Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1882-05-27
REPRESSION AND FAULT.F1ND1NG.
BY MARY MAYNE.
from the christian upion.1

cOntln0eO at Orlef 1nt6rvali
At length the small man, seating him
sell with q pathelicaliy resigned air, re
NAMED perfectly still for about a minute
Then. with q long.drawn sigh. he asked
Mamma, is there anything l can do P
Sometimes 'tdon't' seems q mere me
%chanical %utterancs. unheeded by tn
child, unenforced by the parent. "Den'
do that, my DEAR" and the little glrl
tossing over the fine engravings on
friends table, pauses an instant. Tn
mother goes on talking with her friend
the child resumes her occupation, an
no notice is taken OF it. except, ate
awhile. prohibition is carelessly repeat
ed, only to be- ignored. A forgetfu
mother makes a iorgetful child. Au
thority Is weakened by reiterated com
mands.
Too often the 'tdon'ts" are -undeserv
eddy sharp and short. Activity is the
normal state of every child; and hal
the reproois he receives are really be
cause ne has no sufficient vent for hi
overlooking vitality. Excessive re
straint irritates. and contin6ed.wafchine
worries q child. His training must b.
efficient; but it should not SO pursue hi
minutest acts as to Keep him in a con
slant fear and fret, or lead him to de
pend on his mother's ssdon't'' as q guide
Broader instruction Is needed; and
wide distinction should be made be
tween thoughtful care and harass;nP
watcbfuiness.
Let the children learn by experience
in the loving atmosphere OF home with.
Out fear of harsh criticism or fault-find.
ing. Home Is the place for experiment
aud failure rs we'll as success, Tor SYM
patty and encouragement quite as much
as for discipline. Guide their unsteady
ieet, but sometimes let them go alone,
even though they may fall. Then pick
up the little stumblers; but beware o
blaming them, or laughing at thei,
childish mistakes. A thoughtless laugh
may ranKf6r in the heart OF a sensitive
child Tor months-may never be wholly
forgotten.
Parents should carefully Distinguish
z6ssWesnzwiliiul disobedience aud acct
dents, OF faults resulting from activity,
ignorance and q natural desire for IN
vestigati0n.
Little four year old Harry while play
in in the yard sone summer day was
stnng by q bee. A couple of months
atterward, noticing at breakfast the
use OF mustard by ths family, he asked
Tor ONE
"You would not like it," said his
mother, never thinking thatzsuchpa rea.
son seldom satisfied a child. d. -.
"Yes l SHALL" replied Harry; ''James
Eau elder brother) likes it,"
Is.(lh mn. 2yan WonId mt lilo - ~
Butthe boy persisted that he should
Ike it. So his mother, wisely or I'M
wisely, put some mustard upon his
plate. intending to1st hin. try a little iu
the usual ways But as she turned to
replacb the mustardspot ihsthe castor
Harry pu. the whole qqautity into his
Ircpth without q bit d. anythsa. else |
Half frightened, the mother sae him
bravely Struggling tosmasler the pun.
gent monthful. sFirm asA rock he sat,
winking desperately. IS big tssrs gath
cred in his eyes, but meyer uttering q
sound, and r~esolutely swallowing the
whole of it.
A few minutes afterward the little
fellow bravely p~ropounded to the older
brother the following question :t.Jamss,
which had you rather do, eat all OF
that-indicadng the mustard pot with.
his hand tor have a bumbls-bee sting
you in the ear 2"
In Harry'b mind mustard has ever
since been associated with q sting of a
bee; and mustard taught him some
good lessons.
1t a cnild by permission or by acct
dent makes any such experiment sym.
pathy in the result should not, be with.
held. He should not be blamed, or
laughed at, but tenderly helped. More
over, Harry's bravery was worthy of
commentator. A boy who can pa
tiently bear the pain he brings upon
himself by his mistakes shows at least
q noble and manly trait Of character.
There is no surer' way to check conf
Dental intercourse between parent and
child, and 10 retard the development of
his best faculties, than to create an at
%mosphere Of blame about hun, He will
glow unhappy and Discouraged, if not
d~isobedient q reckless. Far better let
some childish wrong-doings pass unre-
proved than to make your boy feel that
he never quite pleases you. Wise CON-
mendatlnu wilfn0t foster vanity.or. self
consciousness "A loving word, an sp.
preciatise smile. any sympathetic rec.
ognition of real effort il generally more
helpful than many reproofs for failures.
Check evil propensilies by developing
good ones; rather than BY waging u
fierce, direct war of determination. The
result of such training may not be SO
seon apparent, but In the end your
child's, character will be broader and
stronger. Wat for the moral Lature to
grew-and be patient. as God is patent
with his children.