Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1856-08-23
FLhTTERING CHILDREN.

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is. Oh, foolish woman DO YOU SEC t!sf
\ child drink in all that tIntt"ry through
eyes and ears ? 1t may be years di>tlI
ling, but it will come out at last, unalui
teratel vanity \ child is Not marble
or wood : it is not like the srrsel'5>
stone, but tie Luctl!e wax. Warm it by
the breath Of undue praise, and you may
impress it indei!bly V with your thought.
less aduita;irn But ala it remains not
wax, but with growing Years lar.lcr4
and too often turns to acIamant. Then
the caution IS vain--your lirLtest rcbullcs
are sermons then-vour kind aumo.
nitions listened to with angry eye and
flushing cheek. Your be:cty is too
vain to spoil her pretty fingers, and YOU
may drudge at your daily toll without
pity and without help. We would not
teach child to undervaue beauty-wc
would say as little about it as possible,
ard caution our friends to do the same.
The example Of that mother who cut of
the rich curls Of her darling because
everybody SAID how graceful and glossy
they were. while the little girl whose
straight hair vexed her, and whose little
eyes filled with tears at her sisters taunts
that she hadn't got any pretty curls, 81
to be warmly commended. She was
looking to the future Of that child. that
even the mere possession Of curl. might
render miserable, because they subjected
her to the fascinating seductlons Of
tiattery.
Few women, fond as the mother-ove
makes the motherhcart, would delber-
ateIv put veto on her chll's good looks
for that reason, but rather foster and
stimulate the one redeeming beauty,
tha. visitors might fud food for admira-
ton, 50 pleasing to the maternal pride.
And there are some weak mothers,
| we fear, weak i'll no other spots, but blind
! to all the f.iiass Of the handsome pet.
Unconsciously influenced by the bright
soft eyes, and the bewitchments of artIess
beauty, they show more favor to her
than to the less endowed with charms.
An affecting little anecdote Of a homely
but (sle must have been sweet and
Ioving child, went the rounds Of the
papers sometime ago. The pre,ter
Child was called pet the other ne
elected. One day in the dipness of
evening, little hand and childish
figure came IN contact with the mother.
lis that you pet ~ asked the voice
low and soft as music.
Sally and slowly, with strange dcs-
ponlency for child's sweet voice. came
back the answer" no, mama, it is Mt |
pct-it's only l.
"On!y :" We have wondered often
# that mother with sob of anguish, die! |
not catch the poor plaintive little darling
to her heart, and never, never again let
it lose its we'll earned place there. That
answer would have haunted us like the
ghost Of some neglected duty.
"OnIy |" What depth of humiia~
ton that little creature must have faith
omed, that she had learned at last to
estimate herself as ''on1y ~
We once heard something of this
favoriteism. 1t was very sad. The speaker
was a sweet-faced, intellectual girl, with
Il settled look of sorrow making her face
perhaps even more interesting.
"To this day" she said, 81 have never
been rid of the impression Chat I am too
ugly to be loved. | used to hide when
visitors came, because they teased me,
that [ was not as beautiful as my sis
tcrs. My punishment among my broth.
ers, was, oh! You homey thing" "
They made RHYMES on my coarse hair,
my large mouth-and, God forgive them.
my parents laughed at VIVA, they thought
childish wit Whether all these impress
sions made me really disagreeab:e, or
their love was only skin>decp," as the
saying is, l do not know, but they almost
ruined me. Even now. when religion
couvnces me how foolish these broodiag
regrets always are, and always will be,
[ cannot 60 with ease in any company,
nor fancy | am tolerated, except out of
pity. | know | am not absouteIy y home
Iy-indecd my sisters fine teeth are
broken, and her bloom all gone; perhaps
she does not look now, even as we'll as l
do. But this harsh treatment has fixed
upon me a senstiveness Of which am
often ashamed, but which cannot shake
to. It makes my eyes like magnifying
glasses, and distorts my imagination
Be careful, mothers, that ye lay not
these things in after years to your own
consciences. It is a dreadful mistake,
which the wisdom born Of regret, cannot
rectifv.' Praise not the beautiful, nor
NEGLECT the plain-but above all, 1iatter