Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-09-05
The Def0rmlties of Children.

No CHILD is more tenderly loved than
the unfortunate one, if the misfortune be
blindness, or deafness, or physical NAL
formation The mother who could come
to hate a child on account of his natural
misforiuncs would be brute indeed. But
few mothers reflect that the ChIld's i'll
temper, irreverence, or even graver
faults are also the result of natural de-
iormity, and that the child who is always
under Ccnsure for bad qualities is in real
ity an object of pity, Not until the par.
ent can be brought to see the matter in
this light, can there be Alright relation be
tween parent and child Temper is an
inherited quality, and cannot be broken
all at once The child whose blood is
poisoned by some ancestral faint, which
may have lain dormant in the generation
Immediately preceding, needs the comfort
and sympathy Of father and mother and
gets the rehulfs only
We knew family in which the father,
in spite of every restraining influence,
died Of intemperance, two sons perished
from delirium trcmens, and third was
an inebrate. There was ONe sober son;
and sister, refined lady, confessed TO
her physician that she dared not take any
prescription having alcohol in il, her APP
petite for it was so ungOyernable Here
was clear case of hereditary ipsomania-
the sufferers were objects for pity and care
more than for apprehension. But unruly
tempers and other unpleasant qualities
are likewise inherited We would not
relieve any person from a sense OF &C
countabilty for their failure to govern
their passions; we are only reminding
parents that the child with the most vic.
lent disposition deserves less repr0aCh
for rebellious temper than one nat,
urally more traCtable If you were blam.
ell for not curing the chid's fault, your
excuse would be that you had done your
best. How do you know that the child
has not?
lngrained traits can only he cOmbatted
with any success where they are combat.
ted with infinite patience and kindness.
That 'grieyous words stir up anger is as
true now as in Sulomon's time, and as
true when the grievous words are spoken
by parent as by a stranger But !
cannot wink at the child's badness.
Certainly not That would be Incidence
But YOU can show the child that you have
a full appreciation Of his misfortune, that
you have a sympathy with his struggles
and his difficulties. When you have done
this, You have taken a grand step toward
helping him out Of his trouble
Nothing is Of more importance, in deal
ing with difficult child than prompt
praise Of his earliest endeavor ~ over.
come his fault Do not measure your
commentator by his success but by his
endeayor.
The selfish or indolent parent pitics
himself. THAT child will kill nc. Il
have got TO endure his temper year in and
( year out All, yes; hut what has he
got to endured If he live until he Is a
hundred there will be something left
OF the old battle yet. If you work for
no higher motive than 10 reIiegs yourse I
/ p annoyance, you cannot succeed,
I But If You so develop the selfContrDi OF
+ your child that he will have permanent
4 advantage in the lifelong warfare with biz
/ besttment, you have delivered him from
4 lifelong bondage
Consider the patience of teachers 10 in
stluilpns for imbecile children In some
. cases, weeks are spent i'm persuadng d
CNlll 70 make one aWk ward mark with
+ piece Of chalk. Reflect on the time spent
/ IN taking the successive steps that brinl
the drooling idiot up to the Level Of mar
able 10 care for himself. And is not th,
/ victory worth the battle, II not YOU
patient endeavor to cure a moral defec
rewarded by any measure Of success