Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1868-11-20
Dociie Parents.

! n Scotchman, returned home from
an American tour, gives some anus
ing illustrations he met which heIpet
TO explain what New England lad,
meant when she said, ~ ann learning
To be docile parent"
| Parents, obey your children I'm all
things" is the new idea. Ii IL not
after all, SO great stretch to antici.
pate, as somebody suggests, that we
shall by-and-by see on the signhoard
OF some American store: John
Smith d Father"
Le' 10 not be supposed, however,
the American children are ,ude, or
iil-behaved. On the contrary, they
struck me as more polite, more con-
siderate, more orderly, as n general
rule, than our own; but they need 10
be dealt with in q different way.
You must appeal To their reason aud
good sense. Ii you appeal merely To
your own authority, you are apt TO
get pert answer.
"Remember who you are talking
to, sir!" said an indignant parent to
a fractious boy, II am your father,
sir. " "Well, who's to blame for
that ?" said young imperlinence
"taint me -
One little boy, TO whom have al.
ready referred, was making himself
very disaAreeable on one occasion
when his mothei had him with her
on visit to some friends. She took
him to the bedroom, and told him
that IF he did not behave himself she
would shut him up In the closet.
You can't. There amt "A closet
here" said the child triumphantly.
"lil put you into that wardrobe,
then" "No you wont" IL will. -
"iou try it," She took him Instant
~, put him in, and turned the lock
Ihereupon Young America began to
Kick up n tremendous noise inside,
battering the doors or the wardrobe
as IL he would have knocked them
oil their hinges. His mother, fearful
that he would do mischief, either to
himself or to the furniture, aud re-
remembering that the house was not
hers, took him out and said I'm
great distress: "Oh, George, / dom I
know what TO do with you'll" "Don't
you?" said he, looking up into her
face. mo, indeed, don't" "Then," )"
said he, ''if that is 80, I'll behaye;'
which he accordingly did, march.
ing into the other room with her, and
conducting himself for the rest of the
evening like a little gentleman. She
bad capitulated-giyen up the strug-
gle for authority. lie was now be-
having on his own responsibility.
This case suggests another which
illustrates the sanie point, but Ii, 9 q
grotesque feature OF its own. A gem
tleinan III Northampton, with whom
spent u very delightful week. and
who belongs TO one of the old Puritan
families, told NE that for several
years lie had tried whipping with his
boy, but found Ii Intellectual On one
occasion the boy was caught In an
oft-repeated fault. His father took
him to his roam, upbraided him for
his persistent dlsobeiience remind
ed him (Which was probably unneces-
sary) that he had several times been
obliged, IN the way of parental duty,
To apply the rod OF correction; that
IL seemed To have as yet been in vain;
tina: he was much disheartened, and
was at q loss what TO do with him.
A bright thought occurred To the boy.
Father" said lie, Suppose you
pray" The father was good man,
and could not refuse to do this. but
having a strong suspicion i'm his
mind that the boy had suggested this
Christian exercise i'm order to escape
punishment, lac prayed for the young
reprobate first, and whipped him
afterwards. lie told me, however,
that he had never been able To make
anything of the boy till he gave up
hogging and appealed to the boys
sense of what was right and proper.