Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-08-16
MR.. BODIES THEORY,
BY AUNT MARCIA.

| Mr.. Bodies experience with regard tn
children was somewhat limited, which
accounted for his gigantic throes upon
their management, and he used to re-,
| mark to his wife:
Il do not intend to have Bobby curbed
and pruned until his individuality is
merged into that of our own. Most
children one sees are exact copies of
| their progenitors"
We'll, since they are little imitators,
who else would you have Bobby copy,
Il not ourselvesp questioned she.
Il would have him as near as possible
what Sod made him; his talents and
natural bent studied and followed; no
coercion; no supervision. His own good
sense will rectify whatever is wrong"
"Al very well, Mr.. BOdle, as far as it
goes If it does not tinterfere with whole
some discipline, self-eontrol is the first
thing would have him taught"
ayes, and crush his proud young spirit
in the bud. Whoever saw a young
baOoded colt curbed and bitted at the
first, should like to know, aud what
sort of an animal it would make"
The immortal Bobby" was Just out
of long clothes, and it was Gecreed that
he was old enough to occupy a high
chair at the ancestral board. According
ly the young gentleman celebrated the
event by upsetting his mothers tea,
breaking his own especial crockery, while
searching for the natural laws of gravity
and ending by elevating both feet to the
same altitude as his fathers plate, very
much to the disgust of Mamma Bodle,
who ventured a mild reproof. But it
was nipped in the bud by her husband.
Take no notice of it, Mary" he said,
in a stage whisper. 81 will buy him a
tin plate and cup that he can't injure.
only keep his mind occupied and inter-
ested, and he will forget these little
naughty things"
The bright tin cup and plate were pur-
chased, and appreciated by Bobby as if
new silver, and at once turned into
drums and cymbals, and the air so filed
with the dire music that the voices of
the Bodies were drowned in the din.
Still his father would not have him in
terrupted, very much to the disgust Of
nurse Bridget, who declared to the cook
that her heart was "broke intirely by the
bye"
"Shure, afther breakin' his lovely cha
ny-set he was never contint, but thrums
the life out o. the whole house wild the
ornary tin things, and thin me ould back
is broke, so it is, wild pickin' up the
things afther him."
Mr.. Bodies sister Grace came with her
little Charley to make them a visit, and
Master Bobby was in ecstacies. He
seemed to think that his cousin had
been created for his especial amusement,
and lorded it accordingly until the poor.
little visitor bore the marks of battle in
the shape of scratches from BObby's
nails, and bites from his teeth, until his
mamma was forced to demonstrate.
Brother" said she, why don't you
govern that child? Why, he is terrible"
TheFeupon Mr.. Bodle aired his pecu-
liar ideas on the subject.-Other people
might do as they liked, but he would not
have his child dwarfed and ruined by
laws and penalties.
"Fiddlesticks p was the reply. Don't
be fool, James. Depend upon it, if you
do not control that child the world will.
You must remember that he will have to
deal with a generation of people, if he
lives to manhood, and they are not GO
ing to coax and wheedle him through
life"
81 expect when he grows old enough
to reason that he will learn what is re-
quired of him."
perhaps, but mark my words: it will
be information gained by many hard
rap, and many a bitter lesson that should
have been taught him with love and
firmness at his parents knee. You call
my, Charley a pattern child, because my
ightest word, or even look, Is obeyed. /
assure you in temperament and disposi-
ton he is like your child, but / began
the discipline in the cradle, and the re-
suit is that instead of an unruly little
animal he is what you acknowledge him
to be, a dear, obedient little fellow, as
happy as your own-indeed, more So
and just as bright"
EAIl you say, sister, about Charley is
true; yet as men my system will prove
you to be wrong"
Children learn to understand very
much earlier than we think, and Master
Bobby Bodle took advantage of his faith
er's theory and behaved like little Turk
at dinner that day. He screamed for
the milk cup, yelled for the castor, threw
his bread and butter at Bridget, pulled
Charley's hair, and wound up his pro-
ceedings by hitting his father squarely
in the eye, by throwing his teaspoon
closing that member completely and Gre
ating the most dire dismay and confu-
sion.
Mr.. Bodle had an appointment to fill
that evening; was to lecture before an
aristocratic association, and had gotten !
himself up extensively for the occasion.
But when the truth dawned upon him
that if he fulfilled the engagement II
must be with black and, swollen eye,
and visage like that of prize-fghter,
he arose in Indignation, put away the
wife of his bosom, and with wrath in his
uninjured eye, and an itching palm,
snatched up the astonished Bobby, (whO
was rejoicing at the performance as a
mastery stroke of ingenuity, and look
ing upon the expressive pantomime of
his father as gotten up.expressly for his
amusement,) and sliding him across his
knee spanked him soundly.
From that hour Bobby acknowledged
a master, and word from his father
brought order out of chaos, and obe- !
dience to the rules and laws his mother !
had sense enough to at once lay down.
Mr.. BOdle has nothing more to say |
upon the subject of bringing up children |
and his pet theories. His wife is per
mitted to govern their now numerous |
family according to the wise advice OF |
Solomon, who has said, spare the rod |
and spoil the child" though she argues
that the great king did notmean literal
whip in all cases, but that firm and judi
cious control is the rod and that If
child LEFT to itself bringeth its parents to
shame, so will a well disciplined child
prove blessing to itself and crown OF
9lory to those who are appointed by the
Lord to train the everything soul for His
service.
rToos,,o for Maasuro.