The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-07-01
Mark Twain's Advice on Domestic Dis.
eipIine.

According to my observation, the mos
difficult thing to bring up child is In the
morning. You can sometimes, though
seldom, bring them up in the morning by
! yelling at them; but the effectiveness Of
the process diminishes with its repetition
even when not entirely neutraliZed by the
children's trick of stopping their ears with
the bed-clOthes. The only prompt, eff
fective and absolute method is to bring
1 them up by the hair. If your child has q
| good, healthy scalp, without any tendency
to premature badness, this method will
work with the most gratifying efficiency.
/ Try it about once week, and you will be
surprised to observe how its influence will
extend through the six days, inspiring
| your child with the liveliest possible in
terest in the respondent pageantry of SUM-
rise. The pulling up of darling child by
the hair IT quires the exercise of energy
and firmness; but no affectionate parent
will hesitate at the little sacrifice Of this
kind for the welfare of his offspring.
| Nothing can be more fatal to your dis
cipline than TO allow your children TO con-
tradict yOB Ifyou happen to be betrayed
into any misstatement or exaggeration in
their presence, don't permit them to cor
rect you. Right or wrong, you must OBJ
and promptly suppress all opposition, with
force if need be. The moment you per-
NIT them to doubt your unerring wisdom
you will begin to forfeit their respect and
pauder to their conceit. There can be no
saddeT spectacle than parent surrounded
by olive branches who think that they
know more than he does. | wildly re-
member how my father-who was one of
the most rigid and successful of disciple
narians-quelled the aspiring egotism that
prompted me to correct his careless re-
mark (when he was reckoning problem
in shilling.) that five times twelve was
sixty-two and half. $50" said he, look
ing over his spectacles and surveying me
grimly, ''ye think We know more'n yer
father, hey? Come ere to mel" His in
vitatiOn was too pressing to be d. ciined,
and for few excruciating moments I re-
posed in bitter humiliation across his left
knee, with my neck in the embrace of his
left arm.
didn't see him demonstrate his mathe-
matical accuracy with the palm of his
right hand on the largest patch on my
trowsers, but felt that the old man was
right; and when, after completely eradi-
eating my faith in the multiplication ta-
BILE. he asked me how much five time
twelve was, insisted, with tears in my
eyes, that it was sixty-two and a half.
''That's right" said he. 81 II learn ye to
respect your father if have to thrash We
twelve times a day. Now go'n water
them hOsses, N be lively, too!' The old
gentleman didn't permit my respect for
him TO wane much until the infiammatOry
rheumatism disabled him, and even then
he continued to inspire me with awe until
| Uas ohlv nOnvi Dao1 thak bic Hioo-
bility was permanent.
UnquestiOning obedience is the crown
ing grace of childhood. When you tell
your child to do any thing and he stops TO
inquire why, it is advisable to kindly but
firmly fetch him a rap across the ear and
inform him That's why!" He will soon
get in the way of starting with charming
alacrity at the word of command.
One of the most inveterate and annoy
ing traits of children is inquisitiveness. If
you are inconsiderate enough to attempt
to satisfy their OmniverOus curiosity, you
may as well prepare to abdicate for you will
be nonplussed by their questions dozen
times day, and your weak sagacity will
be hOpelessly compromised. An average
child is magazine of unconquerable and
disconnected conundrums. You cannot
expect children to have much reverence
for parent whose Ignorance they can ex-
pose twice out of three times trying. 1t is
well enough to answer an easy question
now and then, just to convince them that
you can when you choose; but when
they come at you with poser, tell them
"Oh, never mind ~ or ''Shut up" and
then they will grow up independent and
self-reliaIft, and restrained only by vene-
ration from splitting your head Open-to
n = =
ton without letting more out Off.
1t would be Cifficult-very difficult-to
estimate the beneficial effect that would be
entailed upon their children if parents
generally would adopt the method here
YaOnclY indicated.