Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1876-01-10
THE REIGN OF INFANTS.

THE REIGN OF INFANTS.
In former times, the patriarchal gov
eminent was almost the only system
known. The venerable head Of a fam
lily was both law-giver and governor;
he was revered both on account of wis
dom and experience. and that he was
the paternal head Of the family. In
modern times the system has been re-
versed. and now, the latest born infant
becomes the imperial ruler Of the house
and the family. Whether the remarka-
bic precOcity Of the average infant Of
the period, makes him an equal of the
patriarch Of ancient times. We know
not, but it is true that the father. and
even the grandfather acknowledge his
superiority this Time. DefOre faIHi-
hes were reduced to q minimum num-
Der Of children, the sapience and talent
of an hOnored parentage was distributed
among the sons and daughters Of an av-
erage sized family in such quantities as
to make the children comparatively safe
from the attacks Of brain fever; but at
present, when the blood Of noted ances-
try, and the hope of an hOnored lineage
are concentrated in one son, what
wonder that he should be prodigy in
the estimation Of the parents /; and why
should he not assume the reIns Of fami-
/ ly and personal government at a very
early age? The infant, having subdued
the nurse, soon overcOmes and humiliates
the mother, and is ready to attack the
pdter famihGS. The contest is not long.
the father. grandsire and grandmother,
WITH other members Of the family. are
soon brought under the tyrannical au-
thOrity Of the rising hero. Proud Of
his eOnquests at home, be enters the
worlds arena, naughty and defiant
Sent to the public school. where his in
fantile genius is expected to illuminate
the dusky walls Of the school-rOom, he
discovers for the first time that another
person assumes to control his actions.
Obedience is new word, and bitter is
the struggle between the master and the
royal son Of submissive family. The
battle for mastery may end in the school,
room, but often is carried without, to be
fought out in contention between the
family and the school. Leaving the
hero in his warfare with the authority
instituted in the school, let US change
this writing from the irOnical and dis
cover, - We can without difficulty, some
: of the disadvantages of modern training
on the youth Of the land. Obedience ii
: not taught as it Was in times passed
: reverence for the aged, the wise, and the
good is thing difficult to discover il
! many children of the land Turmoil a
D home. disObedience at school. impru
dence in the street, irreverence for So
: periOrs. haughtiness in demeanOr, re
: suit from the the too common practic
: Of not having subOrdinatiOn and gov
eminent at home. There are too man
= ugly and disObedient scholars in school
e too many sancy boys in the street to
l. many full-grOvn men that have neve
: learned that courteous, gentleman
n demeaDOr is becoming to men and child
Is rem. Probably there is not negro DO
: in Virginia that could not teach an
u boy in Vermont. good manners. Th
wild lrishman just over from the Emel
l. aid Isle, is more polite than an averae
;. Green Mountain Yankee. There is
superabundanee Of Independence in tn
country. and our Independence is causin
;. US to have too little respect for OF
: fellows, too little Difference for our super
!. Ors, or reverence for the Supreme Bein
&c A hundred years more and this ind
N pendence and insubOrdinatiOu will tut
"A the country into anarchy and atheisr
: The children. the people. the nation. mu
To learn obedience to paternal. civil al
- divine government. or we shall drift IA
! idly backward and downward.