Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-02-09
PARENTS DEPARTMENT.
From the MotheI's Magazine.
Controlling the CG1scie-ice.

Controlling the CG1scie-sce.
Mrs. W.-Madam. - Y on ask me, Where
lies the secret Of mothers control over
the conscience Of her son! And you ell
couraged me to answer from experience, DIS
far as can recolcct, wherein lay the secret
of nv mothers control over my conscience
in my boyhood and youth.
can assure you, Madam, that ifyou had
not furnished me the inspiration oiths suS-
gestion, should not have sent you single
line. But as you permit me to tall. about
my mother, cannot be silent. There never
was any theme that walked up the inspiration
of my soul like this. But you have lett me
the task of anal yzing your question, and
this | consider quite herculean. | will at
tempt an answer however, If you will allow
me to begin with the negative. | say then,
1t did not lie in the fact that she ,ras my
mother. Just such woman as my mother
was, would have controlled me if she had
not stood in that high relationship. III had
been picked up from the street, cast out and
abandoned OF my real mother, and been
committed to her who uas my ;.,other, and
she had swathcd me and named me; and
my infant ears had been filled with the story
of my having been founding, and that
she who soothcd me and nursed me, was
not my mother, this fact would have made
no difference in my feelings towards that
blessed woman. The young mind formed
its close and deatbless attachment before it
cared about the relationship, or could know
its meaning; and if not secured before this
question is analyzed, it is lost forever.
put my young eyes upon many moth.
er, who was attempting to regain authority
over the wayward child in its frolics, by
pleading a mothers relationship; but never
saw the case, when mother, BY that plea,
gained mothers affections, or mothers
control. have seen the child strike the
face of that mother, while this plea was upon
her lips, without any more emotion than if
she he'd been monky or a cat; and from
that moment onward, that mother, under
that plea. gained no ascendency, till the
ruined child would at length curse her to her
face, and let her serve him when toll and old
age had worn out her nature. have seen
those children vagabonds invariably, into the
bargain. never struck my mother; and
if my hand should wither up before reach
my grave, shall have no such recollection
to torture me. There never was that mo-
ment since | slept on her bosom, and she
lifted my little chin to make me smile, and
sung to me that soft sweet lullaby that sooth-
cd me to rcst,-since then, there never was
a moment when could have been angry
enough to strike my mother. And when |
heard that she was dying, fell on my knees
and askedthe Lord that might sec her alive,
or be permitted to die with her.
Excuse my wandering, and | will 60 on
to talk about my mother. In saying that
her control over me did not arise wholly
from the relationship, ! do not mean to say
that after thought and reason began, the
idea of kindred did not enter into, modify,
control, and elevate the attachment. But
she had grappled my conscience long before,
and dared not offend her because she had
loved me and sung to me, and soothed ME.
Soon as | began to think, and reason had to
do with my obedience, Truth then came in
to operate and modify the affections. Soon
as | could know it, soon as it could be the
alimcnt Of the moral man, it began to mould
sne. Till then it operated only through my
mother. 1t was, madam, with my mind,
just as it wus with my body. The body
was nourished by the provisions that the !
God of nature made. But these provisions
were not suited to the infant organs, and the |
infant appetite, tillthrough the kind, timely, |
and prompt interference Of q mother, they
were presented to me in form that the IN.
fant appetite and the infant organs demand.
ed, and could receive. The child of an
hour, or a day, y,y,cannot eat the corn nor the
wheat, but can lie at the breast and draw In
the soft and nutritious provisions that kind
heaven has made ready. So the young
conscience does not feel from sense of
duty, does not obey mother atfirst because
of the parental relationship, and the cores
ponding fiial obligations; but because the
Flea of the parental relation, and the obiga-
ton resulting, is drawn out in mothers
kindness, and mothers caresses. Hence
she has firm hold on the conscience before
the child can tell why he obeys. Habit per-
haps might be said to operate before truth
did. And yet understand me not to say
that my mother did it independently oftruth.
1t was truth embodied in her example, and
drawn out in it that went to form the first
ingredients Of my character. My mother
said this is right, and that is right, and con-
ided in the oracular wisdom of her words. /
That nay mother said it, was proof enough
of any thing. If she told me there was q
God, had confidence: if she had told me
otherwise, | should have believed as firmly.
She told me that to do right was the way TO