The Red Cloud chief., 1889-02-22
HOME

MS charming lilust!dtioIs oi tic ooA'
NAL economy London Standard.
--!S
HOME GOVERNMENT. ~
Some Resret,.bI. Feature. Of the Pres-a'
Lax system.
A few years ago Frank X. Stockton
wrote an essay on THE Training Of
Parents" which. although semi-satiri'
cal. had in it a substratum OF whole
some truth. Briefly stated. his argu'
ment was that a great change had
taken place in the constitution OF the
family. especially in the United States;
that the child had usurped the former
prerOgative of the parent. and. there
fore. that it was time for us to rccog-
nize the altered condition and TO give
to the children o! the present day as.
sistance and counsel in the judiciOus
training Of their parents.
Among the rules suggested FOR the
government Of parents the primary
proposition was that filial control
should begin in the first years OF
parental life. when the minds OF the
parents would DO in y plant and mold
| able condition. II it should become
necessary to punish a parent the child
must not forget the importance OF
tempering severity with mercy; that
once having taken the reins OF govern
ment in hand il must never resign
them. but constantly keep a guiding
and controlling power over both the
father and the mother. In fact. all the
Old-fashiOned rules that were supposed
to be applicable TO The training Of chill
dren were used as illustrations. the
sum Of advice to children being: Train
up a parent in the way he should go.
and when you are old you will know
how to go that way yourself.
Allowing for the humorous exag-
geratiOn of MI. Stockton, il not be
denied that the Difference paid to-day
by many parents TO the wishes and
opinions of their children has often a
serious effect upon their mental and
moral growth. and is directly respOn-
sible not only for parental disappoint-
ment bu; also for heavy sorrow. The
Puritan sternncss at one time in vogue,
the loveless and repcllant character of
the creed. the constant iteration Of
duty and the curbing Of every innO-
cen and joyous emotion. simply in
cited u longing TO break such irksOme
bonds; and when the opportunity to do
so offered itself the other extreme was
reached. and license too, the place Of
repression. And yet it may be ques-
toned il this ''keep-Oh-the-grass"
method of training was more hurtful
than that which either locks upon a
child as a delicate exotic. too refined
and tender to be brought into contact
with the less favored mOrtals. or else
abandOns all efforts ut control. cOnsOl.
ing itself with the well-wOrn reflection
that the child can take care of itself.
OF these two methods the latter
seems to be the most popular. The
feeling Of independence and self
asscrtiveness that Is characteristic Of
the average American mind is too much
relied upon. Ii is presumed that tho
let-alOne policy will stimulate this
spirit; whereas. on the contrary. the
natural result is Ia bring into existence
a feeling Of disregard for the rights Of
others and an Obtrusiveness and u
hardness which speedily degenerate
into the worst type of selfishness. In
the streets. in stores and hotels. on
and railroad cars and team
boats, there can be- daily seer the out
come Of such perniciOus training. the
most regrettable feature OF the matter
being that the parents seem completely
Indifferent. or else lend "a tacit approval
to that which thoughtful people look
upon with alarm. Pertuess is cOnsid.
10 he precocity. rudencss is simply
youthful cxuberance. while seltishness
is held to be nothing but an indication
of a progressive business spirit which
will hold its own and not allow itself
to be cheated out Of its just due
Never has the cultivation Of the
graces Of obedience. respect. ver
euce. manliness and womanlincss been
more profoundly needed than now.
These yraces lie AT the root Of all good
social intercourse. Like mercy. they
are twice blessed: wherever they radi-
they illumine and beautify. Let
us try { . cultivate such virtues in our
Observation-Disclosures Record.