The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1859-04-27
a Whisper to Mothers.

.'She is such a strange chiId-so differ.
ent from other childrcn,' mother remark.
ed IN my hearing, with a sigh OF dlscon
tent rs if all children should be made
after one model as If one Of tie great
est charms OF life were not individuality :;
as II one OF the drearicst, ard wea:iest, at
least improving, and most stagnating
things IN the world, were not family or
nerghhorhooo which was only a mutual
echo and re.echo.
different from other children y Well
lie: her he different; YOU cant help it
II you would You ough, not il yos could.
IL Is not your mission or that Of any pa.
rent, 10 crush ont this or that faculty or
bias which is God.implanted for wise bur.
poses. You are only 10 modify and dir.
eti such hy Iudicious counsel A chld
VITO thinks for Itself prefers wait;Eg up,
on itself. and is naturally self sustained, is
OF course much more trouble than hea.
Wy headed child, who STAYS put whcrcv.
or and however you choose TO dump him
down; but it is useless to ask which. with
equally good training, will be the mos, Of.
( hclcnt worker in the great Iifefel. Sun
pose he does question Your opinions occa-
Monal!v, don't be in II hurry TO call il i'm.
/ pcruncncc; don't lie too lazy ~ too dir
mhed to argue the matter with him -
/ thank Gud, rather, that his faculties are
wide awake and active. Nor does it ucc.
eSsari!y follow ;hat such a child must he
/ coniumaciouS or disoGcdc8t. Such na,
/ ture, however, should be tenlcrlv dealt
with. Firm yet gentle words never in.
justice or harsh usage You may tell
such child to hold It's tongue when j.
corners you in an argument, often with.
out su Intentional dIsrespect, but you can.
nct prevent It's ih'n&;ng. 1t should moi
follow that young person must, as
matter Of coulsr, though they mostly do
/ adopt the parental religious creed. Some
/ parents | have known unwiSe euOurh &c
insist upon this. a forced faith for the
wear and tear Of li(e's trials, is but hro
ken reed TO lean upon. On these sub
jects taIa yourself; lee your child talk
and then let him, ike yourself, be free ia
think and choose. when this is done.
Out Of twenty vioicts IN garden, vou
shall not find any two alike, but this does
not d'sp'ease you. One is royal purple
another a light lilac color; one flecked
with little bright golden spots. another
shaded off with different tnts of the same
violet color, with deIicacy no arts,
could improve. You plant them, and lie,
them all grow and develop according tc
their nature, now and then pluckine off 4
dead leaf, now looseuiug the earth about
: the roots, or watering, or giving it shad,
or sunshine, AS the case may be, but vor
! don't try to erase the delicate tinls upor
its leaves, and substitute others which yor
fancy are better. No human fingers could
re'crcate what yon would mar-you know
that; so YOU bend over it lovingly, and
let II nod to the breeze, and bend pliantl,
TO the show, oI lift its sweet face, wher
the sun shines out. and through all il,
various changes you do not SIGH for mo
/ nOtonv. So, when ! SEQ n family Of chill
dren, ike the mothers blue eyes repro
duced, and the fathers black eyes. like
the waving, sunny lock-, and the hyhl
bFown, and the raven like The peach
bosom skin, and the gipsey olive, all round
the same hearth stone. all rocked in the
same cradle. Each is beautiful of il,
kind the variety p!eases me. Just SO
like diversity in regard to Temperament,
and mental faculties. Each have theiI
merits; Heaven forbid they should be
rolled up and swathcd up like menta
mummie', bolt upright, rigid, and fear
fully rePea,edi no collision Of mind lc
strike out new ideas, no progress. no i'm
provement. Surely this i, not the ag,
/ for thai. FANNY FERN.