The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-06-25
HOME INFLUENCE.

, Ifohcksome, noble hearted girl of eleven
years. Mary was eight. and If not SO lively
} as her sister, she was full as handsome,
though perhaps more pale and thin, for she
had seen some sickness. The youngest child
. was boy named George, and though only
. four years old he was bright talkative little
: fellow, W 20 remembered all he heard and
could repeat it afterwards. s.-
Now Mrs. Green was a good hearted wo.
) man, and one who meant TO do about right,
and before her children were born had pos
sessed very good temper But she often
had her temper aroused now. She wondered
why her children were SO troublesome, and
why she could not control them. Ah--she
forgot there was a spirit in her own bosom
: which needed controlling first. She did not
realize that in her own words and feelings
her children found their guide for their worst
faults. But it was so. -.-y
" Look a here!" cried George, one eve-
ming as his sister Mary took one of his play
things, "tare care, or FIJI tut your ear of.
Ell hip you to def, l will.' = So .ss~
At first Mr.. Green was inclined to laugh
at the little fellows pertness, but sober Sc
cond thought changed his mind.
''Sarah,o he said, addressing his wife,
I"where did Georgia learn that stuff"
Georgia mustn't say SO again, will he %
the father said, gently patting his boy on the
head. s..0
"Ies FL say SO. Mamma say 80. Nam
MA doin' to tut Mary's ear Off"
Mr.. Green looked at his wife, but he saw
dow earnestly the two girls were watching
the case, and he turned the subject. But
after the children were in bed he touched it
again.
IS Sarah," he said, you must not be Of
tended at what says you cannot be too
careful how you speak to our children. Ev-
cry word you speak must have its influence,
and you know what kind of influence such
language as we have heard this evening must
have" r. --
"But | had no idea that Georgia heard
me-"
"And if he did not the girls must. Now
such threats can only do evil"
"But you do not know what a trial they
are.''
"Why call them very well behaved"
$50 they are when you are around"
But why should they behave differently
I when am here, from what they do at other
times o.
WIS they are afraid Of YOU"
"Afraid of me, Sarah? No no. Isureiy
never gave them any occasion for that ; nor
do they show any such fceing-but on the
contrary, they love me much, and are per-
fectly free ut home with me. No, no, Sarah,
it is no: that. But let me tell you! The
children know that if they disobey l shall
punish them. Never yet have they heard an
IDLE word from my lips. They know what
L say, mean. Now is it so with you:"
..im sure do the best can,' returned
Mrs. Greer. s. If you had the whole care Of
the house on your hands, you'd find taking
care Of the children a very different thing.
You'd find Your patience worn ont some-
times !
But listen one moment, Sarah. Can you
not see that the moment You lose your
! patience you lose your control Of yourself
and when that is lost of course tho con
troll oyer your children goes with II. Now
how often do YOU make threats which you
never mean to carry cut when You make
them 20
81 wish we'd never had any ch!.dren,'
murmured Mrs. Green, sobbing.
! "Wh hat is tn, use Of saying that, Sarnh:'
Because DO =; and then shouldn't havc
any of this fault finding
Poor Mr.. Green! \ shade Of sadness
rested upon his features and in IL troubled
! spirit he turned to his book. He knew it
would be Of no use to say more.
On the aezt day, S S.turday, in the after
noon the children were At home, and the
poor mother was prepared for trouble. Ere
long George came in crying, and said Mary
had struck him.
"No ditin't mother'' cried little Mary
earnestly. * didn't strike bin. He run
right against me-
80, mercy! vi. It Children! There d.
stop that BOYS mOutL'. Here EtlGn-wheru
are you2 Take t;eors.c out and keep him
sti!l.''
8 But Eve sotm Sunday school lesson to
get," WIS Elen's answer.
" DO as ;cIl yea this nstan.''' was the
quick, angry rejoiulcr.
Ellen took tue boy by the hand, and i'll no
very good humor lad him cut, murmuring 10
herself us she did SO.
"What's that you say - demanded the
mother as she heard the mutterins.
"Nothing," was the reply.
"Don't tell me that. Thcre-now 60
along" I
A smart slap on the side of Ellen's head
ccompaned this and with sharp quick
cry, the girl started away dragging her bro
ther after her. After awhile, Ellen made
bargain with Mary to take care of George,
she wishing to study her lesson, and thus
gained the opportunity. Perhaps TINS was
wrong, as her mother had directly commanded
her to take care of the boy: but then she |
was often forced to exercise her own Judg- |
ment with respect to her mother 5 commands,
for she very frequently received orders which
she could not obey.
And how many mothers there are that do .
the same. And yet how few women reaIlze
the effect Of their course.
tl,,, has n mn nn
passion, tells the child to get out of the way.
:. There-be otf-don't let me see you again I
for week. and hundred other remarks of
this kind. Now these seem very simple to
the more capacious mind, but to the children
they come with more confusing power. The
Youthful mind is not wholly able to dstin-
gush always between the meaningless ebu- |
litions, and orders which may be given In
good faith. And candid persons can see
what the result must be.
Somehow about fifteen or twenty minutes
after Mary had taken charge of her brother;
Ellen was aroused by hearing loud cry
and on hurryiDg around to the back door OF
the porch, she found George fouudering in |
tub of dirty water. She got him out as
quickly as possible, and in moment her
mother was on the spot.
"O," thought Ellen, "lf my mother
would only beknd now, wouldn't disobey
her again.
But kindness was something poor Ellen
| seldom experienced at her mothers hands
esp ecially when she was at faul.
.Nox what's all this ?'''was Mrs. Green's
fist cxcam;. tion. -,
" 81 don't know" returned Ellen, ~ got
.akc care o. George while stud
Maiy W school less IN, and
wish the Sunday school was -nnk : ho.m twn
Just look what "a pretty mess you, . We"
making for me you careless good-for-nos-
ing jade, you!"
But there is no need of pieturing the whole
scene. All were in ill-temper-the mother
stormed and slapped-and the whole ended
bv wish on the mothers part, SPOKEN plain
" to the children that there'd never been
such thing thought of as chlldt She often