Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-11-25

greal credit to those who have lsborof
thus faithfully to bring It to it, present
state Of perfection. Still, In this age O
improvement, / oan see some things which
appear to be far behind the spirit Of thu
times. ] refer to the practise Of govern
ing by physical force. 10 common with
many Of our teachers. I believe this t.
be the most reprshensible of any custom
which obtains in civilized society, whether
it be among parents or teachers. Indeed
cannot much blame our teachers 90 long
as parents never advise or instruct them
to the contrary, but often the reverse
The parent sends line, by the little un
suspecting victim, to his teacher, to the
effect "that if the child doesn't behave. te
punish him and make him behave" The
result ia, the little one not being able
constantly to bear in mind all the mum
berless rules, is guilty of transgression,
whispers or laughs, or moves when he
should not, or some other equally i'm
portant matter, and according to instruc-
tions is whipped. II it is his first expe-
rience of the kind, be is grieved to the
heart. He feels no sense Of guilt, as he
had no intention of offending he thinks
he can go to his mother for sympathy,
when 10 the worst of all, ne gets none,
but perhaps another whipping instead.
Could parents but realize what they are
doing when they pursue this course, they
would recoil with horror. Our children
are precisely what we make them, and
they can't help it. If we have given them
impulsive natures, or turbulent tempers,
it is OF vital Importance that we keep
those troublesome qualities quiet !; by
iudicious and careful guidance. bringing
out with the .yvc II our own scale. the
love We can surely fad in theirs ii we
try.
We are unfit 10 be mothers il We allow
ourselves to get out Of patience with these
little ones, and no parent who has q con-
science, would ever strike 3, child, If she
first carefully and quietly inquired within
her own soul to learn if it was right
TIE :ir-t blow the child receives j. Iii,
first lesson il sonbntivenr-~, which soon
lead '.lm Into qatrreis aud hstt-. Every
Application Of the rod plunts III. seed for
a itz-n uipr. II IA. il never struck. he
vii p,srr >tnbr Children AZ great
lmitAtpf- md snry urgln flet with their
parents. II the mother " -ars her child
to he bright, ioyous ,nl htppy she mast
set the example II -he wishes him 10
reason upon the right and wrong Of
things, she must reason with him when
he errs, and thus cultivate his reason and
his conscience. She rnust maintain per-
feet control over her OWL spirit she will
then find little difficulty in controlling
him. A child should never be allowed to
lose his selfrespect, if you wish him to
do well and treat others with respect.
When once his self-respect goes, as it
rapidly does when whipping and like
treatment commences, he is on the broad
road 10 ruin. OF course, he cares little
what he does, only that he avoids getting
caught he is governed by fear only,
which leads him 10 all manner Of decep-
ton and mischief; undetermined, coward
ly actions, will characterize him, and soon
be is branded as one Of our bad boys:I
This kind Of government it is which fills |
our schools with unruly children, our
streets with bad DO, :, and our vicious
haunts with wicked men | know some |
argue the opposite Of this. because some
~ .--L ,.~-.--.- ~"sr~r ,ho'- ,'tia.vn 10 go |
10 ruin, for ~ant Of sufficient energy to
rear them properly. 1t is net the want Of
punishment, but the lack Of judicious
wA'eiid otre sl.d guidance
Parents are ind1lcnt in this direction
They find it much easier to give an ar
oitrory command aud punish if i, il dis
,bcyed, than y labor earnestly, thought
July, and dovotedly, to call out the child's
,wn soul, his power OF self-roliance aud
Ihi, requires work, and
or a tino unccasing work, bat when
,nce you accomplish this much, az you
urely can, by perseverance, your road is
comparatively easy
If, then, You point out the path of right
o your child, he will surely follow it. He
will err only in ignorance. Many parents
Gem to think the sooner they get their
hildren off their hands and on to the
eachcr's the better, and here the latter is
equirod to fill the Office OF both parent
nd teacher, and how few are qualified
or the position 1t is shame to the
parents, still as such is the case our only
curse is to procure such teachers as have
nate strength to maintain order, while
hey command the love and respect of their
,upils, without resort to physical force.
80 person is fit to have the charge of
hildren in any capacity who cannot do
his, and parents soon weary Of those
yhom their little ones dislike.
We should watch as car, fully the in.
uence of teacher over them, morally and
ffectionally, as we should intellectually.
III the book knowledge they can get will
ever compensate for the destruction of
he gentle, loving dispositions which they
sually take with them upon their first
ntrance into school. There are many
oys ir this village who are going down
apidly, and believe, solely because they
re driven by harshness, instead Of being
I'd by kindness Some OF them get many
every week, and often several
n day.
Two or three years ago, a new teacher
Inferred one of our West street schools,
nd during the first day she was much
Interested in the expressive countenance
bright eyed restless little fellow.
he readily understood that it was impos-
ible for his nervous temperament to keepl
self entirely quiet, and treated him very