The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1875-01-28


lesson, may be learned at the breast.
And the habit of obedience and trust
may be grated in the child's mind while
on its mama's lap. The least and most
imperceptible impressions in infancy
have consequences very important, and
of long duration Before we are aware
the foundations of character are laid;
and no subsequent instruction can re-
move or alter them. The bent unto good
or evil is often given in the days of in
fancy.
We have now come to the important
period in child life that I will denomi-
nate the governmental epoch. This
epoch begins when the child is about one
year DID, and lasts five years In this
period, it is of the utmost Importance,
that the parent lay down the primary
principles for future government. Here
you lay the foundation. 1t is possible to
slip foundation in after the edifce is
partially completed but it is more con-
venient and less troublesome to lay the
foundation first. The child must be
taught obedience while under the age of
six; if you expect him to be obedient
/ when older. If Charlie is his own Gov
ernor while small, he will assume the
same authority when larger. Some pa
rents, when point of government comes
up, talk after this manner, "He is too
little to correct now, but wait until he is
larger, then will take rod, and teach
him better. l will thrash it out of him "
Yes, my friend, here is where you err.
Y GU will thrash disobedience into him.
Never put off what should be done to-day,
until future day. The longer the pro-
fprocrastination, the more difficult to ad-
just the matter. l do not believe in gov
erning children by physical force, by brutal
domination. There is another and better
method which l will designate further
| along Generally, the oftener you whip,
the oftener you may whip, and the oftener
you fail. l am not extremely radical on the
corporal punishment questson, l do not
maintain that the rod should never be
used. For there is quite variety of
minds, temperaments, and dispositions
among the children of our land l do
insist however, that ifresorted to at all, that
it be restricted as much as possible to early
childhood; because the more developed
the mind, the more abnormal and per-
nicious the effect. l am now addressing
my friend who permits his little child to
do and have what it likes, and in more
l. haf ha e
six and sixteen, undertakes to make a
dutiful son by a hearty application of the
oil of birch and hickory. By this manner
of procedure, you will fail nine times out
of ten-for two reasons-frst, you do not
begin soon enough. 1t shows common
sense to put the seal to the wax while ii
is soft; to bud the tender twig with the
fruit it should bear; to go to the foun.
tain-head, and guide the current of the
stream and to grasp gently the young
tendrils of the shooting vine, and train
them as you would have them to go. An
applicable proverb What the colt learns
in youth, he ontinues in old age"
In the second place, you resort to the
wrong means. You may by compulsive
measures constrain your boy to do right
through fear of punishment for doing
wrong. But who wants to govern his
child through this ungodIy fear. Not
If you continue to subject your son tc
such exacting tyranny, .hewill soon form
that abominable habit of practicing de
ceit to avoid punishment and score o.
other ruinous habits which have not
time to enumerate. Since you rule by
compulsion he will deem it his privilege
to perpetrate any meanness he can with
out being detected To do well or right
he must have the compelling presence
and suspicious eye of his father upor
him. There is no worse way to train the
will of child to determined evil action
than to demand, exact, and compel gooC
action. No really good act can be per
performed under compulsion. Every
one knows. it, feels it in his own case
Every one is ready to declare in any par
ticular case of exaction made upon hin
fully and willingly, if he didn't try tc
} make me do it." Your child, being sub
servient to a government of force, sus
picion, and unreason, will most likely
become a sneaking hater of duty and
Sinking coward of authority By thu
treatment you will ALLEVIATE his affections
An estranged Absolom he will be- Home
which should be the most attractive anC
happiest place short of Heaven, will fai
to have its charms, and in extreme case
approximate an earthly pandemonium
He seeks bad company and becomes
bad boy. And bad boys make bad men
f The results of ruling through fear of pun
ishment may be briefly summed in on
statement, namely: Complete crushin
out of all the nobler qualities of man
hood and substituting therefor bite
f adherence of higher standards of excel
lence, of all that is obeaient, generous
kind and Christlike. now gladly pre-
sent better method for governing chil
dren. Beginning early, they should b
taught to obey through a godly fear. l
= fear caused by the love and reverenc
they have for you To illustrate: A littl
boy was tempted to pluck some deliciou
pears from tree which has father hat
forbidden him to touch" You need no
be afraid, said his companion; "for
your father should find out that you hav
taken them, he is too kind to hurt you.
"Ahr said the little fellow, "that is tn
, very reason why l should not touch them