Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-07-21
SUCH A TEMPER.
BY T. S. ARTHUR.

You John! Hush this instant and do as tell
yOu!"
These sentences were uttered in an excited
voice by 4 mother who had come suddenly upon
her little boy, bright, 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 a rude at
tempt at castle building. The materials used
on the occasion were books from the library
shelves His mother, in company with an aunt.
who had arrived that day on visit, happened
to come upon him in the midst Of his pleasant
sport
"Dear little fellow" was on the aunt's Inns
as her eyes fell upon the child's animated face.
but ere the words were spoken his mother had
started forward and seized him by the ann
With a sudden jerk she drew him several feet
away from his mimic building exclaiming as she
did SO, in angry tones:
"YOu bad boy How dare you do thisi Just
see your fathers books scattered all over the
foor!"
A moment or two she held him with a firm
grip; then pushing him from her she added;
"Put everS book in its place on the shelves:
and don't you dare to touch them again.
Released from his mothers hand John instead
Of Obsying her, threw himself upon the floor,
and commenced kicking in uncontrolled pos
sion
aust see how he acts, Mary" repeated the
mother. THAT temper will be his ruin. John,
hush this instant, and get up as tell yOu!'
But the ehild's passion was in whiTlwind,
and subsided not until its force was spent In
her blind anger the mother stopped over the boy,
and was raising her hand to punish him, when
her sister drew her hack and whispered:
Don't Annal A blou now will do harm -
A N she S-a-- e~-i'-I --s,si,a-. f-,., ~.
room.
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 reproEe or punish, all my control
over them WILDE gone
Dear sister :" replied Mary with much feel
ing and tenderness Of manner, Z" 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 minute
A calm was falling on the mothers spirit
He has such dreadful temper, Mary If
not subdued now, it will curse his whole life.
You don't know now it troubles me-"
d" Your duty, it seems 10 me, is very plain.
sister," was the answer
. must break that temper while he is
child"
You cannot. 1t will only get strength by
conflict" replied the sister.
' Is the case so hopeless l will not believe
it, Mary"
- Oh, no-not hopeless by any means. How
does the oak gain strength and vigorous life!-
Look at is rugged trunk; its gnarled and twist
ed branches, and read the history of its STRIFE
with tempest and tornado through half centu-
~. SO 1t is, by action, resistance, and conflict
that our passions are matured Do you imagine
that the excitement through which your child
has passed will weaken the bad temper of which
you complaint Has it not on the contrary Civ
en- it increased strength"
The sister paused
"There was not a sign Of evil in his happy
little face when We entered the library"
But he was doing wrong" said the mother.
Had you told him he must not build houses
with books I"
YES, forty times. There isn't an hour in
the day that don't have to check, or reproye
or punish him for some kind Of mischief or an
other He knew it was wrong"
Maybe you check, and reproye, and punish
him too much, Anna, suggested the sister
" There is danger in this direction, when the
chids mind is unusually active. The stream
that glides along smoothly enough through the
level meadow, will fret, and chafe, and dash
madly forward If rocky distractions come in its
way"
But children must not be permitted to do as
they please. They would soon be ruined, " said
the mother.
"lf you put dam across stream, or threw
huge rocks into the midst of its gently gliding
current, you do not stop its progress but only
swell its volumn until it overhows its banks,
or distorts its surface with twirling eddies-
Mere opposition to 4 child's desires effects
about as little good 1t only gives them NOR
BIZ force. We should not repress activity, but
seek to give it a right direction. will venture
to afim, Anna, that If. when we were into the
library just now, We had entered with some
manifestation of interest into what John was
doing, and then pleasantly explained to him
that the use he was making Of his fathers
books was injunng them, and that he must re-
turn them TO the library, he would have re-
placed them on the shelves without a word Of
objection There would have been in that
case, 10 mental injury sustained through eI-
citement of passionate temper The sky Of
his mind would have remained clear, and sweet |
peace would now be in his heart. instead of
sullen rebellion. Dear sis5er, child's immOr- |
tai soul is more precious thing than whole /
Libraries ofcostly books, or even the rich fnrni-
ture in kings palace. While we guard his |
external surroundings with due regard to or
der, and prevent, as well for bis sake as for /
others, disorder and blind destruction, we must /
never forget that the jewel is more to be re-
garded than the casket A scratched table, "a torn |
or defaced book, or even a costly thing broken,
are small evils compared with scratched, de-
faced or distorted mind. Forgive me for say
ing it is my sister, but have always thought /
that parents are most TO blame for the bad tenn
Pers and passionate outbreaks of their children; |
and this little trouble with John only confirms
the opinion. / say it kindly; nay, Anna, in
tender love. Be not burt, then, nor offended (;
but for the sake of your bright, beautiful boy,
lay up my words in your heart"
The mother sat sober and thoughtful Her /
sister had no: spoken in vain. Truth had |
awakened conviction Suddenly rising, and |
kissing her sister in token of forgiveness, she |
left the room and went to the library. John |
was still lying upon the floor where he had |