National Republican., 1878-04-03
IL Childhood Happy?

Looking down from the mountain top tho
panorama spread out below appears perfectly
harmonious. The village in tho valley seems
an untrOuhled spot. We forget the suffering
and turmoil below that the mountain path
50 wearily sscsnded was rugged and uneven
that thorns bcset us and rain and tempest
shook us. SO, looking downward through th
mellow mist Of years. childhood seems
period Of unminglcd happiness. Those, how
ever. who are intimately associated with chill
dren, and are interested in the inner workings
oi their minds, are transported back to child
hood days and vividly realize that they were
by my means unclouded. The joys and sor-
hood to death, are about evenly di-
divided, and 1t is fallacy to suppose
children's emotions are not proportionate to
our own, considering their strength to endure.
The world Is rs hard a battle-ground to
children rs to cider heads aud hearts. some
aver that children's minds are OF such elastic
material that they cannot be long crushed.
Adult, forget as soon. God, in His infinite
wisdom, has so constituted us that the tear h
dried as easily as the dew driven away by the
wind. The children Of the poor, whose ab-
solute necessities are supplied and who are nos
absolutely abused, are
GENERALLY HAPPIER
thsn the too-much pampered and INDUCED
children Of the rich. Although both classes
enjoy their hours Of boistcrous and wholesome
play, according to the manners and customs OF
their respective spheres, yet early life, both
high and low has its quota Of pain and disap-
pontment. The little illnesses, TO which all
uhild-lesh is heir when the long sunny play
hour must he passed In bed, are severe trials TO
the little sufferers.
A crushed finger causes child rs much pain
as the amputaton of an arm in grown per-
son. They experience loneliness; they grievs
i L.. F..1
morse for waywardncss, and suffer in mind
after punishment; thuy endure shocks of feel
ing they suffer untold torments from ncr-
vOusness and difdCnce; they are the victims
Of jealousy their little hearts bleed from neg
lcct or slight, which they have not the resolu-
tion to withstand their innate
SENSE OF JUSTICE
is often wronged their rights are tre-passed
on they endure losses. 4 child losing small
amount Of money feels the privation as keenly
as the merchant taking In q 500 counterfeit.
At school the teachers frown or reprimand Is
Il shaft sunk deep into a tender heart, and .
| failure in recitation dims the pleasure Of play
time Perhaps one of the worst grievances Of
childhood is seiIse of being misunderstood,
| the mistakes Of thOughtlcssncss or inexperi-
rnce construed into acts Of deliberate vicious
ness aud its earnest, though, perhaps, misdi-
| rcctcd efforts for good uDappreciated. And,
alas there are 50 many inconsidcrate people in
the world so ready to blame, so slow to praise.
When We are disposed to associate u childs
life with the butter1y's, let Us remember even
| the butterfly suffers when its wing is bruised
| hya rude hand. 1t is affecting to see II thing
so naturally Joyous in pain. so should We
| lccl unusual tenderness toward child in
trouble; we should endeavor TO see things
| from their standpoint, and sympathize with
| all their impressions watch their develop,
mcnt; endcavor- to keep their minds in .
| hrathful state by being cheerful ourselves, as
the tenor of our minds Is contagious. Al
| though we should try to shield our little ones
| from care aud pain as far as possible we should
remember that children's troubles are but
tho shadows of those to come; and it is u
necessary deciplino that the disk of their
hrppincss he sometimes crossed If not quite
obscrued. PRuE.