The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1890-04-09
"BAD CHILDREN"

Nothing is more common than the
complaint about dad children" There
is no reference in this phrase to the
doctrine of original sin or total de-
pravity; it merely signifies children
who are disobedient, ill-tempered and
generally disagreeable. That such
children are painfully plenty can not be
disputed, but few who lament the phe-
nomenon trouble themselves to ask why
there are bad children, and what is the
remedy for the acknowledged evil.
For our part we are about ready to de-
clare categorically that, properly speak
ing, there are no bad children, but a
great many bad parents 1t is Oliver
Wendell Holmes if we remember right
ly, who says that If you would educate
child properly you must begin about
hundred years before he is born. That
is going a long way back, but it is GER
tain that any effective education of
children must hegih at least as far back
as the childhood of their parents. 1t
may be true, as some social philosopher
has declared, that it takes five genera
tons to make gentleman, but good
deal may be accomplished by two gen.
erations of well"iirected effort. The
real trouble, then. lies back of the
children whose badness is so much de-
plored.
By saying that there are no bad chill
dren we mean nothing heterodox or rev.
dictionary, but meraly this, that the
mass of children are capable of being so
trained as to bncoue obedient, good
tempered and agreeable. Who has not
seen some child, spoiled by the weak
ness of somebody, quite remade in char
acter in a year or two under firm and
wise training? There would always be
a certain percentage of incorrigibles,
no doubt, and there would remain
great differences of character. Nor is
there any training process by which souls
may be born into the kingdom of Christ.
We maintain no more than is proved by
the everyday experiences Of every one,
that the graver outward faults of con.
duct which we condemn in bad chill
dren" are remediable and preventable
by right sort of training.
| The trouble is that so many parents
are nothing more than bad children,
grown up They do not know how to
train their children, and do not much
care to learn. Many, Of whom better
things might be expected, leave their
children to como up anyhow = like
Topsy, who ''just growed' - with no
better training than nurses and school
teachers can give. For the high and
holy vocation of parenthood they have
never had thought of seeking qualif.
cation. Children are, to Thorn, not a
gift of God, but an evil to be endured.
That immortal souls have been en-.
trusted to their care, and that one day
will DO required Of them an account Of
this stewardship, gives them no sense
of responsibility. Can we wonder that
parents of this kind have children who
can only be described as 'bad?'
A child spoiled, says some wise man
is a child despoiled. He is defrauded Of
one Of his natural rights, the right to be
well-bred. He is suffered to enter into
life MANNED halt and blind as to some
of his most important faculties. The
unconscious cruelty Of some loving
mothers and fathers is terrible. The
mother is so fond that she can not beal
to punish, even in tho mildest ways
and permits habits of disobedience. i'll
temper and selfishness, while the father
is too busy to bother with the babies,
and thinks his duties entirely discharged
when he has furnished his family liber
ally with money. Children thus robbed
of their birthright do not appreciate the
wrong for many years, perhaps some
are never conscious Of it; but not few
live to regret bitterly that wholesome
restraint was not laid upon them i,
childhood.
What the country most needs to-da,
is few millions of good parents. The,
the next generation OF children woult
contain few who would be described a.
bad. IN. Y. Examiner.