Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-02-07
VOL. x. NO. 90.
PARENTS DEPARTMENT.
From the Mothers Monthly Journal.
DOMESTIC MANAGEMENT.

From the Mothers Monthly Journal.
DOMESTIC MANAGEMENT.
Child Mother, want piece of cake.
Mother. hav'nt got any-it'sall gone.
G. know there's some up in the cup
board; l saw it when you opened the door.
NJ. Well, you don't need any now;
cake hurts children.
c. No, it don't; (aohtaimg.) lido want
a piece; mother, mayn't have piece2
M. Be still, can't get up now, Pm
busy.
c. (Crying aloud.) want piece of
cake, l want a piece of cake.
M. Be still, say, shan't give you a
bit if you don't leave off crying.
c. (StiU crying) want a piece of
cake, want piece of cake.
M. Rising hastily and reaching a
piece.) There, take that, and hold your
tongue! Eat it up quick, hear Ben
coming. Now don't tell him you've had
any.
Ben enters) c. I've had piece of
cake; you can't have any.
Ben. Yes, will mother, give me
piece. .~...
M. There, take it; it seems as if I
never could keep bit of any thing in the
house. You see, sir, ito the chitd) if you
get any thing next time
(Amother roons.) G. I've had piece
Of cake
Younger Sister. Oh, want some, too.
c. Well, you 60ecl, and mother'll give
you piece; did,
Let US see how many errors were COM
mitted by the mother during this short
conversation. In the first place she tells
downright lie, and the child detects her
in it; / hav mt any cake" "You have,
l saw it in the cupboard" Secondly, she
gives a false reason, "cake hurts chill
dren," for not gratifying the child's wish
es; at least, her next reply would lead
him to suppose so. Thirdly, she encour-
ages the child in crying for what he de-
sires, by Offering, as reward for leaving
off, the qualification which he could not
obtain by continued good humor. Fourth
ly, she breaks her promise, and rewards
the child for disobeying her. Filthy,
she fosters a spirit of selfish greediness,
the lowest and most debasing of all pas
sions "eat it quick, and don't tell Benz
Sixthly, she utters threat which she has
no intention of acting upon; "see if I
give you any next time" We must
mention, also, the spirit by which her
conduct through the whole is marked,
and which makes the child feel that she
has at last yielded to his wishes, not be-
cause she loves him, but in order to save
herself the vexation of being teazed any
longer. The practical commentary which
he makes in mis- advice to his sister shows
that he fully understands the springs of
her domestic machinery.
Yet this is probably a mother who
loves her offspring, who is toiling early
and late for their comfort and respectable
ty, but who will perhaps have to COM
plain that her old age is embittered by
the neglect and unkindness of her chill
dren. They are not wholly in the fault
A mother may sacrifice her health, and
life itself, for her family, and yet not make
t, them happy; and if she does not make
= them happy, they will not love her. A
child can not comprehend the value of
. : that affection which keeps his mother
= busy from morning till night, when her
ID SIOScLuS TIC
. : of his Judgment; when it is made an
u apology for petulence, injustice, and neg
! lect of those little things which make up
= the happiness of children. Nothing but
a constant hourly flow of kindness, prompt
in gratifying, gentle in refusing-a kind
ness which knows no ebb, unruff1ed by
passion, unpolluted by sel6shness-can
$ gain the entire confidence and affection of
S, a child. ought also to add, that moth
! er who has made herself an object of
= contempt to her children can not Justly
r claim their difference and respect; and
i such she surely will be, if in her man
! agement of them, she stoops to the mean
S ness of deceit and falsehood The pure,
n ennobling sentiment of filial pietv can
!: spring up only in an atmosphere of truth
l and love- In its nature it is akin to that
|, which is exercised towards the benefcient
7 Father of all, and requires for its full ex-
pansion the same influences of rectitude
and goodness.--ED. ].
I" This conversation was actually overheard
passing between two children, BY lady of my
acquaintance.
MINIsTERs-CHURcH late
o Dr. Payson of this city, shortly before his