The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-10-20
The Training Of Children.


One obstacle, a very general one, in
the way of proper home training, is the
mothers want of time. Especially is
this the case in households where the
mother performs, or helps to perform,
the manual labors of the kitchen, along
with her other duties of mother and
wife. With her the days are so filed
with cares, and herself so weary, the
little ones are too frequently looked
upon as a vexation and annoyance,
something in the way, a hindrance to a
certain amount of work accomplished
between each rising and setting of the
sun. But to analyze the sentiment
how unthinking and unwise. Time for
cooking and the eating, washing and
the ironing, scrubbing and d.the sweep
ing-time crowded in somehow to clothe
tine childs body and nourish it with
food; but the mind, the soul, the inn
mortal part--thpt must 90 neglected
and unthought of, uncared for and un-
kept.
Sometimes this incessant hurry and
stress and strain of work and conse-
quent WEAKNESS on the mother part
is productive of most disastrous results.
She becomes nervous, irritable, unrea
sonable and unfit to govern at all. She
tolls all day without rest or respite in a
close warm room, sewing and cooking,
washing dishes, scrubbing floors; and
as the day draws to a close, her limbs
are weary, her back aching, her tenn
pies thrObbng. Trihes seem of great
moment and notes appear as mountains.
The floor is clean, the house set in or
der, the finished garment is folded and
laid away; but the woman is tagged,
enervated, unstrung. The little ones
frOr
sparkling, checks aglow, the outdoor
air in their garments, its sunshine in
their heart. Who but an over-worked
and overweary mother could see aught
but picture of beauty; feel aught but
the joy and blessedness of motherhood,
and longing TO. gather the flock into
outstretched loving armsp But, alas!
they have brought not only the out
door air but the outdoor mud and
blows fall, unconsidered and inconsid-
erate--the memory of which shall lin
ger as a bitter memory till the golden
heads are frosted. or laid under the sod.
Poor mother! Yhey shall perchance
echo sadly enough sometime in her
heart too. But let us have charity. 1t
was not the mother who dealt the blows,
but the worn and fretted Bridget whom
she personates.
portance of example-the effect of her
own words and acts upon the expand
ing and easily-bent minds. Let her
deal fairly and honestly always with
these little ones, even IN seemingly in
significant things. She musb not tell
them that the medicine is good or that
it will not hurt to pick out the thorn,
or make them promises which she does
not intend to fulfill Children reason,
or at least perceive, more than we are
apt to give them credit for; and it is a
dull child, indeed. that does not soon
discover the difference between equiVo-
cation and truth. OF the two, example
goes much farther than preeept; and
that mother who attempts to inculcate
lessons of truth and charity and self
restraint, while her own life is full of
temper and uncharitableness and pre-
varication, or who expects to train her
child in ways of virtue and honor with
out keeping her own life white and
clean, will very likely find her policy
defective, and her hopes fall unfulflled
to the ground. F-Esr-..D
And lastly-or rather first, last and
all the way between-let the mother
bear in mind that the object and aim of
all government is, or should be, to pre-
pare for self-government. Her author
ity will last, at most, but a few brief
years, in which she has much to do to
prepare the child to govern himself.
To do this, arbitrary control must be
merged as quickly as possible into rea-
sOning control; and this again into
government where the responsibility of
its acts is thrown to a greater or less
extent upon the child. The mother
must show him good and evil, set be-
fore him the benefits to be derived
from one course of action, the evils or
disadvantages resulting from another,
and let him occasionally choose for him
self. OF course Judgment must be ex-
ercised in reference to what the choice
is between, and nothing of great mo-
ment left to the option of the very
young, or one entirely unaccustomed
to this form. of control. If he choose
wrong, as he is at first pretty certain
to do, the mother must not hold her.
self aloof, or reproach angrily, or par
ade too eXasperatingly the 81 told you
so," but with gentleness point out his
error and its consequence. In short,
the mother, instead of an arbitrary and
despotic ruler, must be ever the consci-
entious doer, the wise and patient
counselor, the sympathizing friend.
Such mother is sure to lay the foun-
dation of useful and honorable man.
hood and womanhood for her boys and
girls, as well as to win for herself a
tender and lasting place in their hearts.
-WInVred, IN Country Gentleman.
OS