The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-10-12
.-,lDeceiying Children.

ter tnan Z horse can tTOt
So said a friend to us, yesterday, when
speaking of a neighbor's children.
No doubt she was right No doubt
Goldsmi,hs Maid in her paimicst days
would have found it "hard" lines to keep
up with the falsehoods of the children in
question but who was to blame? Who
is to blame in the majority Of cases OF
this kind? Who gives children their
first lessons in deception? Who teaches
them 10 lie, and then blamcs them for do
ing SO?
Grown people.
1t may be their parents, their aunts,
their grandparents; it may be some out
slider, but, in nine cases out OF ten, they
are taught deception by some older than
themselves-ol enough TO know better.
Children. like monkeys, are creatures
of imitation. They will DO what they
sec others do Tie little girl wants
trail, and her hair in French twist, be-
cause ma or auntc has hers so. The
little boy wants to smoke because Uncle
Charlie puns his cigar. IIcthinks it will
help make man Of him.
Children have confidence in grown
people, and do not once think that any.
thing they do is not To beimitatcd with i'm.
punty. And it is pity that their conf
dencc is so much misplaced.
In the DAYS WHcH We NcIC pa
rents ruled their children. Now it is
inst the other way. Baby is the autocrat
of the household, and by the time he is
ten years old he bosses all hands and the
cook.
lie has learned the ways Of his parents
and guardians pretty eiicctuaily. lie
knows Just what it means when his moth
er says:
Johnnie, if you do that again I'll
skin you alivew
He knows there will be no skin taken
off if lie does it n thousand times It's
doubtful, even, if lie gets his ears slap.
pcd. The worst that can happen will
he the cutting Off of the jam or jelly at
supper time, and he knows just where
the goodies are kept, and he can get his
fiji while cook is setting things to rights
in the kitchen, and pa and ma are discuss
ing the latest gossip in the parlor
1t is passing strange why parents so
generally deceive children. People wise
as Solomon, lin their own concrli, az
least and honest about lying III George
Washington, DO not sctnpie to tell their
children that Santa Claus comes down
the chimney, that castor oil and rheubarh,
and ialap arc 40 good that old tramps
will carry of bad boys, and that lads who
20 swimming sundays always get drown.
ed, and thousand other things equally
absurd and false.
The other day we heard mother
she calls herself n Christian, and il very
free to condemn other peoples faults
we heard her say to her little four year
old girl:
"Don't go near that well, Minnie, for
if you do there is e great, big ugly, red.
headed bogy who lives down there, and
he will open his dreadful mouth and
swallow you up alive
And this little girl listened with dis.
tended eyes, and, after she had duly di-
gested the information she cried out:
ooh, mamma, why don't his hairs get
into the water and make red snakcs?"
1t is sin and shame to tell lies TO
children, no matter who does it! The
tendency to deception is strong in every
human breast. 1t is miserable lesson.
which children learn full too soon with
out any tutOragc. 1t CONES natural to
them, and it bchoovcs parents aud all
others having intercourse with youthful
minds to be frank and honest with them.
Children have great deal Of discern
ment, and though they are inclined TO
regard every man innocent until lie is
proved guilty, let them once prove you
guilty and you can never make them be.
lieve in you again
1ney are SmHll ucleCtlScs, anu tney
note any expression of cnuntcnance in
their elders, and form their own conclu-
sions
"Mr. Andrews is bad man." said
one of our little friends few days ago.
"Why sop we asked.
He tells lies! He told papa that lie
liked to have salt pork around his throat.
That was when had the sore thront and
he wanted me To have sOne round my
throat. Nasty, greasy stuff
"But how do you know that he did not
like to have it on his throat? 2" we in
quircd.
ooh, / SAW him wink to mamma. /
guess could tell ~
After time, tho consequences Of de.
ceiving children will he plainly seen.
They will learn the habit and turn upon
you with your own weapons. If they
see you deceive others, they will try tho
same course. In their childish minds
they justify themselves by reference to
your conduct.
Papa does so-why may not ?"
Oh parents, when will you learn to DO
wise? When will you begin to teach
your children to do right from principle,
and not from the fear of punishment, or
the hope of reward2
When will you tench them to be true
true to themselves and TO their God,
by living, .breathrg example of truth
i'll yourselves, set constantly before them,
aud practiced 30 vigorously that even
their sharp eyes may see no flaw therein.