Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-11-05
The Manners of the Mother
NTOUld the Child.

Mould the Child.
There is no disputing this fact, it
shines in the face of every little child.
The coarse, brawling, scolding woman
will have vicious, brawling fighting chill
dren. She who cries on every occa-
sion, 'I'll box your ears-1ll slap your
jaws-I'll break your neck" is known
as thoroughly through children as if her
unwomanly manners were openly dis
played in the public streets.
These remarks were suggested by a
conversation in an omuibus-that noble
institution for the student of men and
manners-between friend and school
master Our teacher was caustic, mirth-
full, and sharp. His wit flashed like
the polished edge of diamond, and
kept the "buss in a roar" The entire
community of insiders-and whoever is
intimate with those conveyances can
form pretty good idea of our num-
bers-4inclusive of the ''one more" so
well known to the fraternity, their
heads, eyes and ears one way, and final
ly our teacher said
can always tell the mother by the
boy The urchin who draws back with
double fists and lunges at his playmate
if he looks at him askance, has very
questionable mother. She may feed
him and clothe him, cram him with
swectmeats, and coax hffn with promi-
ses; but if she gets mad, she fights
She will pull him by the jacket, she
will give him a knock on the back, she
will drag him by the hair, she will call
l.. IL - o1 IL
passion plays over her face in lam bent
flames that curl and writhe out of the
corners of her eyes. r..I --. .--..
And we never see the courteous lit
tic fellow with smooth locks and gentle
manners, in whom delicacy does not de-
tract from courage and manliness, but
we say ''that boys mother is a true la
dy. Her words and ways are soft, low
ing, and quiet. If she reproves, her
language is my son'-not you little
wretch-plague of my life-you tor
ment-you scamp" @
She hovcrs before him as pillar ol
light before the wandering Israelitcs
and her beams are reflected in his face
To him the word mother is synonymous
with everything pure, sweet, and beau
tiful. Is he an artist? In after life
the face that with holy radiance shines
on his canvass will be the mothers face
Whoever fits across his path Nth sun
ny smiles, and soft, low voice, will bring
his mothers image freely to his breast
She is like my mother, will be the high
est need of his praise. Not even when
the hair turns silver and the eyes grow
dim, will the majesty of that life and
presence desert him.
But the ruffian mother-alas! thai
there are ch!-will form the charac
ter of the man. He, in turn, will be-
come merciless tyrant, with tongue
sharper than two edged sword, and re
membering the brawling and the cuff
ing, seek some meek, gentle victim, fo1
the sacrifice, and make her his wife
VITA the condition that he shall be mas
ter. And master he is, for few shor
years, when he wears the widower'
weed till he finds victim s'numbe
two -v
We wonder not there arc so many
awkward, ungainly men in society
they have been trained by women whC
do not care for the holy nature of thei
trust. They have been made bitter t.
the hearts core, and that bitterness vii
find vent and lodgment somewhere.
Strike the infant in anger, and h
will, if he cannot reach you, vent hi
passion by beating the floor, the chair
or any inanimate thing within reach
Strike Linn repeatedly, and by the tim
he wears shoes he will become a littl
bully, with hands that double to fgh
as naturally as if especial pains had bee
taken to teach him the art of boxing.