Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1860-10-31
Ganies' Department.
Mrs. M. E. r Editress.
How Shall a Mother Educate Her
Own Children

tHc great rcSpOnSlnlIIy Oh Nne WVCner LOT the
character Of her child, and how much upon
her depends the future happiness On earth,
and probably its eternal happiness beyond
the grave, the answer that we give should
be weli considered, We will, therefore,
state nothing that we have not seen practi-
cally proved to be good, in at least one case.
Every mother has her 0ecR p9aa of man.
agement-at least what she calls SO but we
think uery few have any plan at ALL But
system is at the bottom of success in all ed
u~cation, aud without it no one can reasona-
bly, hope to satisfy herself, or any one else!
The mother who fancics that she cannot find
time to devote an hour or two, regularly eve
ry day, to her children, will gcnerallyfnd up
on examination, that the fault is in herself:
in almost every case, we venture to assert, it
Will be found that she esteems some other
things-viz: visiting, shopping, housekeep-
ing, party-going, etc, (all Of which in their
place, are to be attended to)-as of greatly
more importance than the education of her
children. Scf-indulgence, even, is a fire.
quent cause efneglect, for we nave known
HOfS tiiu ~ LlOlucI, WuO WOulu nave
their two hours a day for literary enjoyment,
while their little ones were running wild
over the yard or plantation, with little ne
grOes; and yet these very mothers have been
heard to complain that they could find no
time to educate their children! The fact
was, that they did not understand their du-
ties, or would not perform theml
"What" here exclains nay indignant
reader, her fair lip turning up with scorn,
"would you have me put down all intellectu-
al culture, to turn sc~hoolmistress for my
children %
"My dear lady," we reply, "all culture is
worthless, unless it fits us the better for the
performance of cur duties: but be not alarm
ed, you need netput dewn your book, ex-
cept occasionally, to carry out the system we
recommend. We rather fear that your an
nOyanCes will arise more from your ill regu-
lated servants, breaking in on your retire
ment for a little salt, 0or pepper, a little more
sugar or some such tyihe, which they should
have attended to at the proper time-we say,
we rathor ioar interruption from them than
from the children, if you have commenced
soon enough in training them. Let as en-.
plain by a little story, which We fnd ia the
papers, how small things, unobserved by us
educate our children fer veal or woe.
ANNA KROSS.-A TALE
Anna Kross was the pretty daughter Of
weak mother and m~oney-making father, bu
like the latter parent, she had a vast fund &
natural good sense. She had been GRADED
in luxury, and educated in the belief tina
lrcr presence in the world was of not a it'll
Importance to the crowd of people whom
Providence, for some mysterious purpose G
his own, had seen fit to put upon this mur
dane sphere below. But as she was an ana
able girl and naturally disposed to tax
things easily, she concluded that it was 'aI
right, and determined that, as long as the
let her alone, and required her to make n
efforts to please them, they might live OF
and admire her little airs and new dresse!
which she sported, at proper times, on tn
battery, IN her fathers superb carriage,
at the routs of her fashionable friends
And yet, poor little puppet she could M
have killed a worm, had she dared to con
near one, and the most terrible weapon 81
had was a beseeching and terrible glane
which she would sometimes, when q gi
send forth on behalf of some poor lit
fellow, who was getting it" or which a |
tie later in her teens, she leannt to dire
to her fathers waistcoat pocket, on an app
to his charity. AS for her own purse, S
never could keep anything in it.
Friends land the rich, says experien,
have many,) would look at her as she dane
playfully, harmlessly and lovingly throu
life, and wonder, in pity, what would beco
OF the frail little thing, if poverty should e.
lay its cold hand upon her shoulder. II
were shallow people those, for poverty is
to bring out what is strong in the charact
while the hot house cultivation of wealth,
der the hands ola weak mother, is very 81
to keep down, perhaps entirely check
growth of the nobler Attitudes of woman
They should have asked, how long will t
cheerful heart keep free from vanity, affet
ton, pride, jealousy, emulation, bitterness
grief!-and when they come, what principles
there toprevent them from taking entire T
session of THE soul? They were shallow
servers those, for they knew not aught
the training that that little girl had .receiy
bsfore her tiny feet had been twisted ne;
out Of place by the art of q Preach dane
master, or before she had been sent to !
York, to be finished by Mademoiselle P.
che. Had they known that character is
orally shaped long before we wise pc
think it is in existence, they might not
been at a loss to guess what the pretty dal
ter of the weak mother and the rich ia
might become.
Bah! for our wisdom! We sow tares.
expect wheat fit for market, without the
of sieve or we. see the crop sown from
seed, and forg1tful If the smut machine
the destroying influenced the chemical "
wonder whence cometh such wholeG
fruit.
Annals mother, though q weak wo1
had been a religious woman, and tn
her religion had not stood the test of We
yet it had been invaluable to the sens
wife of the obscure but rising merchant
had been only skin deep, it is true. but v
1T had remained, like a gliding of pure
upon a ginger bread heart, it had dor
work. A pictured Bible, old-fashioneC
half worn out, had been Annals plays
while her mother too much occupied
intellectual production which, in oul
supply the saints legends and monkish
of former times, had not been able to
time to teach her her letters. Pictul
saints and apostles, prophets and wal
heroines and angels, had made her AK
ti0ns, and when, by dint of teazing, 81
them answered, made her restless and Ii
till old Nam Di had taught her, first
tiers, and finally, how to spell in words
short syllable. Oh, great was the oil
mans exultation, when, walking at