Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-05-04

employ this milder method, and then the ele-
ment Of force must be applied. This rigor
Gus method when compared with better, is
poor enough but when compared with no
government at all, it is superlative The very
lowest degree Of the scale Of real government
is immcasurable above absolute neglect.
Let mo speak however, Of one application
Of punishment, with reference to which much
judgment is required, and littleis usually om-
ploycd.
40 child should be suddenly struck and
no child should ever be smitten upon tho face.
upon the head, or upon the cars and If
were a magistrate / would make it a penal
offence to indulge in such a mode of chastso-
mcnt II is an outrage TO the child, and
disgrace 60 the parent. IL seems as though
the head was made sacred as being the palace
of the immortal soul. This may seem a small
natter but that which is capable Of setting
ON fire the passions as with the flames Of
hell cannot be small.
Thcrc a7e abroad two kinds Of inaictions--
stripes for enormities, and for petty offences
another method which seems TO me most uu-
wise and pernicious. How many parents in
dulgo in swapping the heads Of their children.
How many parents indulge in pinching their
childrens cars. How many parents indulge
in slapping their chdren's checks. There is
no child but feels this to be gnomnous. Tho
pain is only sufficient TO excite the temper
And believe ! may say such punishment, ifit
does not arise from mere lrotfulncss, produces
il. The petty sufferer resents it; he rcddens
in the face; his gestures are short and quick
his eye is downcast and fierce his heart is
iull Of rage.
may alludc Go my own rccollcetions Of oc-
curcuccs that took place when | was govern
cd, not by parents, but by iniudicious persons
to whose caro- | was entrusted. ! often had
my head snapped and stricken. | have ex-
pcrienced not little of such government
And can testify that the most rcsontful and
bitter feelings that ever possessed my heart,
and tho bttercst and wickcdcst language that
| ever crossed my lips, were produced by these
ycXatious appliances to my head. And after
an effort to r,membcr | think can say that
/ ! never, in a single instance, was benefited
! by such punishment, but always and greatly
/ injured. | looked upon my governor as a ty-
rant, and upon these strokes as cruelties
And will add chat, whether it be from its
superior nervous scnsibility or not, blow
the head, at any period Of life goes quicker
TO the temper, and irritates more than on any
other portion of the body. 1t is not right
Of family government, but an outrage and an
abomnation, to strike child anywhere on
] Tue Hchu. lfoNlaeucc nas naue otnef ar
rangements for family government!
Neither should punishment ever be the re-
suit Of anger. There arc some parents who
can never bring themselves to infict pain up
on a child until their anger makes them blind
and then most certainly they arc not fit to
meddle with a child. Our temper never cor
rects, but always kiudles like feeling. A
child thus disciplined bears up under it,
plumes itself for its endurance, and mentally
defes you.
Whatever may be thought Of employing the
rod at all, it may be laid down an axiom
among those who do employ it, that it should
never be put into the hands of anger, but that
if welded, it should be welded always by the
hand Of indulgent kindness.
My father used to make me believe that the
end ofthe rod that he held in his hands, was a
/ great deal more painful to him than the end
I which felt was TO nc. 1t was strange mys-
terry to me, but did believe it; and it seemed
great deal worse to me to be whipped on that
account. used to think that if he would not
talk to me, but would whip ne, | could stand
il great de al better So | could have stood
/ it better, and not been benefited. For child
is not whipped till the sensation goes to tho
heart, and touches the feeling. But when my
/ father made me cry by talking to me, and then
whipped me, and then made me cry by talking
to me again, thought it was too bad. And
yet, it the right way.
have but single other thought to present.
Where there is one extreme, there are always
two. Where some are found who will not gov
ern at all, some will push government beyond
all bounds Home becomes a prison. The
children are slaves. The bouyant freedom of
childhood is tutored and talked and whipped
into the dull propriety ofa doll. Gay laughter
is hushed TO run and fling the arms is un-
graceful. To show heart Of glee, running
over with wild but harmless language is not
be6ttng the child of solemn parents SO all
the bloom of childhood is rubbed Off all its
elasticity is extracted and that the child may
be prodigy, carly lessons are forced upon it
and it is brought up as God never meant it
should be, and as only foolish men wish it to
he--an infant mannerist--an infant hypocrito
IAN infant studont-an infant man in short,
a pardigy--a monstrosity.
Make the bridge from the cradle to manhood
just as long as you can. Leave your child a
chld just "a, long as you can-especially il you
live in a city BE not in haste to force your
child into premature development by intelli-
geucr, or by anything else. Let it be a child,
aud not little ape of man running about the
town Ioyo tho child in its childhood and
flr it- chillishuoss II woud be better for us
81 wc had more chldishnoss about ourselves.
Mlsons know that the work is never good
which sets too quick lfmanhood sets too
quick it is apt TO be stiff and brittle And
thc moro there is in you of childhood tho bet
ter will You be fitted to understand your chill
drcn, to rear them intcligibly, to bear with
them. to prepare them for this life and the
lite which is to come
close by saying, as | have already said,
th the mystery OF human life to me is in the
parental relation. That God should have made
thing, as he has ia the family is more aston
i,hiny TO me, than the doctrines of Christianity,
respecting the origin of sin, the fall of the first
parents, the trinity ctc.-doctrnes which
mon know so much about without knowing
uoything about them. That which we do
know is this that the child depends upon the
parent for culture, that the parent is ignorant
OF the bost methods Of training the child, and
that the results Of our training 60 on and hold
their coure through time and eternity, These
things are amazing
You, then. that have passed through the
life of training, and seen your children grow