The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-01-21
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 as
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, / am tired
of trying to coax or beg Albert to do
ANYTHING, and l think he is too large
a boy to coerce into right doing. So l
am going to hire him to do any little
task may hereafter require of him."
.'Mark my words. Ellen, you'll be sorry
if you do" replied her sister, show
soon, think you, will his Judgment as to
terms differ from yours? l saw that
course tried by George Edwards moth
err last summer. She needed some
cherries for making pies. and offered
him six cents a quart to pick them. He
answered, impudently enough: Who IL
pick cherries for six cents a quart? I
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 can't repeat them to-day. l will find
out how good his memory is next Sum-
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 done?"
"Done! Why tell child to do a
thing and see that he does it, to be
sure. The very groundwork of order
in families is obedience. l 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
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 wei
know"
II have always thought you much toe
strict with your little ones. What doe:
a child of Nina's age know about ODE
dience? You utterly spoil all the little
cunning ways of your mere babies, =
Better to get along without self
willed pet than to tolerate self-wille6
boy"
"But you do give your children re
wards for being good. What is tina
but hiring themp'
"My children know that obedience
is expected of them; that to do goot
and be good is to be the rule of thei
lives, but they have evil and temptation
to contend against, as well as all othe
children. If the hope of gaining SOM
little gift, is added to the conscientiou
rightfulness of the matter, l sometime
| think it helps some in overcoming tn
natural desires for wrong-doing."
Then why do you tell me shall b
sorry if ! hire Albert to do right?"
"Simply because he well knows
you do not hire him he will not hav
to perform the required task, and il
this way you are putting yourself at hi
mercy. You make the gift tn
sole reason for his doing it, and a
l say, his ideas of value and your
will soon differ. With my children
if 1 wish anything done the
understand fully they must do il
whether l give them any little extr
pleasure for it or not. A regular barte
of so much given for such servic
rendered I seldom make with then
Whenever / do, it is about some littl
business matter, and for the purpose c
educating them either to work or to &c
by their own labor. hired Willie
pick some berries for me during tn
summer, yet, had / wished him to d
so, he would have picked them for m
without pay. wished to teach him tn
value of his labor"
"Well, l must confess, can't sc
the difference between your method {
hiring and mine"
"Well. there is a difference. 70
admit being tired coaxing aud begin
Albert to do anything. and therefor
propose hiring him, and 1 tell you it wi
fail as signally as coaxing and begin
have done. l never importune my chi
dren to do anything which l have not
right to command them to do, as yo
well know. Therefore, a gift from m
, is extraneous, reward of well-doins
yet not a make-shift to enforce con
mand, which without it would be of n
effect. And would you commence tn
/ very day, late as it is, and demand
prompt, quick obedience from ALDER
: in a short time you would have no o
casion to coax or beg. and the reward
of well-doing can then be kept fl
, prizes, as it WERE"
"Well. sister, your success with yo'
boys has so far certainly been remarl
! able. If only could
+ "You can if you will. You are
: woman of sufficient character to car
out any course which involves as mut
! courage and tact as this will. Only "
5 must assert and maintain your woma
ly, or rather your motherl dignity.
ChrisSsa at Work,