The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-12-17
Hiring Children to be Good.


Mrs. Holmes and her sister were sit
ting before the cheerful CRATE fire sew
ing, while their tongues flew almost a
nimbly as their fingers, as various mat.
tiers from the forming of the Presidents
Cabinet down to the shade of blue used
in knitting the baby's socks had been
discussed. Finally the subject of hir-
ing children to be good was preached.
"Well," said Mrs. Holmes, lam tired
of trying to coax or beg Albert to do
anything, and l think he is too large
boy to coerce into right doing. So l
am going to hire him to do any little
task may hereafter require of him."
MARX my words, Ellen, you'll be sorry
if you do,'' replied her sister, chow
soon, think you, will hisjudgment as to
terms differ from yours? 1 saw that
course tried by George Edwards moth
er last summer. She needed some
cherries for making pies, and offered
him six cents quart to pick them. He
answered, impudently enough: Who'll
pick cherries for six cents quart?
won't And only yesterday, in coming
from church, l overheard Mrs. Moody
offering her boy five cents to learn the
books of the Old Testament before
evening""
"Well, he probably learned them"
''He more likely did not, or if he did
he cam repeat them to-day. l will find
out how good his memory is next Sun
day morning, as he is in my Sabbath
school class. Hiring children to learn
anything, to do anything which they
should do for its own sake, or to be any
thing, have never found yet to work
WE'LL"
"Well, what can be doneP''
Done! Why tell a child to do a
thing and see that he does it, to be
sure. The very groundwork of order
in families is obedience. have always
told you that you would have trouble
with Albert if you appealed so constant
ly to his wishes in little matters. A
parent ought to know what is for a
child's good better than the child does,
and without unrighteously provoking a
child to wrath or thwarting it unneces-
sarily. Unquestioning obedience should
be the rule. This has always been my
plan with my children, as you well
know"
Il have always thought you much too
strict with your little ones. What does
a child of Nina's age know about obe-
dience? You utterly spoil all the little
cunning ways of your mere babies"
g Better to get along without self.
willed pet than to tolerate self-willed
boy"
But you do give your children re-
wards for being good. What is that
but hiring them?"
MY children know that obedience
is expected of them; that to do good
and be good is to be the rule of their
lives, but they have evil and temptation
to contend against, as well as all other
children. Ii the hope of gaining some
little gift, is added to the conscientious
rlghtfulness of the matter, sometimes
think it helps some in overcoming the
natural desires for wrong-doing."
Then why do you tell me shall be
sorry if hire Albert to do rightP'
Simply because he we'll knows il
you do not hire him he will not have
to perform the required task, and in
this way you are putting yourself at his
mercy. You make the gift the
sole reason for his doing it, and as
L say, his ideas of value and yours
will soon differ. With my children,
if l wish anything done they
understand fully they must do it,
whether | give them any little extra
pleasure for it or not. A regular barter
OF so much given for such service
rendered seldom make with them.
Whenever | do, it is about some little
business matter, and for the purpose Of
educating them either to work or to pet
by their own labor. l hired Willie tc
pick some berries for me during the
summer, yet, had l wished him to dc
SO, he would have picked them for me
without pay. wished to teach him the
vsiUe of his labor"
well, l must confess, / can't sec
the difference between your method Of
hiring and mine" .,
"Well, there is difference. Yor
admit being tired coaxing and beggino
Albert to do anything, and therefor
propose hiring him, and tell you it will
fail as signally as coaxing and Begging
have done. never importune my Chill
dren to do anything which have not q
right to command them to do, as yor
well know. Therefore, gift from me
is extraneous, a reward of well-doing
yet not make-shift to enforce a com
mand, which without it would be of nj
effect. And would you commence thi,
very day, late as it is, and demand I
prompt, quick obedience from Albert
IN a short time you would have no oc
casion to coax or beg, and the reward,
OF well-doing can then be kept fol
prizes, as it were"
"Well, sister, your success with YOU,
BOYS has SO far certainly been remark
able: If | only could
You can if you will. You are ,
woman OF sufficient character to carr,
out any course which involves as mucI
courage and tact as this will. Only vo,
must assert and maintain your woman
y, OF rather your motherly dignity.n-,
ChTtsttGn at York.