The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1859-08-12
Noise and silence.

'f'.o P'"f"'t AntilifyHln tho N0fd, one
evening at twilight.
''oh the noisy thinss,e Mrs. Melvin
exclaimed othes worry me nearly to
death.0
"They must be learned better,y the
gentleman continued. "Ialways intend
ed, if ever had children, thatthey should
behave like rational creatures, and not as
SO many wild animals. And there IS
Mary" headded, sronping with the boys.
II she goes on so, she win never have any
refinement; shewilI disgrace us"
Rising with, sigh and going to the
door, Mrs, Melvin said; Mary, come
Indirectly; you know you should not be
playing with the boys And George, Will
lie. have lyon ibreotten where you are,
with all that''fdssf Come now to your
books.'
"oh, Maw they both exclaimed, ait is
not time for books, and we have been
studying SO hard please let us finish this
game, and wewont make noise"
''But your father is vexed at what you
have already made" She replied, "and
says you shall go to your books, to learn
you better manners next time.
Mary followed her mother, with sui
len, down-cast look. The boys went in
and seated themselves by thetaB1e, with
books in their hands; but not to study
longing for exercise, sour and discon-
tented; they had norelish for the books
they had been looking at all day. True,
they kept them before their eyes, but
their minds were on other things. AT
last, they fell out and quarreled, for want
of something else to do and dwere driven
off to bed, as punishment. Mary sat
still on little stool in the corner, till she
dozed off, and was carried to bed without
the prayer and goodnight kiss, which
makes children sleep so sweetly. ~
For some time. after, the husband and
wife sat in ssilence. AT last, Mr.. Melvin
said "My dear, our children are getting
iboisterous--a thing always detested in
children"
II don't know" Mrs. Melvin replied,
meekly; ''they some times play of an
evening after school, but suppose they
need it, after being confined all day."
| Il am confined in the store longer than
they are in school, he said, in reply,
''and / don't feelany need of play. l be-
lieve in training up child in the way it
should go; if they can't live without
play now, they will be seeking wicked
amusements when they get older. AS
the twIg is bent the trees Inclined"
Mrs. Melvin-though she had not
strength of mind to detect the fallacy in
this argument, supported, as it was, by
Scripture-did not altogether agree with
her husband, but she never contradicted
him. She thought children might need
more play or amusement than grown
people; but she could not see that the
time-honored proverbs which her husband
had quoted, did not apply to tbwartine
nature, but to training, molding or keep
ing it from excess. After along silence
she said; MARY is very delicate Of late
and she is getting bad stoop"
''Put braces on her." Mr.. Melvin re
piled, sand make her sit straight at hei
sewing. How can you expect her tolSeeI
from STOPPING, if you allow her to bend
forward?'- -
Mrs. Melvin looked troubled. and re
piled, al will attend to it, INV dear.o
"And mind" he added, "she is not al
lowed to play with the BOYS. l want ~,
dapqhter to be a lady which she will neyel
be, if she is a '.tomboy' when child"
Willie coughed violently on his littl,
bed lust then Mrs. Melvin arose I,
give him some medicine, and the con
4 versation was dropped. 80
Medicine supplied the place of exercise
fresh, pure air and play, with these child
rem. is it any wonder, then, that the,
were delicate and sicklyg God had i'm
planted in their hearts a desire to run
play, sing and be merry ; but their pa
rents, not admiring Gods arrangement
preferred for them, study, quiet, pills anC
paragoric. Theresult is not surprising.
Ten years have rolled away. Thos'
three little ones are all in house of 81
lence, thestillness ofwhich is only broker
by the mourner's tread, or voice of tn
sighing wind. Mr.. Melvin's house is 8
lent too. No merry laugh or ringin
voice breaks the solemn quiet of il
M 4,