Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-04-23
A MOTHERS INFLUENCE.
THE MANNERS OF THE MOTHER MOULD
THE CHILD.


THE CHILD.
There is no disputing this fact-it
shines in tho face of every little child:
||-ghc course, bawling, scolding woman
will have coarse, vicious, bawling,
fighting children. She who cries on
every occasion, "1'll box your cars
I'll slap your jaws-Ill break your
neck" is known as thoroughly
through her children as if her un-
womanly manners were openly dis
played in the public streets.
These remarks were suggested by
q conversation in an omnibus-that
great institution for the students of
men and manners-betwcen q friend
and a schoolmastcr. Our teacher
was caustic, mirthful, and sharp. His
wit flashed like the polished edge Of
a diamond, and kept the "bus" in a
''roar."
Tho entire community of insiders
and whoever is intimate with these
conveyances can form pretty good
idea of our numbers, to the fraterni-
ty-turned their head, eyes, and cars
one way, and finally our teacher said :
II can always tell the mother by the
boy. Tha urchin who draws back
with doubled fist and lunges at his
playmate if he looks ut him askance,
has very questionable mother. She
may feed him and clothc him, cram
him with swcctmeats, coax him with
promises, but if she gets mad she
fights.
"shc will pull him by the jacket,
she will give him a knock in the
back; she will drag him by the hair !;
she will call him all sorts Of wicked
names, while passion plays over her
red face in lambcnt flames that curl
and writhe out at the corner Of her
eyes.
"And we never see tho courteous
little fellow with smooth looks and
gentle manners-in whom delicacy
docs not detract from courage or man.
illness, but we say that boys mother
is true lady. Her words and ways
arc soft, loving and quiet. If she re-
proves, her language is my son'-not
you little wrotch;-you plague of my
life-yon torment-you scampP
"She hovers before him as pillar
of light before tho wandering Israel
ties, and her beams are reflected in
his face. To him the word mother is
synonymous with everything pure,
sweet and beautiful. Isshe an artist
In after life, that which with holy
! rediance shines on his canvass will be
the mothers face. Whoever fits
across his path with sunny smiles and
soft, low voiCe will bring mothers
image freshly to his heart. She is
like my MOTHER will be the highest
need Of his praise. Not even when
the hair turns silver and the eye grows
dim will the majesty of that life and
presence desert him.
g "But the ruffian mother-alas that
there are such-will form the ruffiar
character of the man.. He in turr
) will become merciless tyrant, will
f a tongue sharper than o two-edgeo
sword, and remembering the brawline
and cutting, seek some meek, gentl.
victim for the sacrifice, and make he,
: his wife, with the condition that HI
shall be master. And the master h
4 is fora few sad years, wen he wears
? o widower's weeds till he finds vic
r tim number two" ~
We wonder not that there are 8,
many awkward, ungainly men IN SO
J ciety-they have been trained b,
:. women who knew not, nor cared, 70
= the holy nature of their trust. The,
had been made bitter to the heart
core, and that bitterness will fin,
> vent and lodgment somewhere. Strik
!, the infant in anger, and he will, if h
cannot reach you, vent his passion b.
. beating the door, the chair, or an,
} inanimate thing within reach. Strik
him repeatedly, and by the time b
: wears shoes he will have become
= bully, with hands that double fo
= fight as naturally as if especial pain
] had been taken to teach him the a,
= Of boxing. ' - ) -'7, a.
= Mothers, remember that your ma,
y. nera mould the child: Who sill nc
4 say that mothers ought to be tho
= onghly educated whether their so,
y, t.a S;sI',3 Il y" ,&=! II! ef@ z tIa!T! u% :
OIL. JN.A ,%tl5 q = 3.5 -,E 80. j. '... IT. =,
" a - ------------e>a, : - AS
70 We announced, in q recent editio
= 80 - p -