The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1869-07-22
Whole No. 1880.
Helping Children TEN lies.

I
There are few children who will
not tell lies-the testimony of their
parents to the contrary nOtWithstand-
ing. But Of two facts 1 am reasonably
sure. First, that children's falsehOOds
are often as much the parents fault as
their own and secondly, that chill
dren do not lie as much as grOwnsup
people do. -
Lies are instruments of attack or
defense, and 50 may be elassed as Of
fensive or defensive. Children's lies
are almost always defensive, and for
the most part are employed in defend
ing themselves against parents, nurs-
es, elder brothers and sisters, and
schoOl-masters, in many instances
mere attempts to hide themselves
from sharp censure or sharp whip
ping.
Take a case from life. Master Har-
ry is sent to mill one day in winter,
but with injunctiOns not TO stop and
skate. But the pond was so inviting,
the boys were so merry, they SO per-
suasively eOaxed him, that it was not
in his social little heart to refuse. OF
course he skates longer than he intend
ed. On reaching home he is ques
toned "Why have you been gone 50
long, Harry ?"
"Oh--the grist was not ground, and
I had to wait"
"Did you go to the pond ?"
''NO sir, didn't"
Here is a pretty tangIe ofllesl
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 the grist had
been ground the day before; he rides
home and calls up the urchin, who
knows that grist now was to be
ground that would be hot enough!
Here was disObodience first, then a
lie; and next upon cross questioning,
a secondary lie, explanatory and de-
fensOry Of the first. OF course pun
ishment was earned and deserved.
But the boy did nos 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 treacherOus, as it ought
to have done. .-.-.
But now, is there no lesson to par
ents in this thing? Shall they hastily
place their children between such un-
equal motives as conscience and fear e?
The lower instincts in children are
relatively far stronger than moral sem
timents. Conscience is weak and un-
practised, while fear is powerful, and
at times literally irresistible.
The fear of pain, the fear Of shame,
the fear of ridicule, drive chill lren into
falsehOOds. 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 instru-
ments. Their minds are undeveloped,
and acutely sensitive.
Men play upon them, as if they were
tough as drums, and like drums, made
for beating. They are to be helped rath-
er than blamed. One in sympathy with
their little souls will lead them along
safely amid temptations to falsehOOdy
where rude and impetuOus nature will
plunge them headlOng into wrong.
The one element of real manhood,
above all others, is truth. A child
should not be left to learn how to be
true, how to resist temptation, how to
give Judgment in favor of right and
virtue. Here is the place. where help
is needed-patience, sympathy, cOun-
sci, encouragement-[H. w. Beecher..