The native American., 1838-05-26
DOMESTIC MANAGEMENT.


DOMESTIC MANAGEMENT.
Child.-Mother, want piece of cake.
Mother.I haven't got any--it's all gone.
C.--I know there's some up in the cupboard;
saw it when you opened the door.
M.-Well, you donft need any now; cake
hurts children.
C.--No, it don't (whining.) l do want a
piece; mother mayn't have piece?
M.-Be still, cantt get up now, I'm busy.
C.-(Still crying. want piece of cake.
M.-(Rising hastily and reaching piece
There, take that, and hold your tongue!-Eat il
up quick, / hear Ben coming. Now don't tell
him you've had any.
ben enters.) Give had piece of cake;
you can't have any.
Ben.--Yes, will; mother give me piece.
M.-There take it; it seems as if never could
keep bit of any thing in the house. You see,
sir, Ito the child if you get any thing next time!
Another room.) Give had piece ofcake!
Younger sister.-Oh, want some too.
C.-Wel, you ba,cl and mother'n give you a
piece; did.
Let us see how many errors were committed
by the mother during this short conversation.
In the first place she tells downright lie, and the
child detects her in it; "Ihav'nt any cake" "You
have, saw it in the cupboard" Secondly, she
gives false reason, .scake hurts children" for
not gratifying the child's wishes: at least, her
next reply would lead him to suppose so. Third,
she encourages the child in crying for what he
desires, by offering, as reward for leaving off,
the qualification which he could not obtain by
continued good humor. Fourthly, she breaks her
promise, and rewards the child for disobeying
her. Filthy, she fosters spirit of selfish greedi-
ness, the lowest and most debasing of all pas
sons; seat it up quick and don't tell Ben"
Sixthly, she utters al threat which she has no in
tention of acting upon; ''see if give you any
next time" We must mention, also, the spirit
by which her conduct through the whole is mark
ed, and which makes the child feel that she has
at last yielded to his wishes, not because she loves
him, but in order to save herself the vexation OF
being teased any longer. The practical COM
mentary which he makes in his advice to his
sister shows that he fully understood the springs
of her domestic machinery.
| Yet this is probably mother who loves her
offspring, who is toilng early and late for their
comfort and responsibility, but who wi | perhaps
have to complain that her old age is embittered
| by the neglect and unkinJness of her children.
They are not wholly in the fault. A mother
may sacrifice her health, and life itself, for her
family, and yet not make them happy: and if she
does not make them happy, they will not love
her. child cannot comprehend the value Of
that affection which keeps his mother busy from
morning till night, when her industry is continu-
ally crossing the track of his enjoyment; when il
is made an apology for petulance, injustice, and
neglect Of those things which make up the hap
piness of childhood Nothing but a constant
hourly flow of kindness, prompt in gratifying,
gentle in refusing kindness which knows no
|ebb, unrufied by sel6shness-can gain the entire
confidence and affection Of child. l ought also
to add that mother who has made herself an
object of contempt to her children cannot justly
claim their Difference and respect and such surely
will be, if in her management of them, she stoops
to the meanness of deceit and falsehood. The
pure ennoblng spirit of filial piety can spring up
only in an atmosphere of truth and love. In its
nature it is akin to that which is exercised to-
wards the benefcent Father of all, and requires
for its full expansion the same influences of rec
titude and goodness.