Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1871-02-02
From the Bu9alo E1prsss,
Advice eo P0re0es.
4 Word ef San csunsellhon tint Veteran
PARENT Mark Twain.

Having reflected deeply, for half
an hour, upon the subject Of domest.
ic discipline, l feel like sparing few
suggestions relative to the best meth
cd OF bringing up children. Being
. bachelor without children, my sug-
geetions are Is likely to bs disinter-
ested as it / had never seen . child.
According to my observation the
most difficult time to bring up chill.
dren is in the morning. You can
sometimes, though seldom, bring
them up IN the morning by yelling
at them; bat the effectiveness of this
process diminishes with it, Tepcti.
tion, even when not entirely neutral
ICED by the children's trick of stop
ping their ears with the bed clothes.
The only prompt, effective and abso
lutely reliable method is to bring
them up by the hair. II your child
had . good, healthy scalp, without
any tendency to premature badness,
this method will work with most
gratifying efficiency. Try it about
once week. and you will be surpris-
ed to observe how its influence will
extend through the six days interval,
inspiring your child with the live
liest possible interest in the resplend-
ent pageantry of sunshine. To bring
up q darling child by the hair re-
quiries The exercise Of some energy
and firmness; but no affectionate pa
rent will hesitate at any little sacri-
fee OF this kind for the welfare Of
his offspring.
Nothing eau be more fatal to your
discipline than to allow your children
to condtradict you. If you happen
to be betrayed into any misstatement
or exaggeration in their presence,
don't permit them to correct you
Right or wrong you must obstinately
insist on you infalllbility and prompt.
ly suppress every symptom Of puer-
lie skepticism, with iorce If need be.
The moment you permit them TO
doubt your unerring wisdom, and
will begin to forfeit their respect and
pander 10 their conceit. There can
be no sadder spectacle than > parent
surrounded by olive branches who
think they know more than he does
I vividly remember how my father-
who vas one Of the most rigid and
successfal OF disciplinarians-
the aspiring egot,sm that prompted
me to correct his careless remark
(when he was reckoning . problem
in sh,llings) that i've times twelve
was sixty-two and halt. $780, said
he, climbing over his spectaclea. and
surveying me grimly, "ye think ye
dnow more'n your tather, hey? Come
ere to me!' His invitation was too
pressing to be declined, and for few
excrucia;ing moments I reposed in
bitter humiliation acI oss his left knee,
with my neck IN tho embrace OF his
left arm. l didn't see him demon
strate his mathematical accuracy.
with the palm IT his right hand on
the largeat part Of my trowsers, but
/ IsH that the old man Was right aad
when, after completely eradicating
my faith in the multiplication table,
be asked how much I've times l2
was, insisted, with tears ia my
eyes, that it WAS So and . half
"Tha.'s right" said be; "I'll learn ye
to respect yer father, If ! have 20
thrash ye 12 times Cay. Now go'n
water them hosses, n Be lively tool"
The old gentleman didn't permit my
respect for him to wans Nuch until
the inaama;ory rheumatism disabled
h,m; and even then hs continued to
inspire me with awe until was
thoroughly convinced that his disabil.
ity was permanent.
Unquestioning obedience i the
crowning glace Of childhood. When
you tell your child to do anything.
aud he stops to inquire Why, II 10 I'd.
vlsable to kindly but firmly fetch
him rap across the ear, and inform
him "ihat's whyw He will soon get
| in the way Of starting, with charm
ing alacr,ty, at the word Of COM
maad.
| One Of the most inveterate and an.
noy,ng traits of children is inqu,si-
tivensss, if you aro incons,derate
enough to attempt to gratiiy their
onnivorous curiosity, you may -
well prepare to sbdicatc, for you will
be nonplnssed by their questions .
dozen times day, and in . week