The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1856-02-28
Family Government.
(Cortinucd.)

Life has no greafer fespopsiDilitica
than those which devolvo upon parents
They who have had conferred upor
them the blessings Of tho parental rela
ton hold, as by q special grant from
heaven, not only tho future well-bsinl
Of their own offspring, but, to = grca
extent, Of their county, the world, il
their hands. Yes, even the long age.
Of eternity itself will bo required t.
show the result Of training on the i'm
mortal minds committed to your care
How awful the responsibility conferred
by this relationship! And yet how
lightly, how thoughtlsssly, how uttcll, =,
ineffciently is this responsibility Otter
discharged! And how often is i. AS
sumcd withou. au idea OF devoting ;
single moment to the work of prepara
sion for it! The evil effects OF sucl
unpreparedne. on the part Of those who
have assumed these weighty responsible
iiles meet US at every turn.
As we have given it as our opinion
that very many who take upon them
selves the relationship Of parents neg
lccttul in the proper exercise Of the
disciplinary duties incumbent on such
relationship, it may be expected that
We should offer few suggestions as to
how those duties should be discharged.
If, then, you would bo certain to suc-
ceed in your efforts 10 train up your
children in the way they should 60, the
process Of discipline should bs com.
menced at an early period. And thu.
advantage should taken Of the enemy
and the seeds Of virtue sown before he
has an opportunity to sow tares.. The
mind of the child is an empty easket
that may as well, if not as easily, b.
filled with good as evil Evil plant
will spring up spontaneously but goot
oues must be set out and engratted in
and then carefully cultivated.
"'Tis education forms the common mind,
Jus. as the twig is bent the trees inclined.
1t is as much easier to incline the
yielding mind of childhood to virtue
than after coming to maturity, as it re-
quires less effort to bend the sapling
than it docs full grown tree. Sin
like Sebas,opol, is all the tin.e strength
ening it's defenders. Delaying the at.
tack but renders success moie difficult
if not doubtful. Aud even when tn,
fortress seems to have been taken anC
the enemy conquered, it Is sometimes Il
di icult matter 10 know Tor certainty
whether the enemy Is fully conquered.
Ii it be asked at what age corrective
measures may be adopted, we reply that
~ d,fui.e period can be ieSi guated -
One child my b. more mature at twelve
months than another at eighteen. Ii
W. were to II axe any specification, We
would say tlat, as II general iule, the
parent may impose restraints upon the
child when it Is Il year old as soon a.
that at least. However, good seuse
must dictate Discipline should immc-
d ately follow resistance to parental au-
thority, or knowledge of what is exact
ed 1t may be taken as an ihIalIible
rule, that Child is old enough to be
made to obey, when it is old enough 'c
wilsully aisobey. 1t is a great, otter
irrem, dible mistake, TO let the child
have its own way till it is four or five
years Of age. Ii, after delaying so long,
you should at length succeed, 1t will be
through disadvantage, as was the taking
OF Sc bastopol when 1t was taken than at
the landing OF the allies in the Climea.
They did succeed at an immense sacri-
fce in conqueriug part OF the city y
you mag succeed in subduing tho will
of the child alter letting it run so long,
but, as in one case, SO III the other, the
obstacles will be found almost ipsur-
moun,able; and even when they arc
overcome it will be but an incomplete
victory, and, indeed, it may be ques-
ton whether the enemy has been con-
,aueled, or only discoultttod for sho,
space of time. Never did the adage-
" A stitch in time saves niue "-morc
perlinepily apply, than in this case
Many heart-ache is reserved for that
parent, who, through misguided tender.
ness, thinks it impOli,ic Or cruel to COR
r.ct the disobedieut child, though Of
tender years. "A sword shall plel &C
thl ougi the soul" of that parent who,
when too late it may be, shall detect
such IN error, and bo compelled, in
stead Of administering wholesome gov.
srnmcnt, to submit TO the petty tyian-
nv of an over indulged son, or witness,
with llsedipg heart, the disgrace OF Il
A.