The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-09-15

PARESTAL FALsEHoops. In noticing Mrs.
Opie's " Illustrations of Lying" writer in the
London Literary Gazette has the following re-
marks, which are well worthy the attention of
parents.
There is one class Of lies, which we are lit
&c surprised did not attract a larger share of
Mrs. Opie's attention Lies told Jy parents to
their children. We believe that the slight re-
gard in which strict truth is held among tnan-
kind, is principally owing to the lies, which are
told TO children by their parents, during the
fow first years oe their lives Then is the time
that permanent impressions may be as well
made as at any later period. 1t is then. prob
ably, that what is called the natural propensity
of child is unfolded Many persons who have
great adherence of lying, and whip their child
rem ifthey detect them in it, yet make no scru-
pie of telling and acting to them the most afro
cious ialsehoods. There are few parents who
do not do this in greater less degree, though
doubtless without dreaming they guilty of
criminal deception. With many the whole bu-
siness of managing their children is piece of
mere artihce and trick They are cheated in
their amusements, cheated in their food, cheat
ed In their dress Lies are told them to get
them TO do any thing which is dsagreeabe. Ii
child is to take physic the mother tells him
she has something good for him to drink if re-
cusant she will send for the doctor to cut off his
ears, or pull his teeth, or that she will go away
same kind, each Of which may deceive once
and answer the present purpose, but will inva.
rlably fail afterwards.
Parents are too apt to endeavor TO pacify
their children by making promises which they
never intend to perform. If they wish, for in.
stance, to take away some eatable, which they
fear vii! be Injurious they reconcile them by
the promise of ride, or walk, or something else
whloh will please them, but without any inten.
ton of gratifying them. This is lying down
right. People think nothing of breaking their
promises to children, if the performance be not
perfectly convenient. Bat they are the last
persons to whom promises should be broken
because they cannot comprehend the reason
II there he one, why they are not kept. Such
promises should be scrupulously redeemed,
though at q great Inconvenience, and even
when inadvertently made. For the child's
moral habit is of infinite more consequence,
than such an Inconvenience can be to parent.
We have only noticed few of the cases OF
lying to children, but enough to illustrate the
frequency oft And yet, after having pursued
a course Of deception for the two or three first
years OF life, If the parent then finds his child is
trying to deceive him, and will tell a downright
lie, he wonders how he should have learnt to
do so, for he always taught" him to speak the
truth; not rejecting that he has been living to
him from his very birth. So he attributes those
habits to an innate disposition and tendency to
ialsehood, which he has himself been fostering
and nourishing from the first.
CoRsErs. To say nothing of the actual
mlschiefs which tight lacing produces, the in
fuence it exerts on all the motions of the
body is entirely Instantaneous Can any
thing on earth be more ungraceful than the
gait, the walk of female who is extremely
corseted. From the shoulders down, as stiHy
,lnhexibie as tho Parlor tongs, she can only ad
vance by sideling shuttle of the feet, which
appears 20 get forward by stealth. instead oi
Eaoving the body with that elastic mobility
Characteristic of its anrestrained natural con.
dition. Instead of the easy, graceful inciina-
ton OF a flexible form, we have an awkward
ungainly attempt to balance the BODY on the
limbs; the shoulders sliffened backwards, as if
shackied with IRON the chest girted IN, till
breath can scarcely be drawn and the trunk
OF the body as rigid IT carved in wood the
figure looking like caricature upon nature,
ease, and grace When ladies in this trim
enter Il room, especially after walking, they
can scarcely speak for several minutes. All
TINS torture, uneasiness, and Inconvenience
is patiently endured, and for what? because il
IS iashlenable Grace, ease, elegance, and
comfort, are alike inundated to this Mnloch
VINO spares none who pretend to the rank of
fashionable
Net long since, the following scene occurred
unaer our notice at n boarding house in Phila-
delphia. The girl of the house, tall. oood
locking young woman, at proper time in the
afternoon, filled the tea kettle, and brought il
ts the kitchen hearth, where she placed ii on
bench To place it over the FIRE required con-
siderable STOPPING, and this, as it turned out.
was impossible to her. Repeated and fruitless
were her attempts, by sort of crouching atti
tude, to accomplish her object there was no
one present to assist or relieve her from her re-
straint, which prevented STOPPING and at length
IN despair she gave up her trials, and stood bv
inc Kettle Hs.lf debating what she should do
he mistress came 10 inquire if the water was
polling, and found it no. yet on the fire TO
that she had her long Gusk' on. that her q H..
eng which was excessively tight, was in a
nard Knot" and that she could not possibly
stoop TO put on the kettle!
Medico-ehirurgical Rsvisw.