The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-05-21
Gond.Trmpcrcd Parents.

Good.Trmpcrcd Parents.
How we insis; upon good-temper il
our children, frowning upon stub
bornneSs and anger, and that cross
Grain of pervcrSity which has come
down from the primal parents, ana Is
u sort of hallmark in nearly every
baby that ever lived. But uniformly
good-temper,d fathers and mothers
are not 50 common as they should be,
and when we find them-managing q
nursery, presiding at table, directing
a household, setting young feet in the
way they should g0-we feel like say
ing as of old was said in another con.
nec,ion, "their price is above rubic<."
1t is not in the power of an ill-icmpcr-
ed child to do the mischief, create the
suffering, cast the gloom, that an ILL
tempered father can, bringing with
him over his own threshold the sharp
hess and the chill Of an east wind,
napping the soil of the sensitive girl,
halding the opposition OF the obstl-
nate boy, Tightening the tottlcr who
hides beneath the mothers skirts, in-
stead of making grand rush for his
fathers arms ; giving the cook ami
NuuSS W. SieNiiittN tiioN
they are paid 10y the month and may
leave when it is done, and are neither
of them the mans wife, Obliged to put
up with his whims and caprices, his
fault-iinGing and satire, till II e end of
their mortal lives. l lie misery al i'll
tempered father CAN make is exceeded
ONLY by the dire wrctciIcdHc$s and ut
ter hopelessncss which follows in tEc
wake of freltul, nurUSc, discourag-
ing, and ill-to-picasc mother, who:
more than all human beings else, Is :,
black frost in the home garden, Il ma
larious influence iii the home atmos-
phere. Fortunate the family where
the parents are always %ooG-tcmpercd.
Deeply to be cummiscrated the family
where they are usually the reverse.
Consider moment how helpless are
the young people when il comes to The
misbchavior of parents. You may
sand the baby in Tie corner, and BAN
iSh little Jack to the rooms upstairs, If
either is determined to pOut, storm, or
cry, or he "contrary." You may re-
monstrate with Ella, who is twelve,
desire John Henry, who is nine, to
change his lowering countcnance to Il
bright from Su,i"n expression.
How often do we hc.:r Tine l:;.ihCr say,
Look pleasant, NY c;.i,i. Ne can
not have cross looks III i:.r dining
room or the pailnr, or wherever il
may bc.n But tIe chill! nlay not tir..
rcprovc the u!,Gr person, Dor send
him or her from It's s"grirvrd pres
ence, nor do any thing except bear III
silence what the parent may choose to
impose. Nine times ont Oi ten Oi
course the evil word is contagious,
and the cpnlagion spreads. Sunny
hearted and sunny faced parents
make sunny hearted and smiling lit
tie folk. \ habit Of good hunIor in
father and mother becomes habit OF
amiahility and real sweetness in the
circle, from the girl and boy in their
,crnS to the yuungStcr in the c!lb.
It may Ue urged, and with truth,
shat parents are often tried and t!Oub-
led ny anXicticS OF which childreli
know nothing. Tic problem of ways
and means, The disappointment iii a:!-
ticipatcd icnittauccs, The ship that
never came i'll, the battles and defeats,
portion Of luicr life, are quite un-
known TO our durlngs, except as the
reflection from our irrturbed and un-
tranquil spirits falls upon theirs. 1t
is well that lifc's morning should be
cheery, and that they who are bear
ing the heat and burden OF the day
should be strong for whatever may
come. But, with need is promised
grace. 1t is doubtful whether any
man or woinan got through hard
day more successfully hy sr,)'|ing 1T
its ills, and making "i:s,rS Eii>crahlr
because it, SKY over lis i;Cai ur li"Is
WAS for Tie llm", If irLn or hl:r,'.
Such skies often melt over brave lir:iri>
and true, and aiway:, whatever The
sky above our head, ubuyc that
again stretches heaven, anu our Fa-
tlIcr in hcaren i always ready to
hear lis when we pray, and to schG, il
need be, his angels to our relief.
There are people who are piodding
and to:liug from morning till night,
day by day. year by year, that they
may leave Il furtunc,h OF at least Il
competence, to their children. To
this end they aGd field to field, pile
mp stock to hank Gy lahoriGus thrift,
deny themselves every thing except
absolute ncccSsarirs, and grow narrow
and ShriveIled, because out Of sympa-
thy with the world beyond their own
front doors, and all for the life that
now is, for the fashion that pa$seth
away. Mcagcr is the harvesting from
such seed sowing. 1t is tight 10 be
dligent and 10 look well to the ways
of ones household in pccuniary af-
fairs. But it is better to cultivate
graces and cmcnities than to grow
rich i'm money and pauperizcd in soul.
And no future store of gold and silver
can ever repay to ones children the
loss that is theirs, if father and moth
cr be i'll tempered, churii1h, or hate
full in the sight Of Got and man.
christian /V/e/lircUce7'.