will not turn out an
.Authoressr' said l, in the conversation
to which | alluded. Dear Madam, l
rsnounce all my former prejudices--dis-
avo, all that | once said on the su! ject
Of female learning. Were | to choose
| would have the mother of my children
learned indeed, in the philosophy Of the
human mind. Our only system then
would be, that Of systematically watch
ing Indications Of nature as they arise,
aud managing accordingly. 1t is i'm
possible for a father to interfere to ad-
vantage, in the management Of young
children, Nature seem to have thrown
them solely into the arms Of their moth
er, for protection and instruction.
My wife is extremely solicitous for
the mental Improvement Of her children;
but un~i,appily, knows no way Of BRING
ing ii about, but by claiming them a Civ
ell time to their books. On my return
home, when the business Of the day is
done-instead of finding my children,
with intelligent aud happy faces, talk
ing with their mother, and receiving the
elements Of knowledge from her lips,
find them porting over their lessons
with wenried and harrasscd looks; their
memories beyond all measure burdened
at the expense Of their understandings.
1t really pains my feelings, to see them
all brighten up at my entrance, and fly
10 me for assistance. My wife too looks
! pleased when | can devote an hour to
their instruction, and really seems to
feel q degree Of pride, that she has kept
her womauly station, and knows SO much
less than | do.
The other day, my little boy threw
the horse on which he had been riding,
before the fire. 1t was Of green wood
and he stood watching, with great APP
percent interest, the pretty canal of sap
that flowed from il upon the polished
hearth. His mother ordered him to
take it up. He resolately refused-per-