Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-03-25
NJ Is c L L l. A Y Y.
SUCH A TEMPER.
BY T. S. ARTHUR.

BY T. S. ARTHUR.
That child will be the death of me yet
Ph, he mas 6rl Just sec how he acts.
fou, John Hush his Instant, and do as
bill you, -
These sentences were uttered in an excited
|oicc by a mother who Lad come suddenly
pom her little boy,a bright, busy, active lit
e fellow three years old, who had discovered
new amusement, and was enjoying himself
to his full capacity. That amusement
Tas rude att mpt at castle building The
haterials used on the occasion were books
rom the library shelves. His mother, in
pmpany with an aunt, who had arrived that
by on short visit, happened to come upon
i'm in the midst of his pleasant sport.
Dear little fellow - was on his aunts
ps, as her eyes fell upon the child S anima-
fd face but ere the words were spoken his
otter had started forward and seized him
n the arm. With Il sudden jerk she drew
i'm several feet away from his mimic build
hg, exclaimng as she did SO, in angry
bnes-
" You bad boy How dare you do this?
ust see your fathers books scattered all over
be floor"
A moment or two she held him with a
rm grip; then. pushing him from her, she
31ded-
Put every book in its place on the shelves;
hd don't you dare to touch them again"
| Released from his mothers hand, John,
hstead of obeying her, threw himself upon
ne floor, and commenced kicking and
Dreaming in uncontrolled passion.
"Just see how he acts, Mary - repeated
he mother. "That temper will be his ruin.
ohm, hush this instant, and get up as tell
ou."
But the child's passion was a whrlwind,
|hd subsidized not until its force was spent
b her blind anger the mother stopped over
pc boy, and was raising her hand to punish
i'm, when her sister drew her back and
yhispercd-
"Don't Anna A blow now will do harm. q"
Ind she drew the excited mother from the
BON.
"Mary This is not right" said the lat
fr, with some severity of manner. as soon
Is they were out of the library. You must
|ot come between me and my children. If
ou take their part when reprovc or punish,
y my control over them will be gone"
- Dear sister, - replied Mary with much
eellng and great tenderness of manner, Z" tor
I've me ii l have erred and let the pure
Pve feel for you and your child be my apol-
|gist.''
There was silence for nearly a minute. A
|alm was falling upon the mothers spirit.
/" lie has such dreadful temper, Mary
it is not subdued now, it will curse his
whole life. You don't know how it troubles
he.'
"Your duty, it seems to me, is very plain,
lister, was the answer.
~ must break the temper while he is
Bhi.d."
"You cannot; it will gain strength by con-
ict," replied the sister.
:" Is the case. then, so hopeless? l will
pot b lievc it. Mary"
"Oh, no--ntt hopeless by any means
low does the oak gain strength and vigor-
Pus life? Look at its rugged trunk its
Enarled and twisted branches, and read the
history Of its strife with tempest and torna-
10 through half century. So it is, by ac-
fion, resistance, and conflict that our pas
Flons are matured. Do you imagine the ex-
fitemcnt through which your chi has
passed will weaken the bad temper of which
Eou complain ? Has it not on the contrary.
given 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 moth
Ter.
Had YOU told him he must not h nd
houses with books ~
eyes, fcrty times. There isn't an hou,
in the day that I don t have to check, or re.
prove, or punish him for one kind of mis-.
chief or another lie knew it was wrong.
"Maybe You check, and roproye. and nun.
ish HIM too mucI.. Anna" SUGGESTED tb,
sister There ;s don,er of orr;9o, in III,
direction. when the cbild,s mind Il ,nusnai
lv active The stream that a,;des aIono
smoothlv enonsb thrnnab tle ,eyeI moadous
will FRET and cbnte and J,sh madIv f,rwori
If rocky obstruct;ons come in its way ),
nBut children must not lie permitted +,
do as thew please. They woula Soon Inc min
cd :" sli,i Inc mother
"Ifyou nut a dam acryss the stream. n
throw jm,e rocks ;nto tbe midst of ;ts oon ~,
gliding current. Won do not stop lis nrosrc.::
but only swell its volume until it Overflow