News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-01-10
BE JUST TO THE CHILDREN.
A KIND-HEARTED FATHER MAKES
A DISCOVERY.
Child Dispatched an Errnnd with no
Explanation of the Necessity OF ''BelnR
QuicIx'' Except Threat.

"Now be quick, Mary, and come
right back; you know what will come II
you don't"
These words, spoken in no very pleas
ant tone, fell upon my ear as L passed
through the hall to my study. They
were addressed by Betsy, the maid, to a
sprightly but not very Thoughtful child
of seven summers, whom she was send
ing with a message to farmhouse some
quarter of mile distant. Mary set out
at once, and taking a seat a moment
after near window which overlooked
the road, my eye caught the form OF the
child bounding away on her errand.
There is hardly anything in the world
like the feeling with which q father re-
CARDS bright, affectionate daughter. I
doubt whether the much and justly
eulogized love of a mother, strong as it
is, is Just such feeling. Prompted by
the recollection of what l had just
heard, or by the dim remembrance OF
some of my own childish experiences, or
perhaps by both combined, l determined
to watch the movements of the little
messenger. For the first few moments
the memory of the charge which she had
received seemed to give energy to the
chiIds purpose, and she skipped along
as if determined to obey to the letter.
But in passing the door of a neighbor
something attracted her attention. She
paused, then ran into the yard, and it
was some minutes before she reap
peared. At all events it was soon pretty
clear that Mary had quite forgotten the
impressive injunction of the house
keeper. "Ah, child" thought I, as
turned from the window, "thou art a
type of myself, thou art a true represen-
tative of thy kind
''Weak and irresolute is man,
The purpose of to-day,
Woven with pains into his plan,
Tomorrow sends away"
Tt might have been an hour or more
later when the door of my room was
somewhat suddenly opened, and Betsy
appeared, leading the little culprit.
''Mary is a very bad girl, she said, in
an excited tone. 81 sent her to Mrs.
KS to get some things for her sick
mother, and she has been gone these two
hours, and lost her basket besides"
So saying she drew the reluctant child
into the room and went away.
LIS W WIS OLS
of the afore- threatened consequences of
disobedience.
"Mary," said I, "what does this
mean?
Mary raised her eyes timidly to mine,
but said nothing. Her countenance
wore an expression of mingled shame,
grief and perplexity.
"Come here, my child" continued,
"and tell me why you have been so
naughty"
81 don't know" she said, after con-
siderable hesitation; "but Betsy is so
cross to me-" and she burst into a pas
sion of tears.
This was evading the point, and was
about to say with some severity, "But,
child, you do know, and you must tell
me" when the thought occurred to me
that there was more truth in her answer
than was willing to give her credit for.
A little exercise of kindness and tact
on my part drew from her the history of
her little expedition.
She had been sent away feeling that it
was quite a relief to be out of sight of
her harsh mentor, with no explanation
of the necessity of "being quick" ex-
cept a threat; and consequently no real
respect for the authority which sent her.
She had stopped to play with the chill
dren in the yard from native love to So
ciety. She had fingered to watch the
birds and listen to their songs because
she loved them and was curious to see
their movements. When coming back
she had set down her basket to pick
some pretty flowers, and then forgotten
it. / saw how it was and received a
lesson.
Mary perceived clearly enough the
general idea that she had done wrong,
GLILa collla@ NOT see=wnere= -wfehg-lst
or how, or why she had done it. She
had never been taught that it was wrong
to play or to love the birds and the flow
ers; but, on the contrary, she had
learned to think that these things were
all right. Her error was that she had
taken the wrong time to indulge in these
innocent recreations. On this point she
had received little or no instruction. No
wonder she could not tell why she had
been $50 naughty" The fault was
partly in her instructors; and it was the
consciousness of something of this kind
which made her look so perplexed, and
led her to say 81 don't know" This
81 don't know" so often taken as an
evidence of sullenness on the part OF
children, has more of truth and reason
in it than many parents and teachers are
aware of. Too often we deal with the
child just as if he knew as much and
could reason as well as ourselves.
Be just to the children. Be gentle
with the children.