Smyrna times., 1871-11-22
For the Smyrna Times.'I
Teaching to Speak.

Inc hrst word that baby speaks is the sweet
est note IN the household music. For few
uays the little creature is talked at cOoed at.
Thstled at and laughed at to saw il ara;n
But soon the new wears off of babies scantv
vocabulary, and he chatters, unuotced, for
hours at time; to be poetic: He wastes the
sweetness OF his infant words upon the house
noId arr and Tor his baby thoughts fond
parents have but little care. Mother is fulI of
care and father is full Of business and have no
time to talk with baby, and SO he talks to the
STOOLS and chairs, and pictures, about the
ABOUT the room, who, though they cannot
speak, VIII, at least, listen to his prattle. In
his sad horrS baby dreams of better days.
when he shall be boy, with pants and boots
Then he'll talk big words, and make father
and mother talk back to him." Alas! those
better days do not come Boyhood is
reached. Mother talks to him, but it is only
wneh he mas been doing something wrong, and
needs scoldlng-or when she wants him to 90
on an errand. She never sits do,on to talk
nicely and prettlly with him as she does with
Mrs. Smith or the Rev. Mr.. Jones' He
can 90 into the parlO to hear the company
taiK because he might give mother shame
lace by bad conduct. Father talks with him
when ne wants his boots BACKED, or coal mt
iih' or potatoes dug, or a horse harnessed, but
ne uon tite tune " to talk right" to him like
ne does to the men in the stores and on the
corners OF the streets, when he talks by the
hour about politics and money Don't mind
father talking about these things that interest
men, but he might talk to me sometimes about
things that interest boy )" " | am his bow
ana want something else besides jackets. and
pants and boots; | want to be talked to in
good way, like he talks to men" And the how
IS right: lie needs companionship at Home
II he don't get It there, he will End it on the
streets among bad company, or in the grog
shop. His growing, developing mind, must
mold communion with some other mind His
soul must feel in sympathy with some other
soul, and if not found in father or mother
they will be sought elsewhere; and his parents
Will mud great bitterness in their old age be-
cause their boy will not stay in at nights"
= lie never talks 10 US g He does not care
for our company" He never tells anv of biS
plans, all because in his childhood tbev
would not stay in at nights with him. They
never listened to his baby plans of life, and
now he does not give them chance to hear
the ripper and dangerous plans of his boyhood.
Fathers and mo thers: Companonate the
boy and grl-make company out of them
Take time for it, from the store and the farm
Ihen the man and 1c0nldn will communicate
you when you come into the second Childhood
of ife-old age.
=, An awful silence reigns in the household
Something has happened. Speak kind word
70 some ene and the dread silence will break
Itself into joy in every heart. Your wife
1ro0ps-cant tell what ails her. Give her
medicine rather give her kind word, and
she will bloom as the rose. Take time to talk
with her, and you will find out what a good
vie you have. Spend less time in society
'ooms and stores, and more at home, and YOU
vii find y0u have the best wife and the best
'hloreh In town. j. f. G..