Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1859-12-01
well, if you will do your best, l shall be

men.
That is very indefinite rule, husband
I know very little of the principles of goo'
government among men and much less o
those principles which are universally ad
mitted.'
well, I will be a little more specific.
believe it is universally admitted that law
should precede punishment; and that none
should be punished who are incapable of un
derstanding the law. In, accordance with
these principles, I should never punish
child who is incapable of understanding be-
tween right and wrong; nor until he shal
have been forewarned of the wrong and
taught to avoid it,
These principles seem very reasonable tc
me- said Eliza, 'but they can never be ap'
piled to children. If you do not correct q
child until it is old enough to learn from pre-
cept the difference between right and wrong,
there will be no living in the house with it
for the first five or six years of its life, and
no controlling it afterwards
Gilbert received these views of his wife
with some alarm, and entered upon long
argument to convince her that they were er-
roneous. She maintained her own very we'll
but Gilbert had certainly the advantage Of
her in the argument. All be could say,
however, did not in the least shake her con-
fdence in her opinion.
I was at length appealed to, and gave
judgment in favor of Gilbert.
WELL said she, Il never was better salts
fed of anything in my life than I am that
you are both wrong. I'll agree to this-if
ever I correct a child before it is old enough
to receive instruction from precept, and you
do not approve of my conduct, I will then
promise you never to do the like again
WELL said Gilbert, shat is very fair
One more rule will settle the fundamentals,
and we may safely trust all others to future
adjustment. Let us never address our chill
dren in the nonsensical gibberish, that is so
universally prevalent among mothers. 1t is
very silly, in the first place, and it greatly
retards child's improvement, in the second.
Were it not for this, I have no doubt chill
dren would speak their mother tongue as
correctly at four years old, as they do at SIX
teen.'
Eliza smiled, and observed that this was
such a small matter that it had also better
be left to future adjustment. To this Gill
bert rather reluctantly assented.
About two months after this conversation,
Gilbert was blessed with fine son, whom
BE named John James Gilbert, after the two
grand fathers and himself-a profusion of
names which he had cause afterwards to re-
pent. Just fourteen months and six days
thereafter, he was blessed with fine daugh-
ter, whom Eliza named Ann Francis Eliza,
after the two grand-mothers and herself
Fifteen months thereafter, received third
blessing, like unto the first, which he called
George Henry, after his two brothers. Thir-
teen months and nineteen days after the
birth of George, fourth blessing descended
upon Gilbert in the form of fine son. This
took the name of William Augustus, after
two brothers of his wife. Eliza now made
a long rest of nineteen months, four days
and FIVE hours, q speak from the family rec
ord, when, by way of amend, she presented
her husband pair of blessings. AS soon
as his good fortune was made known to him,
Gilbert expressed regret that he had not re-
served his own name until now, in order that
the twins might bear his own name and
mine. Seeing this could not be, he bestow-
ed my name upon the irst-born, and gave
me the privilege of naming the second. As
considered "a good name rather to be cho.
sen than great riches I called the iunomi-
nate after Isaac, the patriarch, and below
ed uncle of mine In this very triumphant
and laudable manner did Mrs. Butler close
the list of her sons.
She now turned her attention to daught-
srs, and in the short space of five years pro-
iuced three, that queen might have been
proud Of Their names, in the order of their
births, were Louisa, Rebecca, and Sarah
1t was one of Mrs. Buffers maxims, IF
you have anything to do, do it at once,' and
she seemed to be governed by this maximum
in making up her family; for Sarah COM
pleted the number of children.
John was about year old when l was a.
gain at Gilbert's for. the evening. He was
seated at the supper table, with the child in
his arms, addressing some remarks to me,
when I called his attention to the child, who
was just in the act of putting his fingers in
the blaze of the candle. Gilbert jerked him
away suddenly; which so incensed Master
John James Gilbert, that he screamed in
suferably. Gilbert tossed him, patted him !;
but he could not distract his attention from
the candle. He removed him out of sight
of the lumiuary, but that only made matters
worse. He now commenced his first lesson
in the principles of good government He
brought the child towards the candle, and
the nearer it approached, the more pacifed
it became. The child extended its arms to
catch the blaze, and Gilbert bore it slowly
towards the fame until the hand came near
ly in contact with it, when he snatched it
away, crying, bunny fnnies ! which is, by
Interpretation, you'll burn your fingers p
Eliza and exchanged smiles, but neither
of us said anything.
The child construed this into wanton teas
ing and became, if possible, more obstrope-
rous than ever. Gilbert now resorted to
orool;oot TT. Nut H., orr 6noars