St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-10-31


now to be lawless, selfish, domineer-
ing, disagreeable boy: he has his own
way always: he tramples on your
wishes now, and will tread on your
heart soon and love to do it: such boys
are bad at home and worse out OF
doors: growing up ungoverned, he will
defy authority, be hated by his COM
panions, get into trouble, become tur-
bulent, riotous, perhaps an outlaw, and
will come to some bad end, 1 fear a
ropes end. This plain talk offends
you, | perceive"
"NO, it does not am thinking, but
am not offended. 1 asked your can
did opinion and have received it, and
it has made me anxious lest l have al
ready done an irreparable injury to the
dear child. Do you believe in the cor
pOral punishment of children ~
ut is sometimes a duty. You may
restrain the waywardness of some chill
dren without actually whipping them,
and if you can, by all means do so. But
the first duty of child is to obey it's
parents. Your boy never obeyed you
since he was born !'
"Irue, very true: he has always had
his own way.n
"Yes, and is therefore never happy :
he would cry for the moon, and fret be-
cause he cannot have it. He is no COM
fort to you, and is a torment to all
about him. If you would make him
happy, you will make HIM mind and
especially to obey his mother. l do
not believe that you will succeed"
pray, why not, sir 2"
"Because, madam, you have views
that are opposed to these. You believe
only in moral suasion, in the largest
liberty, and you cannot break away
from your opinions and surroundings
and Persistently, steadily and faithfully
pursue a new line of life with that
boy."
"But l will try"
"God help you, madam, and you will
need his help. for you have a long
struggle before you. But the prize is
worth it, and l wish you success with
all my heart. Your child will love you
ten times more if you teach him to re
spect you: he will not love you while
you let him defy and despise your au-
thority as he does now. Soon he will
love you, and love to obey you, and
then he is saved. Solomon was a wise
man, and spoke divine wisdom when
he said: He that spareth the rod hat
eth his son, but he that loveth him
chasteneth him betimes.n
The madam had smile of contempt
on her face, and said, 81 don't think
much of Solomon"
Probably not" l replied: "did you
ever read the Apocrypha7 those ORR
entail writings are not inspired, so you
need not be afraid of them,-she laugh
ed,-and l will give You the sage ad-
vice of the son of Sirach:
Indulge thy child and he shall make
thee afraid: humor him and he will
bring thee to heaviness. Bow down
his neck while he is yOung, and beat
him on the sides while he is child,
lest he wax stubborn and be disobedi-
ent unto thee, and so bring sorrow up
on thy heart
Which means teach him to obey, or
he will govern you and break your
heart.n
The mother was silent moment.
and then spoke with quivering lips !:
Ibid you ever read PatmOle's lines
my little son'-no? well, 1 will say
them, for they are on my heart:
my little son. who looked from thoughtful eyes,
And moved and spoke in quiet grown-up wise,
Having my law the seventh time disobeyd,
1 struck him and DISMISSED
With hard words and unkiss'd,
His mother, who was patient being dead.
Then fearing lest his grief should hinder sleep,
visited his bed,
But found him slumbering Deep
With darkened eyelids, and their lashes yet
From his late sobbing wet.
And l. with moan,
Kissing away his tears, left others of my own;
For, on table drawn beside his head,
He had put, within his reach,
a box of counters and "A red-veined stone,
A piece of glass abraded by the beach,
And six seven shells,
A bottle with bluebells
And two French copper coins ranged there with
careful art,
To comfort his sad heart.
So, when that night I pray'd
To God, wept and said:
Ah, when at last we lie with tranced breath,
Not vexing Thee in DEATH
And thou rememberest of what TOYS
We made our joys,
How weakly understood
Thy great commanded good,
Then fatherly not less
Than whom Thou hast moulded from the clay
Thou1t leave Thy wrath and say
I will be sorry for their childishness' ,"
'Thank you," l said, as she paused,
her eyes filled with tears-'thank you {:
no child should be struck in anger and
dismissed with hard Words Punish
ment in love and justice breaks no
child's heart: that father was all
wrong"
~ see it," she answered, "and be-
gin to feel it also"
We exchanged cards, and hope to
hear of the dreadful boy again.-Irene-
as, in N. Y. Observer.