The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1866-08-29
MISCELLANY.
From the American chronological Journal.
HOW TO PUNISH A GUILD.
A FATHERS EXPERIENCE.

GAfllkk ENFERlENCE.
DEAN Mr.. EDITOR IL am the fathe
of two little boys-onc is still with me il
the world, but the other has been yon,
six years, and mourn for him with :
mourning that i. full of regret, for wa
stranger to the wisdom necessary tt
train him Alright until he was taken from
me. Could | have known that he was tc
stay with me only little more than eight
years, | think i should not have been SC
slow to learn that there is more excel.
lent way of governing and di.cipining
children than that too generally received
by parents.
| read in my Bible, "Chasten thy .on
while there is hope, and let not thy soul
spare for his crying" That and kindred
commands settled the question in my
mind as to the mode of government best
adapted TO children, but l forgot that
those commands belonged TO very differ
cnt period of the world from the present.
period when a man, in one instance n.
least, was stoned TO death for Sabbath
breaking. As God does not command
nor justify such mode o. procedure with
Sabbath-breakcrs in the p escnt cnlight-
ened period Of the world, had no reason
to suppose lie would command or Justify
rhe use Of the rod now. But | was ig-
norant, and wre.ted the Bible to the
injury Of my child. and to my own lasting
sorrow. Ny rod, it is true, was nothing
more than my hanl, but it did severe
justice, as l shall ever remember with
great grief
gave my Harry his first whipping
when he was two years old, and it APP
pcared to be Il success but soon learn
ed that children. like their parents, are
weak and wayward and inclined to evil.
and that neither whipping nor any other
punishment will work speedy cure
I'ut this only made me more determined
that the child should feel the strokes OF
my hand whenever thought he needed
them. | did not believe in very frequent
whippings, but did believe in very Sc
we're ones, and especially for the sin of
talschood.
My boy WAS guilty Of un,ruthrulness
twice before he was seven years old, and
was whipped severely for it. When he
was eight years old, lie told another lie,
nn!degr Ihe h,y yprGS1geer, All arrulhcss niiou,
it that alarmed M, but | did not stop to
consider that it was an artlulncss he would
not lave used if he had not had a great
horror Of a whipping. lie was very sure
| would never he Of | i, ial>, hood, but
ac,id ntaly found it ont, and at once
rc.ol'cd to make thorough work anil pun
ish him with added severity. rs usual
talked TO him kindly about the in oI
falschool; then led him to my room,
and taking him upon my lap, brought my
hand down upon his tender flesh will
great force he wrilhed and screamed
and begged, but | did not pause scconC
until had given him six blows, when
stopped a moment and told him how sor
ry was to whip him so hard.
Papa, papa !" he sobbed out, ''plcas'
don't whip me any more, and l wont cvc
tell another lie"
But did not heed him until ha'
given him five more blows. llavin,
whipped him sufficiently, | kissed him
and asked him TO kiss M, which he di,
without any apparent reluctance.
"Do you think papa has whipped yo'
any harder than he ought to ?" sail.
mo, sir" was the prompt but sob
bins answer.
'Don't you think he would have don
wrong if he hadn't punished You yer.
hard !" asked, to assure myself that b
was satisfied that had done perfect
right.
"Ycs, SIR" he answered, and felt
had done my work well.
Two hours later he was knceling b
his bed saying his evening prayer, "No'
! lay me down to Sleep" etc When Ia
had finished it he turned to his nurse an
said, "That's my taayh prayer, but ry
got II prayer Of my Ora and I'm going I
say it tonight and ever SO many nights.
Folding his hands again: he bcgar
"My Father up in heaven, please forgiv
my papa for striking SO heavy, and max
him grow good like Fredde's papa.
From an adjoining room, tie door
which stood ajar, overheard my child
petition fer me, and my soul was at one
in trouble. That prayer Of his own thi
followed his ''taught prayer" was to n
revelation, revelation of the fact III
even While smarting under my blows
had told two falsohoods as serious as Il
one for which | whipped him.
/ thought of my questions and his an
e wcrs ado you think papa has whipp'
a you any harder Than he ought to 7" IN
i SIR "Don't you think he would ha
y done wrong if he hadn't whipped "
h very hard o. "Ycs, sir" Oh, tn
e "Yes, SIR" and "No, SIR" how tn
: looked to me in lho light of my chilli
=, prayer! And l., by the heavy blows
Il my hand, had taught him deceit,
al 1t may be said that it was not t
IS IS whipping but the questions put 10 hi
that led him into new sin. All, but I
ne whipping had produced no moral ell,
In whalever-on the contrary, it had p
to pared him to frame any lie that wo'
o have the appearance Of truth and sati
d, me, and "Yes, sir" and "No SIR" W
ng easily said
lo,,loI A.. Al Il