Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-05-05

MiseelIaufous.
RUDE TREATMENT OF CHILDREN.
BY HENRY WARD BEECHER.

Boys and girls ought not to be brought
up too tenderly. 1t is no hardship but life
long blessing to child, to be obliged to
rise early. and to take hold of work, as part
of the household-work that brings a
steady responsibility upon him. 1t may
seem hard to one over-indulgent to send
boys out on cold winter mornings to do
chores in the barn, to gather frosty chips.
to chop and split wood, or to perform any
of the hundred things which belong TO
the family life. But contempt of petty
suffering, regular work, pride of being
able to help ones self. fidelity and perse-
verance under dif1iculties-there are les
sons far more important than any that
can be learned in books or schools. Many
a man has been hndered all his life long
because he never learned self-reliance
and industry in childhood. So, then, put
ting children to work early, and with a
wise adaptation to their years, is not n
hardship, but a benefaction.
But there are practices which ought to
be suppressed as refined cruelties. mean
all those petty punishments which are in
flicted on children's heads. We have seen
teachers, when boys were whispering,
| steal up and bump their heads together
severely. 1t is very common to jerk
children by the hair, off from their feet,
and it is not uncommon for parents to pull
a lock of hair pretty severely as small
punishment for some misdemeaner.
No punishment of any kind ought to be
inflicted upon the head of any Of the Cau-
casian stock. 1t may be handy, but it is
inevitably dcmoralizing 1t rouses the
temper and every evil feeling in child.
Cutting the ears, swapping the head, es-
pecially with a thimble-armed finger, are
always demoralizing.
If children have any grace, it all flies
under such discipline. They burn with
shame, they inwardly curse their tor
mentor, and we have known many a boy
come forth from such misjudgcd parental
handling livid with rage, and, as soon as
he was out of hearing, pour forth a torrent
of oaths and blackguardism that well
might make one shudder.
The head is the centre of all sensiblity.
Slapping the mouth, pulling the hair, rap
ping the scalp. or pinching the ears, are
good measures tor the development of de-
pravity; but, if designed as restraining or
reiormatory punishment, they are utterly
bad. and provocative oftentimss of as many
evils as they seek to cure. When children
have done wrong and when correction is
needed, it ought not to be ignominious.
No man or child is ever made to love right
conduct by being brutaly treated, or by
offending, at the same time, both his sense
OF justice and his proper pride of charac-
ter
But there is nursery view of a childs
sutterings, not quite so important. but
which feel impelled to protest against
| mean the unmannerly and inhuman way
of washing and cembing. Oh, Mr.. Bon
ner, what a sad reminiscence of life does
that subject open! Does not my face even
yet tingle, as recall the rude scrubbings
which it used to suffer! A great, round.
rosy face, with eyes so prominent that
soapsuds could hardly fail to soak into
them, and with skin that seemed to show
the slightest streak or spot-how was it
rubbed round and round by the elder sis
ters hand. as il it made no difference
whether it was rubbed up or down! To
her it did not. To me it was matter of
unspeakaole Importance. Then, to comb
ones hair as one would hetchel tiax-is
that to be tolerated in civilized commu-
nifty? In behalf of ten thousand boys and
girls, and in memory of untold grievances
Of this kind, beg OF you to protest against
such inquistorial ways with little folks.
who have not yet learned how to bear
little psins.-N. !. LedgeA.