The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1868-07-09
Helping Children to Lie.
BY HENRY WARD BEEcHER.

BY HENRY WARD BEECHER. "7 Is
u That lying is bound up in the
hearts of children it would not be
come me to deny. But certainly it
is often united. Indeed, children
there are few who will not tell lies,
the testimony Of their parents to the
contrary Notwithstanding.
But, of two facts I am reasonably
sure. First that children's false
hoods are often as much the parents
fault 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 defence and SO may be classed as
offensive and defensive. Chi. s.dren's
lies are almost always defensive and
for the most part are employed in
defending themselves against, par
ents, nurses, elder brothers and sis
ters, and schoolmasters, Being
weak and helpless, concealment is in
their case, as in the animal kingdom
almost the only means Of defence.
Children's lies are in multitudes of
instances mere attempts to hide
themselves from sharp censure or
sharper whipping. t go
Take a case from life. Master
Harry is sent to mill one day in win
ter, but with strict injunction not
to stop and skate. But the pond
was so inviting, the. boys were so
merry, they SO persuasively coaxed
him, that it was not in his social lit
tie heart to refuse. Of course he
skates longer than he intended. On
reaching home he is questioned /:
"Why have you been SO long,
Harry ?'' .sg zsf
"Oh-the grist was not ground,
and / had to wait 'sDid you go
onto the pond p NO sir, j
didn't .9t.5 .s.fs,...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 findsqthat
the grist had dsbeen ground the day
before he rides home and calls up
the urchin, who knew that a grist
now was to he ground that would be
hot enough! Here was disobedi-
eace first, then lie; and next-upon
oss-questioning, secondary. lie.
explanatory and defensory of the
first. Of course punishment was
earned and deserved. But the 10y
did not lie because he liked to, OF
because he was Indifferent to the
truth. He was suborned by fear.
He shrank from punishment, and
tried to hide behind a lie. The ref
uge proved treacherous, as it ought
to have done. we 20, IS Il e
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 far stronger
than moral sentiment. Conscience
is weak and unpracticable, while Fear
is powerful and at times, literally ir-
resistable ..'-1 '..fi s=sse !
The fear of pain, the fear of shame
the fear Of ridicule drive children
into falsehoods. Those who gov
ern 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 ,;f.=s.- .es
Children are very delicate instru-
ments., Their minds are undevelop-
ed, ungoverned, and acutely .sensi-
tive. Men play upon them as if they
were tough as drums.e made for
beating. They are to be helped
more than blamed. One in sympa
thy with their little souls will lead
them along safely amid temptations
to falsehood, where a rude and i'm
petuous nature will plunge, them
headlong into wrong. =.
The one element of real hood
above ali 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 virture. Here is the very place
where help is ne-aed-patience
sympathy, counsel, encouragement
instead Of these the one motive, too
often, is the Whip.