Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-03-22

dren, furnish a rich hops that he will in the
end assemble around him his little flock, and
be able to say with exultation and transport.
"Behoh here am / and the children thou
hast given me."* On the government of
children, shall give some of the views Of
a late able theological writer, and in con-
nexion with them present suggestions ofmy
own.
l. Let the government of children, be
commenced very early. 1t would be un-
natural to see gardener defer his attempts
to bend the direction of his tree, till it had
acquired the strength which will cause it to
resist all his power. But we expect to see
him make his efforts while it is a tender
ozier; while it is plant, and may easily be
made to bend to his wishes.
"The habit of submission can never be
effectuated without difficulty, unless com.
menced at the beginning. The first direcs'
ton of the infant mind has been often, and
Justly compared to the first figure assumed
by the twig, which is ordinarily its figure
during every period of its growth. If chill
dren are taught efectually TO obey at first,
they will easily be induced to obey ever af:
forwards. Almost all those, who are dis
obedient, are those, who have been neglected
in the beginning. The twig was suffered
to stif1en, before an attempt was made to
bend it into the proper shape. Then it re-
sumed, as soon as the pressure ceased, its
wented figure.
"If begun in season, the task Of securing
flial obedience will usually be easy, and the
object eGectualy gained. Ifneglected early,
it will be attended with many difficulties and
discouragcments, and its efficacy will be
doubtful, if not fuitless." Is it asked at
what age, government may be commenced!
This mustb be decided by the forwardness Of
the child. Generally at six months, the
child is sufficiently attentive to the objects
around him, to distinguish between reproof
and appreciation in the parent. If so, ne is
old enough to be the subject ofgorernmcnt.
This is not to be done by having recourse
to the rod at that age, but by being forced to
submit to the will of the parent, whenever
there is difference between the wish ofthe
parent and that of the child. The child will
then be able to read the decision in the eye
Of the parent, and will easily learn that he
must submit. This habit of Submission,
':should be formed so early" says DR.. With
erspoon, that the memory will not be able
to reach back to it, At this age he may
as easily as ever be made to know that he
cannot be indulged in consequence ofcrymg.
Two or three principles ought to he cstab-
l:shed now, which VIII save much time and
much pcrplexity in after periods. First,
never deny child at one time what you in
dulge him in at another. Secondly, deny
him nothing, but that which will bv its ma
ture or its influence, be injurious Thirdly,
let TO importantly ofthe child be sufficien.
to induce you Under any circumstances, to
alter decision which you have deliberately
made. The presence ofcompany, the haste
occasioncd by business Or engagements. or
some other thing, induces parents frequently
to break this rule for once, and thus pre-
cedent is formed, which must be followed, or
the bitter crying Of the child will invariably
succeed. Children arc not slow to remem-
bcr an indulgence, and when it has been
once allowed them to break over general
rules, there is an end to peaceable and quiet
submission. The earlier habits of submis-
sion can be formed, and the more uniformly
they can be continued, the more easily will
the work of government be conducted.
2. Let government be administered with
constancv. "The views manifested by the
parent concerning the conduct of the child
should be ever the same. His good con-
duct should be ever approved; and his bad
conduct invariably disapproved. The mea-
sures of the parent should be invariably OF
the same tenor. All proper encouragement
should be holden ont to obedience, and all
rational opposition be steadily made to dis.
obedience. The active superintendence OF
the child ought to be unremitted. He should
feel that he is ever an object of parental at
tcntion, ever secure, when his behavior mer-
its it, of parental favor; and ever conscious
that his faults will expose hlmto irowns and
censures. This unremitted consciousness
of the child can never be produced, but by
the unremitted care and watchfulness OF the
parent. The Roman maxim, "Reslst the
beginnings evil" is in all cases replcte
with wisdom, but is applicable, to no case,
perhaps, with so much force, as to those
evils which early appear in the character OF
children. All their tendencies should be
watched. Every commencement of evil.
every tendency towards it, should be obser-
we'd and resisted.
The efforts Of parents, in this employment,
should also be unwearied. Discouragement
and sloth are two prime evils, in the conduct
ofparental government. The parent seeing
so many, and so unceasing exertions neces-
sary for the accomplishment ofhis purpose,
usually feels, either sooner or later, as If it
could never be accomplished; and hence
CO., .,>o~o J;ecouro cemant raIavec his en-.