The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1874-06-11
Shall My Boy Strike Back?'
..BY ELAENoR KIRK.

OF all questions asked by mothers, this
is perhaps the most pulling Shall my
boy strike back 2-shall he fight if he is
attacked Women have as keen a con-
tempt for towards as men, and yet,
strangely enough, husbands and wives
disagree most and oftenest in regard to
what they shall teach their children in
this matter of muscular morality, than
on any other disciplinary subject. The
boy becomes an object of delight to the
father just as soon as he has developed a
free use of his arms, and can scream a
pugnacious accompaniment to the baby
fisticuffing. Then papa smiles-and is
satisfied. "HeU never be imposed upon,
he'll stand up for his rights are samples
of the soothing remarks made to baby S
mamma who is foolish enough" to ex-
perience pang of disappointment, a
feeling of unhappiness at this early eXhi-
bition of temper on the part of her dar-
ling. The father welcomes the nervous
irritability which shall make his boy as
apt to pick quarrel as to defend himself
when attacked; the mother generally
deplores all such hints of future difficult
ties. Both parents are party right and
partly wrong: and the principal trouble
in the whole matter of training is that
the mother in her capacity of nurse and
constant companion for her boy, does
not commence early enough to teach
him to discriminate between Justice,
and injustice, kindness and unkindness,
fair and foul play No especial pains are
taken until Johnny is old enough to
play on the sidewalk with other children
who have had precisely the same home
treatment, and then commences the day
of woe. In vain mamma banishes her
boy to the back yard; that place she
finds too small for Young America, and
after threats and promises, Johnny erect
and defiant, makes fresh start to come
in ten to one, an hour or two after, with
mud in his haxen curls, mud all over his
breeches, a begrimmed face, a skinned
knee, and demolished dwheel-barrow.
what Is the matter now p mamma
asks in despair.
Harry Smith wanted to try my wheel
barrow, and when wouldn't let him, he
pegged a stone at me, and then-and
then '-blubbers Johnny.
"And then what r. asks mamma, with
considerable show of impatience.
'And then l ran after him, and then
he got hold of my wheel-barrow and
threw it out into the street, and then
then l punched him"
"You should have come straight home
to me, you naughty boy What have 1
told you about fighting? Just look at
your clothes" and then commences the
cleansing process, at first with a touch a
little rough, but the rosy cupid gets the
better of the mothers wrath, and by the
time the bath is over, Johnny is cuddled
as close as ever.
That evening, after dinner, papa mends
Johnny's wheel-barrow, and then stands
IL L. - T
up and down the walk, looking daggers
at Harry Smith, son of his next-door
neighbor, who, in clean linen, watches
with undaunted mien his young antag-
onist's progress. Mr.. Smith, too, strolls
out with his cigar and newspaper, to see
how things progress. Mr.. Smith and
Mr. Jones exchange salutations-and
Mr.. Smith remarks, with a knowing
wink in the children's direction:
"Had little tiff l believe"
"Yes, says Jones; "have to fight it
out, / suppose"
EXACTLY" replies Smith; that's just
what have been telling my wife"
In this way the elders wash their hands
OF responsibility, and the young ones are
left TO their own devices. Now If Johnny
Jones' version of the encounter was a
correct one, Johnny Jones was the one
primarily to blame. Ills Wheel-DarFoW
was his own property to be sure. but
what prevented him from loaning it for
few minutes to his playmate2 A
natural selfishness that had not been
curbed or trained to selfdenial and deeds
of kindness by his parents, So they,
after all, were responsible for the mis-
chief resulting from their ignorance or
carelessness. A child ungenerous enough
to refuse to share his playthings in play
hours with his chosen companions should
be kept by himself until he had learned
that no contact with his fellows would
be permitted until he had mastered this
primary lesson of doing to his neighbor
as he would wish his neighbor to do to
him. A child decently well born and
conscientiously trained will not be likely
to experience much difficulty in associa-
ton with other children. Now, shall q
boy who is unjustly attacked strike back,
or run home to his mother2 A minister
settled this question for u friend of mine