American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-10-08
From the True Democrat.
The Family Tyrant.

His wife may have money, but must ask him
how and where she may spend it; she may
dress well, but never consult her own taste /;
she may have company, but always of his se-
lection; and servants, but they must suit him !;
and she may train up her own children, but
just as 'Pa" says, or he will train her. She
must say "you are right" when she knows he
is wrong, and never speak her own independent
sentiments before him, nor throw off certain
restraint of manner in his presence. And the
children, who are perfectly conscious they have
o "good father" and all that, must not forget
that " Pa" is an absolute monarch. No danger
poor things how could they forget, if they
would as well forget the eternal presence of q
loaded cannon! He was never guilty of taking
child upon his lap but once, and then " the
help" had gone to church, and he did take the
sick baby while his wife got him "cean
diokey;" and he was never seen kissing the
children not he, such familiarity would have
destroyed all family government.
When he enters the parlor, the children make
excuse for going to the dining-room; and if he
chance to follow to the dining room, they drop
off one by one to the kitchen; and when they
get all ceverly ensconced in the kitchen, if any
one, in the full enjoyment Of freedom from re-
straint, happens to crow too loudly, the door is
sure to open, and "less noise," spoken in q
deep base voice, sets the matter ut rest for an
hour.
We cannot say he does not love his family,
for in many respects he is very kind to them,
requiring no hard tasks, and educating and
maintaining them handsomely; but he is too
stern in his goodness, too selfish in his kind
ness-in word, he is just such husband as
makes an independent woman miserable, and
such father as children respect more than
they love.
He is the home tyrant; and in every act Of
his, we are reminded that he is the man, the
head of the family-the kingfsh in that school
of fishes, and the woman and children are the
"lesser fry" He has laws about every thing,
from the exact manner in which babies must
"keep Sunday" to the tying of shoestrings,
and the hanging up of tin dippers. Wo to the
child that breaks a plate, upsets tumbler of
water, or spills drop of gravy in his presence!
"You careless boy or careless girl" is ut
tered in q tone so deep and cultural, and full Of
horrors, that the frightened child forgets the
dinner, and cries until his head aches about an
unimportant blunder If little boy is afraid
at night, he is sure to conjure up some errand
and send him out when the darkness is so thick
that he mistakes poor innocent post for some
tall "robber," and the white clothes upon his
mothers clothes-line for o long row of beckon-
ing "ghosts."
If pudding be underdone, or q cake over
done, he stares first at that, then at his wife,
then at that again, until the offending Wand is
in danger Of being transformed into sourcrout,
and the wife into a mango pickle by the acidity
of his countenance
But words and looks are not his only agents
for preserving order in his domestic Eden the
rod that old barbarous corrector of faults, that
should visit every human back just once, to show
the superiority of modern over ancient custom,
gives very impressive advice on all more import
ant occasions; for his "Pa"-ship has pondered
much upon the text about "sparing the rod
and spelling the child"
After all, the worst feature of this case is,
that the boys brought up under the frown and
the lash will inherit the idea that "might
makes right" and make very lordly rulers of
their own households.
This is q fancy sketch; but unfortunately
dame nature has made many such fancy sketches
before us and they are living, breathing pic
lures, in many home that might be an earthly
paradise, but for the unconscious selfshness of
one heart. 4. A. W. II.