New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-07-12
HELPING CHILDREN TO LIE.

Under this head Mr.. Beecher in the last
Ledger discourses as follows:
That lying is bound up in the hearts of
children 1t would not become me to deny.
But certainly it is often united Indeed,
there are few who will not tell lies-the
testimony Of their parents TO the contrary
Notwithstanding.
But of two facts | am reasonably sure.
First, that chi!dren's falsehoods are often
as much the parents faults as their own
and secondly, that children do not lie as
much as grown up people do, and seem to
do SO only from want of skill and long
practice.
Lies are instruments of attack or of de-
Tense, and so may be classed as offensive
or defensive. Childrens lies are almost
always defensive, and for the most part are
employed;in defending themselves against
parents, nurses, elder brothers and sisters,
and schoolmasters. Being weak and help
less, concealment is in their case, as in the
animal kingdom, almost the only means of
/ defense. Children's lies are in multitudes
eff instances mere attempts to hide them
selves from sharp censure or sharper
whipping.
Take case from life. Master Harry is
sent to mill one day in winter, but with
strict iDjunctions not to stop and skate.
But the pond was so inviting, the boys
there were so merry, they so pursuasively
coazed him, that it was not in his social
little heart to refuse, Of course he skates
longer than he intended. On reaching
home he is questioned Why have you
been so long, Harry ~
"Oh-the grist was not ground, and
had to watt Did you so onto the
pond ~ No, sir, didn't
Here is pretty tangle of lies The old
gentleman runs his hand into the bag and
finds the meal stone cold. He rides over
to the mill to inquire about matters, and
finds that the grist had been ground the
day before; he rides home and calls up the
urchin, who knew that grist now was to
be ground that would be hotenough. Here
was disobedience first, then lie; and next,
upon crOss-questioning, a secondary lie,
explanatory and defensory of the first. OF
course punishment was earned and de-
served. But the boy did not lie because
he liked to or because he was Indifferent to
the truth. He was suborned by fear. He
shrank from punishment and tried to hide
behind lie. The refuge proved treacher-
Gus, as it ought to have done.
But, now, is there no lesson to parents in
this thing? Shall they hastily place their
children between such unequal motives as
conscience and fear? The lower instincts
in children are relatively stronger than
moral sentiment. Conscience is weak and
unpracticed, while fear is powerful and at
| times literally irresistible.
The fear Of pain, the fear of shame, the
fear Of ridicule, drive children into false
hoods. Those who govern them might at
least remember how it was in their own
cases, and so manage as to help conscience
against fear, rather than by threats and
sternness make the temptation irresistible.
Children are very delicate instruments
Their minds are undeveloped, ungoverned,
and acutely sensitive. Men play upon them
as if they were tough as drums, and like
drums, made fer beating. They are to be
helped more than blamed. One in sympa-
thy with these little souls will lead them
along safely amid temptations to falsehood,
where rude and impetuous nature will
plunge them headlong into wrong.
The one clement of real manhood, above
all others, is truth. A child should not be
left to learn how to be true, how to resist
Temptations, how to give Judgment in favor
of right and virtue. Here is the place
where help is needed-patience, sympathy,
counsel, encouragement. Instead Of these
the one motive, too often, is the whip. 60