Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1864-04-22
miscellaneous.

make 1t bound.
The more force he used in throwing the
ball, the more suddenly and swiftly it would
return, and the experiment pleased him great
ly. His mother saw the sport, and noticed
that the ball sometimes flew back very near
his head. She therefore cautioned him by
saying,
Look out there, Johnny it will fly back
and hit you"
II was wise caution to the little fellow
and perhaps it saved him some pain and tears
In little while Johnny was tired Of his
play and came into the house to seek for some
amusement there. He tried first one thing.
and then another, which his mother ruuired
him to put aside, because he made too much
noise, OF too much litter, until the boy los,
mis- patience, and in his anger threw down his
toys, and declared that he would not play at all
The mother. in her turn, lost her patience,
and began to scold Johnny in right good ear
nest. She called him wilful, ugly, stubborn,
and many other hard names. and he replied
by such terms as.
81 don't care; you're ugly too. ! won't
play, anyhow. don't like you. single bit"
The harder the mother .colded the worse
Johnny became, and as l looked in upon tho
scene said to mysef:-
Look out, there, my good lady il will fly
back and hit you"
"Your words are hard, and they fall upon a
bard wall of angry passion, and they will GER
tainly rebound"
And so it was. The mother continued to
use words Of greater and still greater severity,
and Johnny grew more and more angry and
impudent, until the mother punished him Sc
verely by some hard blows.
Look outp p said to myself again, as
each blow fell. it will fly back and hit you."
did not suppose that the boy would be so
bad as actually to strike his mother, but did
think, that, in the bad spirit he was led to in
duge, his future words and acts would be the
rebounding of her spirit, words and acts.
That mother never corrected her son but
she seemed to be in a passion and she never
failed to arouse passion in him He grew up
to be fretful, and rash, unlovely and unloved.
1t was a natural result and she had her
self to blame for it. II she had not wished
the bali of reproof to rebound, she should have
carried il home to the heart with the hand Of
gentleness and love, and held it there with all
the force of persuasion. The wall of angry !
passion would have melted before such an in !
flueuce, and Johnny, once subdued, would |
have become gentle and obedent young
man.
Parents, here is a word Of advice given by
mother to her child. and il proves to be the |
best of advice, to all mothers. Look out. |
or il will fly back and hit you"
0 mothers did you ever pause to think
OF the effect which your reproof and correction
are having on your childrens
Do you not know that every word YOU
speak to them in anger will rebound That
To-, he m
Elected by them, and come back too. Unknown,
this truth does not receive the attention it de.
mands, and fretful, passionate, hard words
come back TO US, the echo OF our own folly.
The story of the Echo, with which our read
ers may be familiar. will illustrate this, as
we'll as anything we could write upon the sub.
ject, and here it is, for tho benefit Of both old
and young children.
"a young lad was crossing stream one
day, near by high hill, or mountain, when
his foot slipped and he fell into the water, up
to his knees.
The water was cold and be cried out, 80
MURDER Instantly be heard voice, over
on the side of the hill, repeating bis words
and shouting, :" o murder e.
He looked in that direction as he sprnne
out Of the water, in no very good mood to be
Knocked, and seeing no one, he sang out,
"Who are you, hooking me :" and then came
back voice, saying, "Who are you, mock
ing mes"
The boy then thought that he was Knocked
in good earnest, and the following dialogue
ensued between him and the echo.
Boy.--I didn's mock you
Echo.-I didn't mock you.
B.--You did mock me.
E.-You did mock me.
B.-I say didn't--you're liar.
E.-You're liar.
B.-Who calls me liar' Show yourself,
IL you dare.
E.-Show yourself, II you dare.
B.-You dare not come out, yourea coward.
E.-You're a coward.
b. You're fool
E.-You're fool
The boy was by this time so angry, that he
could hardly contain himself; and was lust
about to dash away toward the point from
whence the voice came, when his sister APP
pesred and discovered the secret.
She spoke gently to her brother, and soon
soothed his rufled spirit, and told him that he
had been listening to his own harsh and fool
ish words. At first be could not believe it,
but she finally convinced him, and thus pro-
duced happy effect upon his mind and heart.
She persuaded him to try the experiment Of
using kind words to see If he could not get
back kind words. He began as follows and
the second dialogue progressed in this way
B.-Halloo over there
E.-Halloo over therei
B.-Come over and see me.
E.-Come over and see me.
B.-No; you come over here.
E.-You come over here.
B.--Don't be afraid. / won't hurt Won.
Ell won't hurt you.
B.-Let us forget those hard words, and
we'll be good friends.
E.-We'l be good friends.
And SO they were. The boy found that
whatever he did or said came back to him in
the same spirit IL which he sent it firth and
he was careful, ever after to utter such words
a. would produce agreeable echoes
lie spoke kindly, and his word. produced
such an effect as to secure for him kind re-
ply. He acted generously and nobl,, and
others treated him with kindn, S. and consi.
deration.
And what was true in his experience, IL
true ofeyery person living II our hard word.
are sure to fly back aud hit us. 20 are our
loving and gentle words sure to beget liz,
return.