Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-06-12
Thoughts for Mothers.
BY n

some Time the pOrI6ntOu mmOra III
fuences that are thrown around your
children by your own acts. My object
in thus addressing you is In a feeble way
to endeavor to show you the tendency
that your instability of decision has
upon your offspring, and if by so doing
I may be enabled to reach the better
feelings of one who has been guilty OF
my observation, T shall feel that l have
been amply rewarded for my trouble in
thus addressing you; and if they do not
accomplish that for which they were in
tended, I shall also feel that I have tried
to remedy an evil and thereby benefit
the rising generation, and consequently
shall not be held accountable for know
ing an evil and not ~endeavoring to ex-
pose it. The first lesson a mother
should teach her child should be, "My
child, always speak the truth" "Never
tell a lie," Good loves truthful chill
drenr" In 5he nursery, then, the child
is taught that God, who made him, pro-
vides for his every want and protects
him during the hours OF refreshing sleep,
frowns upon and condemns every shade
of falsehood. When he enters the pri-
mary school and commences to read, he
is told of the illustrious Washington
and his fathers cherry tree. Then, too,
his teacher, if he be a moral man land [
think only such should be privileged'to
teach), also teaches him the great i'm
portance of his always speaking the
truth. By this method of training, and
strict adherence to virtue, charity and
truth, you carry out that Divine precept
which says, "Train up a child in the
way he should go, and when he is old he
will not depart from it," How often is
it the case that mothers will say to their
children, eff you do that again, I'll
whip you?" The child discontinues
whatever he is doing for a short while,
but commences again In a short time
and so soon as his mothers attention is
drawn to him, he hears again the oft-re-
peated threat, eff you do that again,
I'll whip you" As often as the child
disobeys, she threatens until forbearance
ceaseth to be a virtue, two or three
times, and then perhaps she will thrash
him. Sometimes it is the ease that she
Will have to speak to her child six or
eight times ere he will listen to her, and
not then unless he thinks mas in ear
nest. ct is frequently the case that
1dl1GIS. u6tulllS L uOt Ull61I uuly W COi-
rect their children, impose this all-im-
portant duty upon their mothers. This
should not be, but the fathers should
have that control over their children that
their influence over them would deter
them from d~isobeying their mothers in
their absence.) Now, what effect has
such training, as narrated, upon the
child? I would say a very immoral one,
for it teaches him that his mother don't
at all times mean what she says, and
that she endeavors to teach him to do
that which she don't do herself. Con
sequently he says to himself, "I0 only
believe her when [ shall think that there
will be danger of being thrashed il ]
don't" 1t teaches him, also, when he
arrives at the age OF maturity, 10 disre-
gard law, shun virtue and those moral
influences which would make him
blessing to his family and an honor tt
his country. Oh how important, then
is the correct training of Jul children
There are many mothers who, while The
child is two, three or four years old
pursue the course Of treatment as mar
rated, and consequently, in the end, ar
compelled to give a child a great man,
more whippings to bring him round al
o. K. than they would were they posi-
tive and at ali times truthful to him
Some mother, at the perusal of thes
lines, might say I insinuated they tol'
falsehoods, untruths, lies to their chill
dren. I would answer such an one thus
My dear madam, if l were to promis
you that if you did for me a certai
thing, that I would make you a hand
some present, and were you to perforI
that thing and I not make you the pres
ent, but promise again as before, woul
you believe me? Wouldn't YOU tell you
friends that I had lied to you,a and tina
no dependence could be put in me
Most emphatically you would. Now
what's the difference? A mother say
to her child, in words of emphasis, so
you get up there again, or go out
doors again, I'll whip you" Mother;
haven't you said it? The child does q
up there again, and goes out O. dool
again, and the mother, instead of fulfil
ing her promise, thereby showing he
child she means what she says, in wore
of vehemence, with a scowling brow al
eyes flashing daggers, stamps her tin
foot upon her carpeted floor, and wit
alabaster arm raised aloft, as if to ca
Heaven to witness her vow, exclaims
before, elf you do do that again, I
whip you" And again and AGAIN do
the child disobey, until finally, when Il
mothers store of patience is expende,
she takes the poor little fellow and a
most whips him numerically, when g
stitch in time would have saved nine
for a the twig is bent so is the tr
inclinea."
Since I have pointed out an error
the training of the rising generatio
now let me, in as few words as possibl
give what I conceive the best mode
training your children. Never, no., new
promise your child anything witho
fulfilling your promise. If you promi
to whip them for something that tn,
may be guilty of in future Though it
best not to promise), never fail to do
1t matters not how much you regret
do SO, how trying it may be upon 70
motherly feelings to accomplish t
task If Won va1ua tha hest interests In