The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1872-09-15
NUMBER SO.
Parental Egotism.

There arc very few parents who under
stand that the element of personal feeling
should be eliminated in the management Of
children. The parent Is judge, and the
judge must be dispassionatc, else all au
thOrity is weakened.
Let US see how it works. John breaks q
vase. His mothers is very much irritated
at tie destruction of her favorite vase, and
Furnishes him, not according to his sin, but
according to her annoyance. She does not
even stop to inquire whether or not the
vase was broken by one of those unavoid
able accidents which might have happened
to herself or to the most careful person.
In thus Furnishing her son she has been
guilty of selfish injustice aud of cruelty.
She has weakened his respect and his al
fection for her, and has done much to de-
stroy her authority. The child feels that
his mother is only avengng her own per
sonal grievances.
A few days later this same John is guilty
of an act morally bad. 1t may chance that
no evil consequences follow. The mother
is glad to avoid trouble, and she lets il
pass with little or no admonition. Johnny
Is a sharp boy, and puts two ideas together
very quickly. st docs not matter that
do wrong" he says, 'if only don's bother
mamma. But I must take care not to
touch anything of hers, else I'll catch it,
1t would be hard for family government to
just this impression on his mind. The
mother has succeeded in confounding all
moral distinctions in his mind, has weaken
ed oil authority, and set the example OF
seliishness, cruelty, and injustice.
Most parents attach too much import
ance to the manner in which their children
speak to them. Sensitive as to their own
dignity, they take umbrage st ::e disre-
spectful word that seems TO infringe upon
it, and they visit with their sharpcst indig-
nation this evidence Of an ifi-bred impu-
dence in their child. They pursusde
themselves that they are disinteredly
laboring for the good Of the child. They
forget the large element of q sense of per-
sonal Injury that enters into their feeling.
But the child does not fail to notice it, and
he in turn resents his own wrongs, in the
same spirit; but he certainly does not
feel more respect toward the parent who
has failed to exercise needful self Icon
troll 1t were better that n parent should
show less feeling in regard to on offence
against himself than it really deserves-
His government should be above the sus-
picion Of personal ressntments.
On q steam engine there is useful me-
chanical- device called "tbe governor"
which counteracts to = certain extent the
irregularities of pressure and resistance,
by letting on more steam as the speed de
creases, and shutting 1t off when it in
creases. 1t would be an excellent thinG
il parental management could have some
such equalizer, which would prevent its
making children the victims Of MOODS.
When a child comes to understand that
hot weather, indigestion, or businesss an
noyances increase the severity OF tee dis-
cipline under which he lives, he is apt ts
lose his respect for the discipline Ihe
wise parent studies always to eliminate tue
personal equation from the II anngeInent OF
the child.
For those parents who think that II IS
their business to punish q child's wrong
doing as personal offence against them
selves, we have no word. The first thing
to understand is that you are not to iniiic,
chastisement latter your own pleasure,
but according to the example of God, Tor
the good Of the Hearth ana H'"'c