The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1856-03-27
Che n)esterlp Gfbo,
AND
Pawcatuck Advertiser. =.
WeSferlv. M n reh ~. llk6.
Family Governmcmt.
(continusd) J

j It is useless to attempt tho manage
ment Of children, either by corporeal
punishmsnts or BY rewards addressed to
the senses, or by word alone. There j.
one other means Of government, the
power asd importance of which are sell
dom regarded. That is the msdula ions
Of the voice. A blow may be inflicted
on = child, accompanied by words %
uttered as to couatsract entirely its in
tended beae6cial effects or the parent
may use language in the correction si
:.as child, not Objectionable in itself, yet
J spoken in . tone which moro than de-
!. stroys its Influence. Let any sas en-
. deavor to recall tho image Of fond
t msther, perhaps long since goas to her
v rest. Her sweet smile, and ever dear
: : voice, and though sweet and soft, that
, voice had more power over the evil
promptings Of rsbsllious heart than
all tho harsh words and cruel blows that
could be brough. to bear oni it. Blessed
is that parent who is endowed with
pleasing utterance /; or, rather, blessed
is that parent who uses that pleasing
utterauce, for it is not a rare gift which
only few may have. However few do
have it, it is a blessing within The reach
OF all whom God has favored with the
:, responsibilities Of training immortal
$ minds. What is that which lulls the
: infant to repose! 1t is no array Of
n mere words. 1t is not the scientific
Z ,rills Of the prima donna. There is nc
charm, to tho uutaught one, in letter.
syllables, and sentences. It 10 thu
d sound of softness and swsstness which
), love imparts to the voice Of all. A few
. notes, however unskillfully arranged, il
u uttered in = soft voice, are found ts
= possess . magic influence. Think VI
: that this influence is confined to the
!, cradle No, indeed it continues 80
b long as tho memory Of it ever dyolls on
the brain Of the wandersr in distant
lands and such is the power Of thi.
> faculty that it has sften bosn the means
{ Of reclaimiug the seemingly lost, long
}, after the voice which swaysd it was
(: hushed on the earth, and had CONC to
: join the choir Of sweet voices above
: Is the boy growing rude in manners and
1 boisterous in speech There is no in.
strumcnt SO sure to control these ten
dspcies, as the gentle tone Of the moth
. or. She who speaks to her son harshly
does not give to bis conduct the sanction
Of her own example. She poors oil on
/ tho already raging fame. In the pursu-
. anc. Of duty, parents are liable to utter
: themselves harshly in the presence Of
3 their children. Perhaps a threat is ex-
' pressed in loud and irritating tone
which instead VI sllaying the passions Of
I the child, serves directly to increase
them. Every fretful expression awak-
. ems in him the same spirit which pro-
,, ducod it. So likewise does an agreea-
, bic voice call up agreeable feeling, pro-
|, ducing love, and inducing obedience
! Whatever disposition, therefore, We
would encourage in child, the same
should be manifested in the tone in
which be is addressed.
The following beautiful sentiment, BY
l DR.. Hall, 10 not mere flowing Of rhet-
eric, or Of high sounding words, but it
;, contains a mine of truth which every
1 parent, and especially fathers, who are
more prone to err on this point than are
mothers, should lay At heart:-
we sometimes meet with men who
seem to think that any indulgence in an
8 ctionate feeling is a weakness. They
: will return from a journey, and greet
Q their families with distant dignity, a.d
movo among their children with the cold
and lofty splendsr Of an iceberg, sur
rounded by ito fragments. There 10
hardly a more unnatural sight on earth
: than oas Of these families without a
heart. A father had better ex'inguish
boys eyes than take away his heart:
Who that has experienced the joys Of
friendship, asd values sympathy and
affection, would no. rather lose oil that
is beautiful ia natures scenery, than ts
rubbed of the hidden treasures OF bis
heart Cherish, then, your hearts
best affections. Indulge 10 the warm
and gushing emetiens Of 6ial, parental
} and fratsrnal love. Thisk It not q
..Lr. Qod I. lov. T,ova God