The Republican journal., 1869-01-21

his father 70. having supported Andrew
johnson.
III one Of my former papers spoke of a
little Canadian girl, who, in the midst Of a
conversation on politices, threw in her opin-
ion that Canada should have had Maine
and part of New Hampshire. A case
suggested by its similarity occurred in Bos-
ton, where a little girl, not much higher
than my knees, with whom was playing a
game Oh the carpet. asked me with seri-
GUS countenance, what effect | thought the
acquisition of Russian America would have
on Great Britain. | laughed, the question
was SO odd but, on seeing the little eyes
looking up into my face i'll mute surprise, |
recovered myself as suddenly as possible,
and endeavored to put matters right by say
ing that the thing might possibly lead to
some snowballlng between the two nations
Butt the little politician in petticoats evident
ly thought this was trihing with grave
subject and said no more.
There is one unpleasant feature of Ameri-
can precocity ty-it tends much more frequent
ly than here to pertness, and utter want of
reverence for parents. "Papa, don't be
foolish heard one little girl say, when
her father was attempting to describe to me
how some comical Frenchman had spoken
at public meeting. You will sometimes
hear child say to its parent. ''Yon get
awayi" or s'Don't trouble me just now.'
The parent never seemed to me feel this as
Scotch parent would.
remember an indulgent father bringing
in bunch of grapes for his little boy.
Come, you are a good fellow after all, .
said the child cheerfully. The parent seem
ed to be rather gratifed at so kind a re-
cognition on the part of his son.
| remember another brave little fellow
of four years old, who sat near me at din
ner, on a tall slim nursery chair, wiping his
mouth after the first course, and saying g.
"Give me some of that tart, mamma,
and ring the bell for Emma; | want some
water!'
This is only one caes out OF many that
help explain what New England lady
meant when she said, 81 am learning to be
a docile parent" "Parents obey your chill
dren in all things" is the new idea. 1t is
not, after all, so great stretch to antici-
pate, as somebody suggests, that we shall
by-and-by see on the signboard of some
American store-''Joh Smith 4 Father.
Another incident occurs to me iu connec-
ton with the same little fellow who direct
ed his mother to ring the bell. One day,
when dinner was over, his mamma said to
him
"Wipe your mouth, darling.
1ool-nl bo GtGoy,
please
"Well, darling, please
Precocity wiped his lips solemnly, as if
an important moral lesson had been given,
and requested to be lifted down from his
chair
There is much less of this in the South,
where subordination is more recognized,
and where the modes of thought and feel
ing are more like our own. But this is the
growing idea in the neutrality-suspicious.,
reciprocity, the sinking of old and even
natural distinctions in Democratic equality.
DO to me whatever You expect me to do to
you.
Let it not be supposed, however, that
American children are rude, or lll-behaved.
On the contrary, they struck me as more
polite, more considerate, more orderly, as
a general rule, than our own; but they
need to be dealt with in different way.
Yon must treat with them as persons who
have a will of their own, and a right to ex-
ercise it. You must appeal to their reason
and good sense. If you appeal merely to
your own authority, you are apt to get a
pert answer.
''Remember who you are talking to, SIT
said an indignant pareut to fractions boy ;
II am your father, sir
"Well, who's to blame for that?" said
young impertinence "tain't me"
One little boy to whom | have already
referred, was making himself very disa-
greeable on one occasion when his mother
had him with her on a visit to some friends.
She took him to the bedroom, and told him
that if he did not behave himself she would
shut him up in the closet.
"Y GU can't. There amt closet here,
said the child triumphantly.
"Ill put yon into that wardrobe, then
"No, you WON'T
IL will"
"You try it,
She took him stantly, put him in, and
turned the lock.
Thereupon Young America began to
kick up tremendous noise inside, batter
ing the doors of the wardrobe as if he would
have knocked them off their hinges. His
mother, fearful that he would do mischief
either to himself or the furniture, and re-
membering that the house was not hers.
took him out and said, in great distress:
so, George, | don't know what to do
with you!'
"Don't you?" said he, looking up into hel
face.
"No, indeed, ] don't"
"Then," said he, ''if that is so, I'll be-
have; y which he accordingly did, march
ing into the other room with her, and con
ducting himself for the rest of the even
ing like little gentleman. She had capt.
ulated-given up the struggle for authori
ty. He was now behaving on his own re
sponsibility,
This case suggests another which illus
trates the same point, but has grotesqu.
feature Of its own. A gentleman in North
ampton with whom spent very delight
full week, and who belongs to one of the
oId Puritan families told me- that for Sav.