The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-01-21
Jerking the Reins.

a
A horse of average intelligence may
be controlled in good part-at least, on
ordinary occasionally the voice; in
this way, he may be made to go faster
or slower, or to stop at once.
The horse always knows whether he
IS going away from the stable or toward
it; he knows also the places where he
has been accustomed to stop; and,
although he wears binders, he sees
everything before him and on each
side, and much that is bshind him. He
Is the most sagacious of animals. The
reins and whip might, believe, be dis
pensed with altogether and that they
are used Is owing rather to timidity and
stupidity on the part of man tnan to The
lack of docility or tractability on the
part of the beast. Much has been said
and something has been done of late to
prevent the too free use of the whip,
Dosh as a persuader TO more rapid mo-
ton and as a qualification of an evil
temper by those having charge of these
noble creatures but, for my part, I
have alway had great sympathy as well
as for those unfortunate, unoffending
horses whose drivers-too kind hearted,
too absent-minded, or too indolent to
use the whip-are continually jerking
the reins. If the end in view were
to destroy the temper or break the
spirit of the srinaI-to make good
racer, roadster, carriage or saddle horse
a poor, dispirited, ambitionless hack
this, should suppose, would be just
the means to be used for its accomplish
ment.
Horses, however, are not the only
creatures that are afflicted in this way,
and horse drivers are not the only per-
sons that so afflict.
In the government of the family there
is a great deal of jerking the reins.
Many parents, instead of controlling
their children in a reasonable way, with
or without the use of the rod, are con-
tinually badgering and hectoring them.
Some have a way of bringing up the
mistakes or errors of the past, even
though as parents they had forgiven and
forgotten them long ago, on the princi-
pie that they should be moaned and
howled over periodically. Some parents
have a way of reminding children of
their faults In the presence of others,
cutting their tender sensibilities with
the keen edge of irony, perhaps, or
piously predicting for them the doom
of such as are ungrateful or disobedient
to parents. Some parents have q way
of reiterating their dissatisfaction in
view of an action or choice of their
children which it is impossible to alter
or remedy and concerning which it were
we'll for them to be silent.
In many such instances there is no
lack of parental affection. There may
be strong desire for the children's well
being and doing but, just as drivers
continually and almost unconsciOusly
jerk the reins, without as much as
thinking TO take the whip from its
socket, so these parents, not only uncOn-
scious that they are doing wrong, but
even thinking that they are doing their
duty, jerk the reins of parental authority.
The Apostle Paul was not fathel-
by the way, it is pity he wasn't but
he understood human nature pretty
well, and was a close observer of differ
ent methods of parental managing, and
after exhorting children 10 obey their
parents, he adds: " Fathers, provoke
not, Fdo not irritate] your children, lest
they be discouraged" The apostle
evidently had in mind the very fault we
are considering.
Husbands sometimes Jerk the reins.
It is not ordinarily great sins-like
intemperance, gambling, and unfaithful-
ness-that destroy the peace of the
household and make home o often like
the house into which the seven devils
were entered, for these offenses are
comparatively rare but it Is the minor
transgressions and shortcomings. The
trouble is due in numberless instances
to the conduct of the husband toward
the wife. He forgets the sc honor" that
is her due as the weaker vessel" If
his vituals are not cooked to his taste,
if his dinner is not ready at the mo
ment, if his linen is not immaculate, if
the servants are insOlent or leave with
out due notice, if he has met with losses
in business, if he is kept awake nights
by the children, if almost anything oc-
ours TO mar the peace of his existence,
he is apt to manifest his displeasure,
| first of all toward her with whom, ae-
cording to Peter, who was a husband SIS
well as an apostle, he should dwell
| ss according to knowledge"-that is, sin
accordance with an intelligent view Of
! the nature of their relation" It is not
enough that the husband be not chit
| ter" agains his wife he should not be
/ sharp with her; he should not jerk the
/ reins, even if they are made of silk.
There are parents, estimable citizens,
with whom their children cannot live !;
| housekeepers with whom as such no
| fault can be found who have become
obliged to 10 their own work or leave it
undone and husbands or wives-the
weaker sex sometimes hold the reins-
with whom, though they are excellent
persons, their companions find 1t very
dificultor quite impossible to get along.
I know of an old man, now a widow er,
for whom all his friends are thankful
that he has outlived his better half, so
that before he dies he may have little
rest. have an ideatbat ahorses habitu-
| IL I N..~r
been consid ering, were, like Balaam' s
ass. for few moments endowed with
the gift of human speech he would dis
course somewhat IN this wise "Good,
sir. Tor nadaml, am not stone nor 8
post to be ierked in this way, Dor am
a wild animal. am horse, the most
faithful, intelligent, affectionate servant
man has In all the brute creation.
am ready to do your bidding at any
hour of the day or night, TO eat what
Won give me, and to live where you may
please to stable me. You sometimes
leave me without a blanket, exposed tC
cold or wet yOu sometimes forget tC
feed and water me ct the proper time
you often give me musty hay, or SOU
meal, and sometimes only pOst-meal
I have even known you, when wai
} hungry, to hitch me to post with Al
iron TOP. You sometimes whip m'
r when I am going fast enough. Al
these Affections and infections I hav'
borne and can bear again but do not
I beg of you-do not keep jerking tn
, reins, for the iron bit to which they ar
E attached passes through my mouth, anC
3 when you jerk it does you no good, 70
: I go no faster than if you we're to speal
: to me ever so gently, for my hearing i
. good. and it does me harm; 1t hurt
and irritates me and makes me an am
bitionless, spiritless creature.
The human expostulatiOn, II utter
ance were given it world be essential,
the same.-ReU. E. N. PoDaeroH
lin Fisk,s Estate.