Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-11-20

| life; but mamma will not talk with you
as she did yesterday. She tried all day
yesterday to help you, and you would not
help yourself; to-day you must do it al
| alone"
Mamma, are you sure I shall ever say
it?" asked Willy. FL. fsAE
eyes, dear; perfectly sure You will
say it some day or other"
| "Do you think shall say it do-day?"
al can't tell. You are not so strong g
little boy as I thought. 1 believed yor
would say it. yesterday. l am afraid you
have some hard work before you"
Willy begged her to go down and leave
him alone. Then he begged her to shut
him up in the closet, and "see if thai
| wouldn't make him good" Every few
minutes he would come and stand before
her, and say very earnestly: "Are you
sure shall say it?' 81
He looked very pale, almost as if he
had had a fit of illness. No wonder. II
was the battle of life fought at the age oi
four.
1t was late in the afternoon Of this the
third day. Willy had been sitting in his
little chair, looking steadily at the floor
for so long time that his mother was al
| most frightened. But she hesitated to
speak to him, for she felt that the crisis
had come. Suddenly he sprang up, walk
ed toward her with all the deliberate firm
ness of man in his whole bearing. She
| says there was something in his face which
she has never seen since, and does not ex-
pect.to see till he is thirty years old.
Mammal said he.
"WeH, dear?" said his mother, trem-
bling so she could hardly speak.
Mamma" he repeated, in loud, sharp
tone: &C! G.! G.! G!" And then he
burst into fit of crying, which she had
| hard work to stay. 1t was over. r.. ..}
Willy is now ten years old. From that
| day to this his mother has never had a
contest with him; she has always been
| able to leave all practical questions affect,
ing his behavior to his own decision,
merely saying: "Willy, I think this or
that will be better" - -
His self-control and gentleness are won
derful to see and the blending in his face
of childlike simplicity and purity with
manly strength is something which l have
never but once seen equaled.
shouting &C G G!" at the top of his
voice. he was heard asking playmates if
they could say g." and "who showed
often to allude to the affair, saying: "Do
you remember, mamma, that dreadful
| time when I wouldn't say G?" He used
the verb wouldn't" in speaking of it.
| Once, when he was sick, he said: Mann
ma, do you think could have said G. any
sooner than / did,"
81 have never felt certain about that,
Willy" she said " What do yog think !? .
81 think / could have said it. few min
utes sooner. | was saying it to mprself as
long as that!" said Willy.
1t was singular that, although up to
that time he had never been able to pro-
nounce the letter with any distinctness,
when he first made up his mind in this in
stance to say it, he enunciated it with per
| feet clearness, and never again went back
to the old, imperfect pronunciation.
Few mothers, perhaps, would be able to
give up two whole days to such battle
as this; other duties would interfere But
the same principle could be carried out
without the mothers remaining herself by
the child's side all the time. Moreover,
not one child in thousand would have
held out as Willy did. In all ordinary
cases few hours would suffice. And,
after all, what would the sacrifice of even
two days be, in comparison with the time
saved in years to come? If there were NO
stronger motive than one of policy, of de-
| sire to take the course easiest to them
selves, mothers might we'll resolve that
their first aim should be to educate their
children's wills and make them strong, in.
stead of to conquer and "break" them.
| THE TpdeDendent.