Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-04-02
Managing Children.

"Don't break it, Jos-c,' said the fond
mother, as she gave the darling little boy the
looking-glass. Little jose, as his mother
called him, Notwithstanding he had toys
enough for any reasonable child, one day took
it into his head that he should be quite hap
Ply if he could have the looking-glass added
to the number. "The lo~oking.gIass,' said
his mother, &" why, child, who ever heard of
such a thing!" Jose %straightway began 10
be importunatc, " ma, ma, | want tho glass"
"Poh, poh," said his mother, "do you think
| am going 10 give you the lookinp-plass to
play with? You would break it, and cut
your fingers with it. and then we should have
to send for the doctor!" 81 shan't break
it; | won't cut my fingers let Inc have it,
and thea he laid hold Of his mothers gown
in good earnest. After being dragged across
the room a few times, Jose began to cry
and his mothers patience being quite eX-
haus,ed, she took him off, saying, Joe, you
shan't have the looking-glass. there! now 90
about your bus;ness." This would have
been a death blow to Joe's hopes, if he had
not endured such trials before, and come off
conqueror. He was not, therefore, disheart-
ened. He laid himself right down upon the
floor, and began 10 roar as if he would raise
the neighbors.
Hereupon his mothers wrath was kindled
she called Joe a naughty boy, and threatened
to tell his father of him, and he would take
a stick 10 him, and shat him up in the dark
hole. NJ this Joe took a pitch one note high
er, Gas we musicians say and TITLED away
a most laIDentable solo. His mother, WHO
had no ear for music, became alarmed. She
feared he would burst a blood-vessel, or die
with rage, and Just at this moment sundry
stories of such accidents fitted across her
mind with fearful reality. Joe's lungs held
out wonderfully, and after every L7r'S rest, he
raised his voice Il Semi-t0ne, until he scream
ed terrific in the Space above. What was to
be done ! Half crazy with noise and APP
prehension, she attempted to pacify little
Jose by offering him the pincushion, the
story-book, the little tea-set-but all would
not do, his heart was upon the looking-glass,
and he would cry his eyes ont if he could
not have it. At last his afflicted mother
yielded. She took down the lookinr-plass
and gave it to him, saying, There, | de-
clare you are the beat GN-take it an vou
aUiH, but don't break it, Jose" Now the
reader may be curious 10 know what became
of Jose and the looking-glass. 1t is no mat.
ter. | suppose he broke it and cut his fin.
gers into the bargain; but | wish to turn his
attention to the mother rather than to the
, child. In the first place, she was faulty il
! not refusing 10 grant Joe's request in the be
ginning. In the second place, she wa,
j, faulty in endeavoring to terrify him by thu
: doci0r and the dGrk hole. And in the thirC
, place, she was ,cichcd in telling him a down
right falsehood. Many mothers, and father
4 too, who would not tell a lie for their RICH
. hands, are guilty Of such conduct, almost ev
cry day, with their intercourse with thei
= children. No wonder that so many children
grow up to lie and steal and 90 to the hous
of correction and the state prison. Take
!, tenant Of the state prison and go back TO hi
early history, and, ten TO one, his mother gar
= linn tile i~oohing-SlaSs to play with.
Lying is one of the crying sins of tn
r times. 1t is one Of those sins which rest
Y with tremendous weight upon the heads c
j. parents. Look at the merchant, determine
to amass a fortune at all hazards-count II
the lies he will tell in order to secure a bargain
le i dare say his father, when he was a chile
never subdued his temper, and his mothe
gave him tn. looking-glass to play with, be
cause she could think of nothing else to pa
city him.. See the politician who does nc
t, scruple to circulate the most barefaced false
hoods, in order to secure the election of hi
v %favofite candidate, not however without tn
1T hope of reward. | miStrust that his motht
gave him the l~ooking-glass 10 play with.
,e our country is well nigh ruined by lying pc
%iticians, and lying lawyers, and lying teacl
n ers, let the mothers look to it. They bea
o. strange as the doctrine may seem, the ark
a. our liberties, and if they give looking-glassC
to their children a little longer, we shall G