The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1866-08-29

had led hlm out of this life into the other,
but | wept as only a man can weep, and
wondered at the blindness that, until al
most the close of his life, had hidden
from me the truth that there Is no cleans.
ing, cWdtire pouer in brute force. | won
dercd, too, how any man who had re I'd
the New Testament, and received the
knowledge of the Gospel of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ, could beat the
flesh of his child TO make him love the
truth aul to strengthen him in goodness
As | stood gazing at all that was left
of nv beautiful boy, his cries and cntreat-
les and promises, under the blows of my
hand, sounded in my ears, and again was
borne back to me his prayer: my Faith
er up in heaven, please forgive my papa
for striking so heavy, and make him grow
good like Freddie's papa lie was bur
my sight, for to this day see his agon-
lied face and henr hun cry out, 'l'apa.
please don't whip me any more, and
won't ever tell another lie."
He had been in his grave only few
days when poured out my heart to
Freddie. papa and asked him to teach
me how to ''yrow good." lie then told
me that he had ''long known what my
system of discipline was, and had some
times thought he would venture to offer
me few hints, but that he wa. reluctant
to be n busybody in other mems matters"
lie had drought up four boys" he
said, sand had never struck one Of Them
blow. lie was himself whipped severe
ly when child, almost to the ruin Of his
character, and the memory of his hoyhuod
bad made him wise father.
1t wa. not long before my Willie, then
three years old, Indignantly upset his
plate cloth because | refused him some.
thing that | knew would hurt him. That
was a display of temper that dare not
let pass unpuni-hed, but | did not whip
my Child, for had adopted the system
OF discipline that Freddic's papa had used
so successfully. rose quietly and took
up my boys high chair, with him in it,
and set it IN the corner of the room, say
ing in a decided but gentle voice, '.You
cannot eat breakfast with us this morning,
Willie, You have been such II naughty
boy, and all the breakfast | shall allow
At ni'';' slirG qtlIy bread" lie rcbcllcd
did not want 10 ,,u..,., ''"'iro of il. for
things at once. In few minutes the
crying and kicking ceased, and he reached
ou. his hand and took the bread | had
placed near him. 1t gave lie no little
satisfaction that it was not with brute
force bit with II humane punishment |
accomplished my object. All after dis
PLAYS Of temper or stubb"rnness met with
rs serious punishment, but never with
blows.
When Willie was six years old he told
me fal,chood. 1t was II bright summer
morning, and | had planned "a ride for
him and his mother, when "a servant came
in and told me something he had sail.
| inquired into it and found that my child
had been untruthful. 1t WAS only nine
o'clock in the morning, but | decided tc
have him spend the day alone. | took
him up stairs, and with face and q
voice that expressed my sense of the sir
of falsehood, and my sorrow that my
child had told one, talked with him fol
some time about what he had done
then sand to him, "NoS, Willie, yol
must stay alone in this room all day
Eve locked up your play room, and
can not let you have anything 10 play
with, or let any one come in hcpc TO stay
with you"
Cant / come down to tea 7" h,
asked.
"No, my son; shall send you some
thing to cat at dinncr-time and at tea
time, but you can't come down stair
again ill tomorrow morning. | shal
come in again tonight, when it is tim
for you to say your evcaing prayer am
20 to bed Your mother will come in
too. We don't feel angry at you; bu
we are very much distressed that our lit
tie Willie has told a lie, and We mus
punish him." | went out Of the roou
and turned the key, leaving my child t
be made better by one of the best an
most humane punishments over devise
for falsehood. 1t was long day fu
5 me, and also for Willie's mother. Sh
did not touch her piano; and the flute
t with which | was accustomed TO rest my
self every day after dinner, lay in i
I place untouched, and our child knew I'll
reason why.
lie long felt the moral effect of h
punishment. can not say he never to
another lie, but as he was always punsl
u ed in this rational, kind way. and not
> way that inspired terror, he grew to
= truth-loying and sincere. Incredible /
u it may seem to many fathers who kno
y no other punishment than whipping, al
believe that there is no other that
= eihcacious, my boy kept a promise
u made me to come and tell me whencv
he failed to speak the truth.
, My wife and have great joy in I
70 b1y. lie is still child, with a chill
rt faults and imperfections, many of viii
q we think it is wise to let pass with lat
IA or no notice, but we see continually
60 good effects of discarling brute force, a
re learning more ercetlent cdy
And | thank my God, who gave
1 ,bo akII that Ia. maIa mn ..,ca N