The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-12-05

crying instantly cenSed, His anger was
changed into grief He had been wronged.
and he felt it keenly. Laying his little head
upon pillow that was IN the floor of the
closet. he sohbed himself TO sleep, and wnr
found there when the door was opened about
an hour afterwards.
where is EdgarP asked my friend. looking
towards his vacant chair ut the dinner-tabIe
after we were all seated o'.'s uI .L..l
lie has been naughty boy, and cannot
come 10 the table to-day replied the mother,
smiling, as she glanced towards me.
What has he been dong% asked my friend.
He came up 10 me crying, n little while IL
go, and would neither tell me what allied him
nor stop his noise. persuaded aud threat-
ened, hut all 10 no purpose; and had mt last, 10
shut hun up IN the closet lie lisa very self
willed boy. When he once gets set out,
there is no doing anything with him.
My friend said nothing. What he thought
do not know: bur j lave very good reasons
for believing that he did not for u moment
Imagine that he and he alone WINS 10 blune in
the matter When he told Edgar, IN reply
to his request for box of prints, that he
would see about it, he did so by way of get
ting off from the cllid's importantly. From
that moment he thought no more about it,
Not so with the child He fully believed that
his father had promised to buy him whnt he
so much desired, aud confiding in his prom
Use, he expected 10 get the box of paints upon
his retllrlI home AT diuner-limc. But lie was
sadly disappointed, and lie was too young to
bear the disappointment.
So little had Edgar's father thought Of what
his child asked of him,and so little notice did
he take ofthe effect produced by his failure 10
get the paints that it did not occur 10 him
"A, l,I I, Al
poirtment. The mother was, of course, ell
tirely ignorant ofIhe cause Other sons uuhap-
piness 1t is true, he had talked TO her about
the paint-box he was TO get when his father
came home TO dinner: bur she had so many
matters of interest TO which her daily atten-
ton was called, thut she never thought about
any Ofthem longer than ten minutes at time.
His crying she attributed 10 some triflng
crossing of his temper. and she did not feel al
all disposed to humor him. .. ........
saw all This and il grieved me deeply
But my position was such that could say
nothing. About two hours after l had left
the dinner table, as was about going ont for
walk, found Edgar sitting OH the front
door steps. He was alone, and was looking
AZ some children playing in the street. He
did not show any disposition TO join them
As passed him he looked up TO me with n
sober face. did not speak'to linn, for did
not know what to say. Once or twice turn.
ed back to look at him--his eyes were follow
ing me. aJ. tiHI
Shall buy him box of paints' / asked
myself will it be right? EU-
For some time / argued these questions,
and finally determined that would risk graf
flying the child. His father, | felt quite sure.
had given the matter so little thought. and
was so entirely ignorant ofthe effect produce
ed by his failure TO buy the paint box, that he
would not look upon my act as an ominous
one, meant to rebuke him. ..I
came back sooner than had intended,
with the paint box in my possession. Edgar
still sat where | had left him. His mother
came to the door Just as placed my foot up
on the step TO enter. She greeted me- pleas
antly, and then said, .-.. tr.b-a
Edgar, why don't you go out and play with
the children? There's William Ellis, aud
Mary Miller, and Thomas Gray, who all love
to have you play with them. Go, my son.
Il don't want TO play replied Edgar, look
ing up into his mothers face. Il would rath-
er sit here .....- ......,....
sit there, then. You are strange child,
sometimes 1..l
ah There was petrIlence rather than tender
ness IN the mothers voice. The boy sighed,
and remained sitting where he was.
Yrs very hard matter to get along with
chlldren,' remarked my friends wife. You
never know how to take thenL One mo-
ment they are on the mountain top, and the
next in the valley. Yesterday, il was next
t0inpossible for me to keep Edgar away
from those children, and now he cares moth
ing about them. 1t seems as fall their moods
and tempers were ever in direct opposition TO
your wishes or feelings. Yesterday, did
not want him to go into the street; and then
nothing else would suit him. To-day, r.
would rather he would amuse himself with
the children; but he chooses to sit mopng n,
the door. ltrequires great deal ofpatience
to get along with children; much more than
/ possess rI-, atQinp wen lo L0i4l
] did not assent to the last part ofthe SEN
tence uttered, although, from all had seen,
was very well satisfied ofits truth. ..., .,,,s.
i have no doubt l made answer, that it is
one of the most difficult thingsin the world
to understand the dispositions and feelings
and so 10 act as not do violence
to them. Their varied moods and tempers
are nor always mere impulses; they depend
upon,what we would consider if we knew all,
causes. Subjectas they are entire.
ly oOthers--possessing no abstract freedom
of their own--they must be constantly meet
ing with checks and disappointments. We
know how little able we are 10 encounter
such things without disturbance although our
matiired, aud we can understand
causes; and although much experience i'm life |
has tended to sober, orr feelings and give us /
some support in a rational philosophy. Re- |
hecting thus, we ought not to be surprised at I
any thing we see in childreh;bln should rath-