Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1845-04-19
m,.,,,s..,, Family Government.


Mistakes In Family Government.
Il is vastly easier II find fault with other
peoples family government, than 1t is to have
perfect system Of your own. Yet this is no
res son why we should not speak OF their errors,
and avoid them, aud mend our own as we find
them ont. This is the way to improve.
We have given UP scolding. II has neither
reason, religion, common sense, or experience
TO recommend it. While there are reasons ma
ny and mighty to justify its total and immediate
shat one thorough scolding prepares the way
tor Two or three more. 1t sours your own TEN.
per, provided it was sweet, which is a question
ifyou are prone to scold T; and thus the more
you will have to scold, because You have be.
come crosser and your children likewise.
Seeding alienates the hearts ut your chill
drcn. Depend upon it, they cannot love you as
well after you have berated them sound'y as
they did before. You may reprove them with
tirnness and decision you may punish with se
verify adequate TO the nature of their offences,
and they will feel the justice Of your conduct
ami love you notwithstanding all. But they
bate scoldipg. 1t strs up the bad blood while
1t discoses your weakness and sinks you in their
esteem. Especially at nigh. when they are
obout to retire, their hearts should be melted
ond moulded with voices of kindness, that they
may 90 to their slumbers with thoughts of love
stealing around their souls and whispering
peace.
Oar neighbor Mrs. c., is very uneven
IN her system of government Or rather she
has no system. She lets her children do very
much as they please, until they become 70 ntol.
erably troublesome that her patience is emptied
completely, then she flies at them like fury,
whips them all around and then sits down to
have "a mnnte's comfort" as she very pathe-
ticaly expressed it. But the minute is dread.
fully short. They are at mischief again, before
their tears are dry, and this scene of forced
submission and swift rebellion is repeated as
often as might be expected, where there is no
evenness of temper and no system Of disci-
pine maintained There is no peace in her
house, and never will be, although Mrs. c.
isl very excellent woman and loves her chill
dren dearly.
Mr.. D., who lives opposite, whips his
children too much. They have become hick-
ory.hardened. He is not passionate man, but
he has grown up with the idea that the rod is
the best medicine for children, and as all chill
dren need to be corrected, the rod must be the
appointed means. So he whips, on all possible
occasons.--And the occasions OF course coms
often. His children have lost that sense O
shame which they would feel most deeply hat
he governed with discretion, and therefore they
often fall into condemnation. He has made
great mistake, but he is one Of those men VIII,
know more than every body else, and conse
quently will never change his system.
We have been trying for some time past t
mngle gentieness with firmness, patience wit
decision, and it seems To work well. We fin
that the hearts Of children are not made ofstonc
they will yield to the tones Of kindness, and in
pressions made by affection and authority CON
bned, are the impressions which ought TO
made on the young heart. We punish our chi
dIeH Wben they ueoet'e puiiieH"eHt, anu the
have no idea that our love for them will eve
shed them from chastlsement when disobed
ence demands the blow This is our system
and we mean to give it fair experiment Thu
far it works well and we find from year to yea
less occasion to use the rod, and more peasur
in observing the growing willingness OF on
children to regard their parents wishes as the
strongest laws. Ny WIFE AND |.
New York Observer.