The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-10-06
"FIatterv Him a Little.

A gentleman in one of the suburbs of
Boston owned very fine horse, whose
only apparent fault was an eXuberance
of gay spirits. He was gentle and will
ing, but no sooner did he find himself
on the road than there would be Sc
ries of plunges and dartings, first to
the right, then to the left. With his
beautiful neck arched to perfect
curve, he seemed to consider it quite
the proper thing to rear and curvet and
prance until the patience of the driver
was well-nigh exhausted striving to con-
troll the mettlesome beauty. To apply
the whip was simply cruel, and he
didn't know what to make of it either.
To sell him was out of the question.
One evening the owner, who knew his
Irish groom had taken the horse on
quite long drive during the day, said
to him: Well, Mike, how did you get
along with Caesar this morning, could
you manage him at ALP" Mike turned
his head to one side with an indulgent
air as he replied: Och, well, sir, whin
we first stharted out he kicked and
paved, like the lively divil he is, but
.fdthered him little, an he come down
upon his fate, an behaved himself like
gintleman every blissed sthep o. the
way" If parents will only stop and
think moment they will see how very
much like this horse are the merry
children, whose antics, as they often
declare, nearly drive them wild. 1t
is not because little Thomas, Rich
ard or Henry have a drop of vicious
blood in their restless little bodies that
they act, as old-fashioned grandmothers
used to say, as if they were possessed.
Fact is, they are possessed, but only
with the roguish, fun-loving spirit which
is the legitimate brthright of healthy
child. What would be the use of tying
up or scolding a monkey for cutting
up" all kinds of shines? And where
would be the sense in switching kitty
for turning a dozen somersaults in the
vain effort to grab her own little tail!
A boy whom we knew, and fancied for
kind-hearted, loving little fellow,
seemed to have no affection whatever,
only an unfortunate dread of his grand
father. But it was all explained one
day, when a neighbor, speaking of the
same grandparent, remarked: He's
one of those men who entirely forgets
that he was ever boy, expects just as
much of child as he would of a man."
Alas! that too many parents make the
same mistake. The gay, rollicking
horse will soon become a steady-going
old roadster; kitty will become a staid,
logy sleeper of the hearthstone; and
Thomas, Richard and Henry will be
thoughtful, care-ridden men, only too
glad to look back, if possible, to the
days of a free, happy childhood. There
was tact and magic power in the way
in which mother once entered a room
where her three boys were engaged in
play not one would willingly leave, and
said: know which one of my boys
is going to carry this letter to the office
for me; it's my own particular little
son I'm after this time" Just as she
expected, there were three particular
little sons eager to leave their play and
do her bidding. Oh, draw the child by
kindness; if necessary tlatter him a
little, not that tirmness or even force
are to be dispensed with if actually re-
quired, but only check and restrain the
gay spirits when you must, then in the
most enticing way, it is so much better
g to rule by love than fear"