Burlington tri-weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1852-1855, 1855-05-02
From Arthur's Home Gazette.
GOVERNING CHILDREN.
BIZ r. 3. ARTHUR.


cpl not live in this wayY' exclaimed Mrs.
Lyon passionately. ssSuch disorder, wrang-
ling and irregularity robs me Of all peace;
and makes the house bedlam, instead Of \
quiet home Tom!'-she spoke sharply to .
bright little fellow, who was pounding away
with wooden hammer OH chairand max
ing most intolerable din;-s.stop that noise
this instant! And you EN- not word from
your lips. Ifyou can't live in peace with
your sister, I'il srperate you. Dye hear!
Lush this instant!''
s'Thcn make julie give me my pin cushion.
She's got it in her pocket"
s'It's no such thing, havn't," retorted
Julia.
s'1ou have say
81 tell you bavn't!''
"Will you hush!'' The facc of Mrs. Lyon
was fiery red; and she stamped upon the
floor as she spoke.
81 want my pin cushion. Make julie give
me my pin cushion"
Irrtaied beyond control, Mrs. Lyon
caught Julia BY the arm, and :hrusting her
hand into her pocket, drew out thimbe, a
piece of lace, and ,enknife.
81 told YOU it wasn't there! Couldn't you
believe me?''
THIS inn ertincnce was more than the moth
er could endure; and, acting from her indig-
nant impulses, she boxed tho ears Of Julia
soundiy; conscious at the same time, that
Emily was chiefly 10 blame for all this trou-
Bile, bv 4 wrong accusation Of her sister, she
turned upon her, also, administering an
equal punishm mt. Frightened by all this,
tn younger children, whose incessant no Sc
had for the last hour, contributed to the
overthrow Of their mothers temper, became
suddenly quiet, and skulked away into corr
ners and the baby which was seated
on the floor, between two pillars. curved her
gu vering lips, and glanced fearfully up at
the distorted face in which she had been
used to see the ove-light that made her
heaven.
A deep quiet followed this burst Of passion
like the hush which succeeds tae storm! Alas
for the evil traces that were left behind! Alas
for the repul>iye image Of that mother, da.
guerreotyped for IN instant on the memory
of hrr children, and never to be elf.ced.
How m,ny, many times in after years, will
hcave their bosoms, as that p,inful reflection
looks out upon them from amid the dearer
rememhrances Of childhood.
woman of good impulses, but with scarce
ly any self control, was Mrs. LYON. She low
ed her children and desired their good. That
they showed so little forbearance, one with
the other, manifested 50 little lra,ernal affec.
ton, grieve her deeply.
'My whole life is rendered unhappy BY t!'
she would often say. ssWhat IS to b. done?
1t is dreadfnl to think of a family growing
up in discord and dlsunion. Sister at vari-
ance with sister, ard brother lifting his hand
aga INST brother.o
As was usu.l after an ehulition of passion
Mrs. Lyon, press in spirits, as well as
discou aged, retired from her family to griey
and weep. Lifting the frightened baby from
the foor, she drew its head tenderly against
her bosom; and leaving the nursery sought
the quiet Of her own room. There in reren-
lance and humiliation she recalled the stormy
scene through VIII CHI she had just tass d,
and blamed herself for yielding blindly to
passion, INSTEAD of meeting the trouble among
her children with quiet discrimination.
10 weeping. calmness succeeded. Still
| she was perplcx d in mind, as well as griey-
ed at her own want of self control. What
was to be done with her children? How were
they to be governed Alright? Painfully d
she feel her own unilness for the task. By
this TIM the the baby was asleep, and the
mother felt SOM OF that tranquil peace that
every true mother knows when Young babe
Is siumberlng on her bosom. A book lay on
shelf near where she was sitting. and Mrs
Lyon. scarcely conscious Of the act reached
out her hand for the volume. She opened
without feeling any interest in its contents;
but she had only Rad few sentences when
this remark arrested her attention:
Gall right governm tit Of children begins
with sell gov rnment."
The words 8 emel written for her; and the
truth expressed was elevated instantly into
perception. She SAY it in the clearest light,
and osed the book AMI bowel her h ad in
sad Acknowledgements of her own errors.
thus, Tor some time she had deem sitting
when the murmur of 70 ces from below crew
more and more distinct, aud she was soon
aroused to the pa nful fact, that, as usu il,
when lef alone, he children were quarle ell
l. 9 amoung themselv,s s. Various noises, as
Of pounding on and throwing about chars,
and other pcces OF furniture were heard; and
at lengtha loud scream, mingled with angry
vociferations, snote upon her ears.
Ind gnaEion swelled instantly to the heart
of Mrs. Lyon, and hurriedly placing the sleep
ing babe In It's crib, she started for the scene
OF disorder, moved by an impulse to punish
severely the young rebels a ainst authority
ana was half way down stairs when her feet
re checked by il remembrance of the g. mt
iment -''All right government of children
begins with self rovernm no
"Wlll anger subiue anger? When storm
meets storm is the tempest stilled?'' These
were the questions asked Of herself almost
nvdlun atily. 'rhis is no spirit in which
10 m ct my children. Ii never has,
never will enforce order and obedience,o
she added, as she stood upon the stairs strug-
CLING with herself and striving for the VIC
tory. From the nursery came louder sounds