The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-08-24
TALhs 10 MOTHERS,
qf1BY ONE OF THEM. Nr
vII.-THE INDULGENT MOTHER.
Copyright by Cambridge Literary Bureau an

copyright by Cambridge Literary Bureau and
Press, 1872
What should we think Of a person
who cultivated thistle by every win.
ming effort of watering and care, and
when it had grown to be strong plant,
repelling every one with its sharp
thorns, showed surprise and disappoint-
ment that it had not the characteristics
of lily? This is exactly analogous TO
the conduct of many q mother in this
strange world of ours. From thought
lessness, or mistaken tenderness, she
cultivates crop of weeds worse than
thistles, and is astonished and grieved
when they come out in their true char
acter at last.
The indulgent mother Is so fond Of
her child that she cannot bear to refuse
him anything, and so shortsighted that
she cannot see that she is doing him Q
serious injury.
Her work begins in the cradle, from
her amiable desire that everyone
should admire and love him as she does,
in taking great notice of him before
others, in repeating his cunning doings,
and, when older, his bright sayings,
constantly talking about his dress and
his ways; in word, making the child
and all his concerns the most conspicu.
Gus object in the house.
|! Few persons realize how early the
baby begins to imbibe this sweet poison
of praise and Importance. Before he
can talk he is robbed of child's great
est charm, a sweet innocence, an un-
consciousness of himself that wins all
hearts. From self-consciousness to
conceit of his own Importance is but
a step. and then of course every within
must be gratifed. We have all seen
this vice in a baby before he could
walk
When this crop of self-will is well un-
der way and flourishing, so that he be-
comes troublesome, comes in natural
sequence the next step, untruthfulness.
The willful infant prefers the presence
and care of his mother, from whose
hands he gets everything he wants
without the snubbing which he gets
from his nurse). He screams when she
goes away; she deceives him. and very
soon deliberately prevaricates. 20,
no?' she says, mamma won't go away"
| and the moment his attention is at
tracted she slips out and does go. He
does not notice or remember, you say?
Does he not, indeed! Watch him and
see.
When he is little older and begins
to ask questions, comes fresh set of
lessons in untruth from the parent, who
can't bear to refuse anything, even in
formation. There is an old proverb:
"A fool can ask questions philosopher
cannot answer" and how much easier
it is for bright child, with eager mind
opening to all the wonders around him,
and craving to know about everything.
1t is pitiful to see tie childlike conf
dence in the wisdom of parents abused
to see absolute untruth taken into the
earnest mind and cherished as truth.
How sadly often do we see parents,
when asked questions they are unable
to answer, invent ridiculous story
which the unsuspecting child absorb s
greedily as perfectly trustworthy. The
infatuated parent, too, thinks it is
funny-a joke-and often casts cum
iing look around among the grown
people present, as if proud of the work.
| In doing thus two things are lost
sight Of: First, that the child has rea-
son; and, second, that he soon grows
up. 1t is not long before he knows
he is deceived, and forms his Judgment
accordingly. Thus is learned ter
rible lesson-that his mother or his
father flor fathers are guilty here)
does not tell the truth. Now, there is
no reason why mother should pre-
tend to know everything; soon enough
the child sees for himself that she
does not How much better, then, to
take dignifed position at first and
retain the child's respect by admitting
frankly that she does not know. though
at the same time she should honestly
try to find out.
Not to speak Of the result of in
diligence on the health by means OF
improper food and habits, which par
ticular form of baby killing any honest
! physician will admit Is far from un-
! common; nor, somewhat later of bad
| associates which the mother cannot
control; how does this victim of an in
dulgent mother fare when he goes out
| into the world with no mistaken mother
as buffer between him and life?
AS a child he is disliked and avoided
by everyone; as he grows he is the
dread of teachers, and Re is snubbed by
his employers-when he gets them.
When he reaches manhood, having NO
true ideas of life and his own insign if.
amt place in it, filed with conceit and
self-assurance, he males few friends,
md he has the almost impossible task
+ learning at great cost (if he learn at
alb what would have come with ease
in childhood. 1t is IKE sending boy
out into the world full-grown without
knowing his letters he has to educate
himself.
A mother should have tender and low
ing, but firm, control of her child from
its first breath. She should as care
fully shield him from self-conscious.
ness, conceit and willfulness, as she
does from scarlet fever and whooping
cough. She should, above al things,
set him daily example of justice and
truthfulness in the smallest affairs. In
most cases the mother herself is the
victim of bad training, and her duty is
irst with herself. Only by taking the
matter seriously in hand, and trying to
overcom. her weakness, can the con-
scientious mother hope to avoid pass
ing on her own faults to the next gen.
Grafton. TO produce fresh crop of nor.