The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-03-21
The First Whipping.

N1 NAaNN
brain becomes photographed there and
perceptions will, ere it has lived many
years, soon be able to distinguish, intui-
lively, as it were, right from wrong by
merely observing the movements and
actions of its parents. A child that, by
one parent, is chided, and by the other
caressed, in the same moment, will |
soon, however young, begin to practice
deception and hypocrisy. Hence the
manner of correcting the young should
be as carefully studied and pondered
over as what food is good and what is
unsuited to their differently organized
digestive faculties. A mistake made by
a child should never be laughed at, nor
even suffered to pass by unnoticed or
not corrected. And, likewise, "smart y
or "cute " sayings should be received,
in a measure, as so much wisdom, care
being taken to refrain from telling the
little one how bright and cunning it is.
This sketch is not intended as an
essay or dissertation on "rearing the
young" The foregoing remarks are
but an introduction or preface to lite
incident of our younger days. 1t was
then that we were crushed, most effect
ually at that, by our paternal relative,
and for the time being we were most
grievously oppressed. At the time, we
did not see the wisdom or abso-
Lutte necessity for such q COM
plete and excessive crushing as
our spirit then received. Since then,
however, the justice of the occasion has
become clearer to us, and from that
date we took q decided turn in our on
ward path, that causes us to look back
with some degree of satisfaction and
thankfulness for the lesson taught in
that, our first and only whipping. We
were the only child, and of course, as is
often the case, very much petted and
fondled, until we were as naughty as
Lucifer; and, at the age of five, aston
ished the friends and relatives of the
family with grave and luminous re-
marks, which caused to be showered
upon our head such caressing exelama-
tions as wonderful - "too smart to
live," "sure to make a smart man, )"
chow cute," and the like, until our lit
| tie noddle was filled with fancies far
beyond our years. With such surround
ings it was no wonder that we became
so accustomed to fattery and praise
| that needed correction or chastisement
was looked upon as cruelty on the part
| of our parents. Before long, however,
| the heretofore love-blind father and
mother began to open their eyes, as
they discovered, by the time we were
twelve, that we were ''too big for our
breeches,n and that we had altogether
too much sail set for our own welfare.
Accordingly the reformation began ;
but little headway was made for some
time, as the old habit of promising and
not giving whipping would spoil the
most severe lecture we received. We
became emboldened, and caused much
trouble and worriment of mind to oul
natural guardians. At last, the point
arrived at which forbearance ceased tt
be virtue. One evening we noticed
on father returning home, that he hele
in his hand a curious cane made of rat
tan. He made no allusion to it, how
ever, but going to our bedroom, fasten
ed hook to some woodwork there
hung the cane up, and went down stairs
We inquisitively watched the whole per
formance, in silence, until all was com
plered, and then, in reply to an inter,
rogatory as to what it was for, were in
formed that it was to whip a certain
small boy with if he did not behav
himself in the future. Th
reply provoked us, for we wer
indeed sthe spoiled child" and, al
though no names were mentioned, W
took it as personal insult to ourseli
Up stairs we went, procured a chair
took down the cane, broke it in two
threw the pieces under the bed, went t
the room below, and boldly reporte
that 'swe have broken your old stick.
The stern parent spoke not word, bu
Immediately hunted up the larger of th
two pieces, and, with a gesture not
be misinterpreted or mistaken, beckor
ed us to follow him into another room
We did SO, and the enemy opened fire.
once. 1t was surprise party for us, 8
| we had received many promises OF
thrashing before, and all had come
naueht, but here, without any promis
whatever, we were to receive a mo
profuse dusting of our clothing. A tigl
hold of the left hand on our coat-coll;
was the first movement, and the on
one we distinctly remember. b.
around that room we flew, endeavorin
, to distance the fast-descepding rattal
!. that never missed its destination
u But all in vain, and not until oil
now-satisfed parent stopped for wal
|, = of breath, did we cease our SCREAMING
L With the information that more of Il
q q same kind would be given us if we we
= not very circumspect in our future b
: havior, we went to tea, feeling sadd
q and wiser boy. We soon diseover'
y that the head of the household mea
l,,s;nocs and therefore we Galoed O