Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1847-05-26

tNb VI eANSUot 1Us AoHos
rThe following communication we
received several weeks since and should
have given it place in our paper before
this had it not got accidently mislaid. But
good advice is never out Of season, and we
trust that that portion Of our readers who
have children under their protection will
profit by the advice herein contained:
For the Portage Sentinel.
Mr.. ED1ToR:-Did not know that the
publisher of a family newspaper is ever
ready to do all he can for the benefit Of his
readers, l should not presume to trouble
you with this communication.
| | have for long time been anxious to
do away wrong in my family, which is
not only in mine but in thousands Of others;
and | have at last hit upon this expedient
to give hint, where | could not do so any
other way without offence, (no one can be
offended with so welcome friend as their
newspaper of course.) | allude to the
practice of frightening children, thing to
which many people think it necessary to
resort, to secure their obedience. Can
there by anything more absurd than to
frighten q child, to do, or not to do what
ever you wish with rats, bears, and all the
pokerish things you can crowd into their
little ads,-it is not only foolish, but wick
ed and very cruel. A year ago, my little
boy who is only three years old, was not
afraid TO go anywhere alone after dark,
and knew nothing Of fear. Now, through
the influence of some friends e? the poor
little fellow cannot go into the buttery,
after sunset, to drink, without shouting
''boo-rat' before he dares enter the door.
Thus, those hours, which, to the domestic
circle, should be the happiest and mos
pleasant of the whole day, are to him the
most miserable, and he cannot hear the
smallest noise Of q mouse or the cat in the
night, but he is sure there is bear ready
to spring towards him, and it is sometimes
an hour before any reasoning or persuasion
q can make him comfortable enough to GO
asleep. There are thousands of children
who suffer thus from terror, and somebody
is to blame. Now who can say what lhi.
3 will lead to? Should we all live it will
, probably cost years OF patient training or
the part Of his parents, to eradicate these
} impressions and perhaps in spite of us, hi
) may become one Of those superstitious, ant
miserable persons, who cannot 90 out ir
the evening, without watching every blacl
stump and corner of the fence, who dar,
not pass graveyard for fear of ghost
and who are always expecting to see {
light in their bedroom, or hear some OLE
clock strike one, to warn them of death
Oh! parents, and guardians of children
Iyou little guess the injury you do, or the
misery you bring upon them SO thought.
lessly, when you tell your little ones, they
must not do SO and SO, or something will
catch them. / once knew sweet little
girl who was put in the cellar for the
bears to eat ''because she would not mind,''
and when they looked for her, they found
their little Mary black and stiff at the bot
l d. :
tom of the stairs. What punishment!
entreat you, parents, brothers, sisters and
all who have little ones around you, if you
have one,spark of humanity in your hearts
or desire for their welfare or comfort,
do not try to terrify them in any way,-ii