The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-09-02
The Disadvantage Of Wealth in the
Bringing ND Of Children.

We have no doubt, whatever, that, in
this generation especially, the well-to-
do have much more difficulty in bring
inc UP their children than the strugglers
have. Formerly this was not so much
the case, because the necessity for
strong discipline was so thoroughly ac-
knowledged that it was maintained al
most without an effort, and the habit
of obedience was enforced by practically
irresistible authority. But the speciality
of to-day is TO eoncede freedom in all
directions, and especially freedom to
children and those who are subordinate.
Discipline in any strong form is, among
large classes, and over great tracts OF
the world, nearly dead. The bad effect
of that change-we do not mean the
change from severity to kindness, but
the change from studious government
to comparative inattenti0n-is very
great, but is partly concealed by the
fact that poverty acts as disciplining
atmosphere. 1t fixes conditions rigidly.
The girl must learn to do her own dress
making or go untidy. The boy must
go to work, or there will not be enough
and to that particular work, for only the
rich have much choice of occupations.
Economy is imperative, for the money.
is not there, and no training in self
sacrifice acts daily, hourly, momentarily,
like compulsory economy. The will is
compressed by the facts of life and be-
comes at once strong and pliable like
leather. With the rich that discipline
is absent and cannot be artificially pro-
duced; and the young have only con-
scious =" training" in the athletes
sense, from direct authority, which, as
we said, it is the tendency of the age to
relax. The result is not only that the
passions, especially the passion of self
will, grow too strong, though that is so
clear as to have become truism; but
that among both good and bad a GER
tain boneleSsnesS of character is appar-
ent, certain indisposition to endure,
or to form strong purposes as to the
work of a life, a certain want rot so
much of energy as of decision and per-
tinacity. The children of the strugglers
very often fail utterly, either from in
herent defects of character or from in
superable obstacles of position; but
more of them win than the children of
the well-off, and, taken as body, they
have stronger and finer characters. AS
their children grow up the well-to-do
find them more burdensome, more diff
cult to manage, more trouble to " set.
tle," than the poorer do; are more tanx-
ious for their future and more displeased
with their defects of character and con-
duct, which, indeed, from the absence
of the pressure of circumstances, are
much greater. With the very rich,
anxiety about their children, crosses OF
different kinds inflicted by them and their
frequent total failures, make up, we be-
lieve, definite and separate source OF
pain; and even with the well-off, greatly
increase the burden of life, just at time
when burdens are most anxiously avoid.
ed. A man has not gained much in the
struggle of life whose children are
profigate, babyish, characterless, or
given up to selfishness; and that is far
more often the lot of the rich than of
the poor and constitutes at least one
Z" pinch of wealth. "-L01aIOn Spectator.