The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-09-18
SUCH 4 TEMPER


@ $E sUCH TEMPER sar# ss
fe-E4 ~ BY T. s. ARTHUR. ..- .
THAT child will be the death Of me vet!-
oh, he has such temper! Just see how he
acts. You John! Hush this instant and do
as tell you!' ~ @''5~7@ @T
These sentences were uttered in an excit-
ed voice by mother who had come sudden
lyupon her little boy, a busy, active little
fellow three years old, who had discovered.a
new amusement, and was enjoying himself
up to his full capacity. That amusement
was rude attempt at castle building. The
materials used on the occasion, were books
from the library shelves. His mother, in
company with an aunt, who had arrive ed that
day on visit, happened to come upon him
in the midst of bis pleasant sport. y. ,a&g
'Dcar little fellow!' was on the aunt's
lips, as her eyes fell upon the child's ami
mated face; but ere the words were spoken,
his mother had started forward and seized
him by the arm. With sudden Jerk she
drew him several feet away from his mimic
building exclaiming as she did 10 in angry
tones: .s .es....-.- ..s7 -.4.r Ea..v .s s-.-.-y
You bad boy! How dare you do this?-
just see your fathers books scattered all
over the hoorp s5sgrtags fy.rs IS 5a ass=ssetD- 4.
T. A moment or two she held him with
firm grip; then pushing him from her she
| added: aa5 sa.# ; s.tr... .rr. =& .
'Put every book in it's place on the shelves;
and don't you dare to touch them agai,tp
Released from his mothers hand, John,
instead of obeying her, thre Y himself upon
the floor, and commenced kicking in uncon-
| trolled passion. & s...= saazs.ss
'Just see how he acts, Mary!' repeated the
mother. sThat temper will be his ruin
John, hush this instant, and get up as tell
you' g. s@ - a 's-.5 b.
But the child's passion was in a whirl-
wind, and subsided not until its force was
spent. In her blind anger, the mother
stopped over the boy, and was raisins her
hand to punish him, when her sister drew
her back and whispered:
| 'Don't Annn! A blow now will do harm.
! And she drew the excited mother from the
room. er. H. .. 81 T.. @...A~Ee.~ e. "
'Mary! This is not right" said the latter,
with some severity of manner, as soon as
they were out Of the library. 'You must
not come between me, and my children. If
| you take their part when Ireprove or pun
ish, all my control over them will be gone.''
sDear sister!' replied Mary with much
| feeling and tenderness of manner, forgive
me if have erred; and let the pure love |
feel for you and your child be my apology
There was a silence for nearly a minute.
A calm was falling on the mothers spirit.
'Ile has such dreadful temper, Mary! If
not subdued now, it will curse his whole
life. You don't know how it troubles me-
your duty. it seems to me, Is very plain,
sister, was the answer.
! 81 must break that temper while he is a
child ...
'You cannot. 1t will only get strength by
! conflict replied the sister.
SIS the case SO hopeless! | will not be-
lievc it, Mary ...- ..-.. a..
'Oh, no-not hopeless by any MEANS
| How does the oak gain strength and vigor-
oas life? Look at its rugged trunk; its
gnarlcd and twisted branches, and read the
history Of its strife with tempest and tor
nado through half century. So it is, by
action, resistance, and conflict that our pas.
sions are matured. DO YOU imagine that
the excitement through which your child has
passed, will weaken the bad temper of which
YOU complain? Has it not on the contrary
given it increased strength?'
The sister paused.
There was not Il sign of evil in his happy
little face when we entered the library
But he was doing wrong, said the moth
! er.
'Iiad you told him he must not build
houses with books?'
'Yes, forty times. There isn't an hour in
the day that don't have to check, or re-
prove or punish him for some kind of mis-
chief or another. lie knew it was wrong.'
'NIayhe YOU check, and rcprove, and pun
ish him too much, Anna,' suggested the sis
ter. 'Therc is danger in this direction, when
stream that glides along smoothly enough
through the level meadow, will fret and
chafc, and dash madly forward if rocky OBJ
structions come in its way.'
! sBut children must not be permitted to do
as they please. They would soon be ruined.
said the mother.
+ Hf YOU put a dam across a stream, or
throw huge rocks into the midst of its gen.
tie gliding current, you do not stopits pro-
eress: but only swells its volume until it
0vcrfowS its banks, or distorts its surface
with twirling eddies. Mere opposition TO a
child's desires effect about as little good. 1t
ONLY gives them morbid force. We should
not repress activity, but seek to give 1t right
! direction. | will venture to affirm, Anna,
that. if, when we went into the library just
now. we had entered with some manifesto
ton of interest into what John was doing,
and then pleasantly explained to him that
| the use he was making Of his fathers books
was iniuring them, and that he must return
them to the library, he would have replaced
them on the shelves without n word of OBJ
lection. There would have been in that case
no mental injury sustained through excite
ment of passionate temper. The 81 Ky of
his mind would have remained clear, and
sweet peace would now be in his heart, in
stead of sullen rebellion. Dear sister, a
chld's immortal soul is more precious than
whole libraries Of costly books, or even the
rich furniture ina kings palace. hlie we
| guard his external surroundings with due re-
gard to order, and prevent, as well TOR MS
sake rs for others, disorder and blind de-
struction, we must never forget that the
Jewel is more to be regarded than the casket.
a scratched table, torn or defaced book,
or even costly thing broken, are small
evils compared with scratched defaced or
distorted mind. Forgive me FOR saying 1t,
nv sister, but have always thought that
! parents are most to blame for the bad tenn
pers and passionate outbreaksof their child
rem: and this little trouble with John only
confirms tho opinion. | say it kindly; nay,
Anna. in tender love. Be not hurt, then,
nor offended; but for the sake of your bright
beautiful boy, lay up my words in your
heart.' r.. .E.- .-
The mother sat sober and thoughtful.--
Her sister had not spoken in vain. Truth
| had awakened conviction. Suddenly rising
and kissing her sister in token OF forgive
! ness, she left the room and went to the IL
brary. John was still lying upon the hoor
where he had thrown himself. lie heard
his mothers footsteps; but did not move
| Experience had taught him that reproof lit
might be punishment was i'll store for him;
and so he awaited, in stubborn silence, for