River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-08-11
TALKS TO MOTHERS,
BY ONE OF THEM.
yrI.-rHE rspuLGENT MOTHER.
Uopyright by Cambridge Literary Bureau an
press 1892

Will lie tNbtLtA~N- -Ao htfhs
copyright by Cambridge Literary Bureau and
Press. 1892
What should we think of person
who cultivated thistle by every WIN.
ming effort of watering and care, and
when it had grown to be a strong plant.
repelling every one with its sharp
thorlls, showed surprise and disappoint.
ment that it had not the characteristics
of lily? This is exactly analogous to
the conduct of many a mother i'm this
strange world of ours. From thought
lessness, or mistaken tenderness, she
cultivates a crop OF weeds worse than
thistles. and is astonisled 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
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 a 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 a childs 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 baby before he could
walk.
When this crop of self-will is well I'M
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 deeeives him, and very
soon deliberately prevaricates. 30,
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 sayi
Does he not, indeed Watch him and
see
When he is little older and begins
to ask questions, comes a fresh set of
lessons in untruth from Ito parent, who
can't bear to refuse anything, even n-
formation. There is an old proverb:
"A fool can ask questions philosopher
cannot answer" and how much easier
1t is for bright child, with eager mind
opening to all the wonders around him,
and craving TO know about everything.
Ii is pitiful TO see the childlixe conf.
dence in the wisdom of parents abused
Ito 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 unsusPscting child absor bs
greedily as perfectly trustworthy. The
infatuated parent, too, thinks it is
funny--a joke-and often casts a cum
ming look around among the grown
people present, as II proud of the work
In doing thus two things IRE lost
sight of: First, that the child has rea.
son; AID, second. that ne soon grows
up. IL 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
D ~ hnK.
tend to know everything; soon enough
the child sees for himself that she
does not. How much better, then, to
take a dignified 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
in to the world with no mistaken mother
Z dS a Juliet DCbWtGh MIN AlAts
As child he is disli<ed and avoided
by everyone; as he grows he is the
dread of teachers, and he is snubbed by
his employers-when he gets them.
When he reaches manhood, having no
true ideas of lie anu his own insign if
cant place in it, filled with conceit and
self-assurance, he makes few friends,
and he has the a'mc>~ impossible task
of learning at great cost (if he learn at
all) what would have come with ease
in childhood. IL Is like sending a boy
out into the world full-grown without
knowing his letters; he has to educate
himself.
mother should have tender and Low.
ing, but firm, control Of her child from
its hl'st 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
first with herself. Only by taking the
matter seriously In hand, and trying to
overcome her weakness, can the con-
scientious mother hope TO avoid pass
ing on her own faults to the next gem
Grafton, to produce a fresh crop of nox-
ious weeds In her grandchildren.
OLIVE THoRNE MILLER
Quite Appropriate.
They say that Littleby is counting
that great tall girl, Miss High"