Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-07-03
Rude Treatment Of Children.
BY HENRY WARD BEEoHER.


Boys and girls ought not TO be brought
up too tenderly. It is ne hardship, but a
lifelong blessing TO a child, TO be obliged
to rise early, and to take hold of work, as
part OF the househotd-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 suffer-
ing, regular work, pride of being able TO
help ones SELF fidelity and perseverance
under difficulties - these are lessons far
more important than any that can be learn
ed in books or schools. Many a man has
been hindered all his life long because he
never learned self-reliauce and industry in
childhood. So, then, putting children to
work early, and with wise adaptation TO
their years, is not a hardship, but bene-
faction.
But there are practices which ought to be
suppressed as refined cruelties. mean all
those petty punishments which are inflct-
ed on children's heads. We have seen
teachers, when boys were whispering,
steal up aud bump their heads together
severely. 1. IS very comman to jerk chill
dren by the hair, off from their feet, and 1t
is not uncommon for parents to pull lock
Of hair pretty severely as a small punish
neut for some msdemeanor.
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 demoralizing. 1t rouses the
temper and every evil feeling in a child.
Cutting the ears, swapping the head, es-
pecially with thin ble-armed finger, are
always demoralizng.
II children have any grace, it all flies un-
der such discipline. They burn with an
ger, they are stung with shame, they in
wardly curse their tormentor, and we have
known many a boy come forth from such
misjudged parental handling livid with
rage, and, as soon as he was out of hearing,
pour forth a torrent OF oaths and black
guardism that we'll might make one shud-
der.
The head is the center of all sensibility.
Slspping the mouth, pulling the hair, rap
ping the scalp, or pinching the ears, are
good measures for the development of de-
pravity; but, il designed as restraining or
reformatory punishment, they are utterly
bad, and provocative oftentimes of as many
evils as they seek 10 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 brutally treated, or by
offending, at the same time, both his sense
of justice and his proper pride of character.
But there is a nursery view of a childs
sufferings, not quite so important, but
which feel impelled to protest against.
mean the unmannerly and inhuman way
Of washing and combing. Oh, Mr.. Bonner,
what a sad reminiscence of life does that
subject open Does not my face even yet
tingle, as l recall the rude scrubbings
which it used to suffer! A great, round
rosy face, with eyes so prominent that soap
suds could hardly fail to soak into them
and with a skin that seemed to show the
slightest streak or spot-how was it rubbed
round and round by the elder sisters hand
as if it made no difference whether it wa'
rubbed up or down! To her it did not
To me it was a matter OF unspeakable i'm
portance. Then, to comb ones hair as one
would hetchel fiaX-is that to be tolerated
in a civilized community In behalf o
ten thousand boys and girls, and in memo
ry OF untold grievances of this kind, 1 bel
OF you to protest against such inquisitoria
ways with little folks, who have not ye
learned how to bear little pains.-N. Y
LedOer.