Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-11-26
TEE Roy.

A lady writer in an Eastern journal has
these sensible words The day on which
your boy with his shining morning face -
steps ont of the door with a first reader
under his arm, and is transformed from a
baby and pet into a schoolboy, your reIa--
tions with the world are changed as in the
twinkiing of an eye. A new class of prob
lens are thenceforward to be presented for
your solution. l confess that have found
nothing in life so puzzling as the complica-
tions which grow out of the association os
one small boy with others. What is a
mother to do when her six year.eld boy
comes in with torn hat and flushed face.
and explains by saying, 81 have been
fighting, mamma. A boy hit me, and
hit back -? Your theory may be that if a
boy hits him unjustifably, he ought to hit
back; but, like some other theories, it
does not work exactly as it ought to in
practice, for it usually ends in the smaller
boy being severely worsted, whether he is
in the wrong or right. You are afraid OF
developing a cowardly spirit if you tell
him he must never hit back, and the policy
of turning the other cheek when one has
been smitten would never do to be applied
in the world the small boy lives in. This
question of belligerence, it seems to me,
cannot wisely and successfully be general
lied upon. There is no one maxim you
can lay down for child's guidance; each
case may need to be dealt with in pecu-
liar way. was interested in observing,
not long ago, the effect upon boy of
seven years, of laying down maxim. He
is the son of minister, one of those who
still find in Jonathan Edwards the true
expounder of their views. The child had
been taught never, in any circumstances,
to retaliate if boy was unkind or ugly
he was to bear it without word of re-
proach. He was sent to private school,
and one day, not being entirely devoid of
human nature, he called two Of the other
boys Names" and when school was out
at noon they ran after him with evil intent.
He, being older and larger, ran faster, and
they turned back. They did the same
thing next day, and in the afternoon the
father called upon the teacher and told her
that his son had been chased from school
and had burst into the house oat of breath
and with red face, and if it occurred
again he should remove him from the
school. He said it was rather hard upon
his child, as ne was not allowed to retali-s
ate in any way. The boy had with great
forethought concealed from his father that
he had given the children any occasion to
run fterhim, and also said that he had
reported theI1 to the teacher, statement
which she characterized as untrue. The
question naturally arose in her mind
whether that boy would not stand better
chance to grow into manly man if he had
been allowed to act upon impulses little
more and to turn on those boys and say,
tTm not afraid of you, and if you hit me
l shall very likely hit you real hard"
rather than to be counseled to run like a
coward, and then retaliate in the most
forcible way possible by telling his father,
and have him make so serious and ilnpor-
tant matter of it. Il purposely leave ont
of the question the fact that the punish
ment would really fall upon the teacher.l
As our most enlightened physicians now
give great opportunity for nature to effect
cures, SO in endeavoring to help our chil.
dren to health of mind, and what we will
call health of heart, it would be well many
times for us to lessen our doses of maxirns
and precepts, and let nature have chance
to do her work. A healthy, active boy,
will do great many things he ought not
to before he arrives at mans estate, and
what ought TO concern US most, l think, ia
not so much the act in itself, but the dis.
position of which it is the outcome.