Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-08-19
DaiIu 3ennebfr journal.
Nursery Government.

| Frightening children is sin OF life
long consequences 1t is not INDUCED in
to the extent that once prevailed, but it is
still altogether too common, and will be
reprehensible so long as one instance re-
mains. The executive branch of nursery
government must usually bear the respon-
sibility for this great wrong. Mothers.
the attendants of children. and others who
undertake to regulate their conduct, ig-
norant of the true method of government,
save labor and do the matter up quickly
by terrifying the timid youngsters into
obedience. In the vagaries OF maternal
government, endless prohibitions are an
nounced, and. in the case OF many moth
ers. their enforcement is only question
either of bodily punishment or Of PLAYING
upon the fear of the child; and while love
commands the avoidance of the inhiction
of physical pain, even brief. it does not
realize the long mental pain that comes
| from terror.
The little child runs out of the house TO
play upon the grass. perhaps, and her
mother, who has forbidden this a score of
times or more. thinks of that interesting.
useful and harmless creature that has awak-
kened the child's curiosity and craving for
knowledge. the toad. and horrifies the child
with an account of the dangers of being
near the animal. l he effect of this mex
cusable deception is tar reaching. though
it does not accomplish even what the
mother intended. The object is to keep
the child at the mothers heels. but the
little one is just as likely to stray as be-
fore. The child, however, will be kept
from going where toads are for many
years. the very place where children should
play and lay the foundations of that robust
health, without which life cannot be
happy. Moreover, the child, who is
loving investigator of nature, is repealed
from one of its creations that is commonly
found very Interesting in early age; and
still again. The child is given a fear-a
horror, perhaps-at the sight of the toad
that lasts for years. and even when sense
comes with age an anlipathy is likely to
remain. We are not pleading that toads
be given to children for paythlngs. but
there is no reason why children should not
be told all about them, truthiullv, and be
allowed to watch them The case. how
ever. is mentioned by way of illustration,
as typical of many others. and was brought
to mind by the conduct of certain mother
who has SO frightened her little girl about
toads that the poor little thing runs and
screams in an agony OF terror at sight of
the harmless, hopping animal.
The mOnstrous, horrible lies that are
told children to make them obedient by
working upon their fears are numbered bv
scores. Such children are easily identified.
for they are aim ,st paralyZed when they
see the strangely crawling snake; rat or
a mouse, of interesting habits, NAV set
them into commissions; that charming
feature of the country, the woodland,
where many happy hour may be spent,
is the home of bears that live on innocent
little children; that interesting object, the
worm. about " hich Darwin wrote whole
volume. causes a shudder of repulsion;
and various other creations of nature that
children love to be told about become
sources of the keenest pain. We once
knew & mother who tried to govern her
childl en- by telling them that "the old man
will be after vou;" in consequence of
this, in fear and trembling. they stunned
all old men--those fellow beings of ours
who are particularly fond of children.
Young people grow out of some of these
fears in time. but many of them haunt
them through life. The most lasting of
these are caused by popping darkness
with ghosts, hobgoblns and dangerous
men, thereby filling with terror the dark
ness OF night, whether outdoor or in the
unlighted room OF house.
When the enormity of all this deceit is
realized it seems horrible that little inno-
cent children should be made to suffer so
keenly for many years, and this. too, at
the hands of loving mothers and friends.
| There is a mine of interesting knowledge
in nature tor the young folks. who have a
thorough love for it, if unrepressed, but
deceive them, lie to them, fill them with
agonies OF fear, and the works of God be.
come failures. il not Affections. Associa-
ton with nature. which should be highly
| pleasurable. becomes repulsive and the
perpetrators of these great wrongs must
tall in the honor and esteem of the victims
when they arrive at the age at which they
shall pass judgment. realize the deceit.
and discern the origin of the still linger-
ing fears Good Housekeeping.