The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-06-24
J. HOLCOMB, Editor & Publisher,

urCS TO INFORM their mlnuS,anQ TO correct DaQ
habits, and to have all that consistency of
conduct and department which might induce
respect on the part Of their children. Chill
dren are quick sighted, and soon learn much
about the real worth Of those under whose
control they arc placed. Said little boy,
who, at an earlier period, had thought much
of his mother, " | have just found out that my
mother is a Simpletoa." How important that
mothers be so wise and intelligent that their
children may never have occasion to call them
simpletons; but that as they increase in knowl-
edge and understanding themselves, their
respect for their parents may increase,-that
their example may be such as shall not only
gain the affections of their children, but gain
respect and command influence.
Much influence is lost by threatening
j Some mothers will threaten their children
highly, and continue to threaten until the
child perceives that the mother does not in
tend to execute that the design is merely to
frighten and thus she hardens the heart of
the child, looses influence, and brings her
own authority into contempt.
The mother looses much influence by re-
proving the child for the very practices in
which she herself INDUCES The child is
boisterous, the mother, in bolsterous tone,
commands quiet. The child is impatient, the
mother very impatiently administers reproof.
Said the celebrated Dr. Porter, "Where is
that angry word you spoke this morning ?
You may have forgotten it, but your child
will remember it forever" The child tells a
lie The mother harshly and sharply reproves.
At the same time it is still fresh in the child's
memory that the mother has told many lies
by threatening punishment she never inhict-
ed The mother, perhaps, will reprove the
child for idleness, and for speaking ill Of its
associates, while she herself will spend hour
after hour talking SANDER with her neighbors.
Many mothers complain that they cannot
have influence with their children for want Of
time. But this, we believe, is, at least in
part a mistake. For however much their
time may be occupied, they have little that
may be devoted to their children, and if this
little be rightly improved, they will have much
influence with them.
Neither is it because parents are not highly
intelligent, nor because they are not pious,
that they fail to have influence with their
children. For however important intelligence
and piety may be, yet numerous are the in
stances in which many, destitute of these
qualifications, have almost uhbounded influ-
ence with their children. Well do we recol-
lect the case of two brothers. One of them
was very intelligent, had collegiate educa-
ton, was minister of the Gospel-respccted
and useful The other brother had made but
little mental improvement, but was a man Of
fine common sense, decision, and energy of
character. This brother had great influence
with a large family of children. They were
in the habit of willing obedience, are begin
ming to be useful-are ornaments to society,
and now that old age is creeping rapidly over
| the father the children cluster around, making
every effort to render his pathway to the
tomb delightful.
The other brother thought much of family
government prayed and wept over the sub
| iect, but after all he failed. He could not
summons that selfdenial that decision of
character necessary 80 enable him to say,
No.
Many mothers fail to have influence with
their children because they do not attend to
them. They find time for every thing else
but that of paying proper attention to the
training of their children. They can make
morning calls and evening visits, can attend
to the table, the wardrobe-to all the house,
hold g0dS,-can do any thing but that Of i'm
parting instruction to their children. They
fail to answer the numerous questions prompt
ed by their opening minds, to sympathize with
them in that endless variety which conduces
to make up the sum of their happiness, and,
therefore, fails to have that influence she so
much needs.
Let all mothers realize that they have an
influence with their children-that if not for
veal, it must be for oe,-that it can be OBJ
liberated neither by change of scene, nor lapse
of time, nor even by the far readings of eter-
nifty.
SINGULAR OCCURRENCE. The Spring
field (Ohio) Rcpublic,i in speaking of the work
on the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad,
relates the following occurrence. A car load
of passengers would look well in such a
scrape
"Betwcen Belefontaine and West Liberty
the road crosses a small prairie, which is evil
IDENTITY a lake, over the surface Of which a
heavy sod has grown. The road was graded
and contractors were about to deliver it as
finished, when it suddenly disappeared, and
twelve feet Of water was found in its place
Thirty years ago, the grass was cut on this
prairie, and hauled of on heavy wagon. 1t
is supposed that there is subterraneous COM
munication between it and the neighboring
lakes. The road will probably have to be
carried around the prairie"
ABLAcK HOLE. The N. Y. Commercial,
in speaking of the condition Of the Aims
House," Hospital at that place says that in
that ward 81 patients, all females, were crowd
ed into an apartment, said to be only fifty
feet square, most of them afflicted with the
ship fever; five had died during the night
For want of ventilation and cleanliness, the
air in this apartment had acquired a fetor al
most insupportable. A similar state of things
existed in one of the male wards, and all were
thronged beyond either comfort Or safety In
such a condition of things with a fetid atmos-