The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-01-21
WHOLE NO. 29I2.

IetterS ana irritation OF former alliances.
The virulent humors of the body polite
would not collect in the old wounds, but be
again dispersed and cured by the course of
nature. But this happy termination of polit-
zeal strife, with its original causes, seems
not to accord with experience. The names,
and badges, and attitude, of parties are
preserved; antipathies become habits men
resolve to differ eternally without cause,
for the mere reason of having once differed
for good cause. Ore portion of the people
is excluded by the other from the public
service. Parties become factions. The
torch of dscord blazes, while the fire of
patriotism expires, and the fierce, and un-
holy passions, which have rent the Repub-
lie, survives its ruin. May our beloved city
prove an exception to these sad examples
On FAMILY GOVERNMENT. In spite Of
modern whims about liberty and equality
| the government of family must be abso-
lutte; mild, not tyrannical. The laws of ma
ture, and the voice of reason have declared
the dependence of the child Oh the parent.
The weakness of youth must be supported,
and the violence OF youth repressed, by the
hand of age and experience. Parental ten
derness is too apt 10 degenerate into parent
al weakness. eff you please, child" and
"Will you, DEAR" are soon answered with,
=" No; l won't" The reins of government
should always be gently drawn not twich-
ed like a curb bride at one time, and dan
gled loosely at another. Uniformity in par
ents produces uniformity in children. To
whip at one minute, and caress, or let the
culprit go unpublished for the same crime at
another, cannot fail to iniure the force of
parental authority. Consider before you
md bo hoe
81 will whip you, if you don't mind me-"
says the parent in a passion. 81 am not
afraid of it." says the child. The parent
flies towards it in paroXysm Of rage: the
child prefers flight TO broken bones. ''You
may go now, but you shall have your pun
shment with interest, next time you do 500
" | don't believe that" thinks the child. tt
is experience that gives the parent the lie.
But" says you, ";vhips and rods were the
scourges of the dark ages; the present age
is more enlightened: in it law is reason,
and authority is mildness." Beware of that
reason which makes your child dogmatcal.
and that miidness which makes INN obsti-
nate.
There is such thing as the rod of re-
proof and it is certain, that, in numberless
cases, arguments produce a better effect
than corporeal punishment. Let those he
properly admonished, in case of disobedi-
ence: ifinefectual, try the harsher method.
Never begin to correct till your anger has
subsidized. Cease not till YOU have subdued
the viii of the offender: if you do, your au-
thority is at an end. Let your commands
he reasonable. Never deliver them in
passion, as If they were already rlisobeysd.
nor with timn, distrustful tone, as if you
suspected your own authority. Remember
that scolding is directly the reverse of
weighty reasoning. 1t is the dying groans
of good government. Never let it be heard
under your roof unless you intend your
house should be nursery of faction, which
may at some future time, rear its hydra
head, not only against you, but in opposition
TO the parents and guardians ofour country.
Patriotism. as well as charity, begins at
home. Let, the voice of concord be heard
in your family: 1t will charm your domes-
tics to love of order.-British Nag.
LEGAL ABsURDIrIEs. In late puhlica-
ton by Mr.. Charles Butler, he mentions
some astonishing instances of legal absur-
dity. A gentleman having six estates,
wished TO settle one on each of his six sons,
and the heirs Of his body respectively, with.
what the lawyers term cross remGinders be-
tween them, where on failure of issue in
one line, the estate passes to the other
branches. Mr.. Butler being directed to
prepare the deed conceived at first that one
proviso would be sufficient; he then thoue hit
six would do but on examining more mi
nutely how many clauses would be requisite
to legally express the whole settlement, he
found they would require 20, being every
possible combination of the number six
| 1-2-S-4-5-6-72O The other exam
- ~
partners in mining company, wished to
provide by deed, that if any one Of the num-
her advanced money to any of the others,
| it should he considered a sort of mortgage
on the borrowers share, and have prefer
ence to all subsequent charges. The num-
Der of contracts necessary to make this pro-
vision with due legal accuracy, were found
to amount to 5,62S,8C0, being all the posi-
! bic combination of ten. On each of these
clauses the benevolence of government has
imposed a stamp duty of EOS, so that the
| whole duty would have amounted to el4O,-
! go, 600, London Chronicle.
| New YEARS FRoLIC. Three jolly fellows
met at n house at the West end of Balt-
more to blow out the old year and blow in
| the new. They had a right merry time,
and several companions of both sexes. At
! five minutes before twelve, they all babe
! good night to old 1898, and one of them
proposed to send the old bon on his way
with flask. They laid a bottle of rum on
the fire ; it soon hurst, and the room was
filed with the flame of the blue ruin, among
which the company capered like so many
demons, shouting frel fire The bells
were rung, and the engines were soon on
the spot, and although the company protest.
ed that the fire was out, the engine boys
were not to be called mp at midnight and
cheated of their sport. The pipe was put