The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-07-20
TALKS TO MOTHERS,
BY ONE OF THEM.
u.-sOwING THE WIND.

baby want to go out? says the I'M
thinking mother rs she puts on the out
of-door wraps of her child. Baby want
a nice drink of mike" as she holds the
cup to his lips. Baby want this or that,
she continually asks as she ministers to
his needs.
1t is done. of course, without thought,
but it indicates n blindness to conse-
quences that is truly marvellous. What
she is really doing is cultivating his
will, sowing the wind to reap a whirl-
wind indeed. A baby naturally accepts
what is given to him, and goes where
he is carried without thought OF pro-
test. But after little training of this
sort, this constant suggestion that he
may have an opinion produces one in
his mind. Sooner than one would
imagine he begins to think whether he
wants to go or come, and from that to
express wishes before he can speak by
shrieks and slaps and various other
ways familiar to the nursery. Dc not
say he is too young. We see such chill
dren every day, screaming when put
into or taken out of their carriage, and
annoying a whole neighborhood by out
cries because they want to be carried
instead of riding, or to go this way in
stead of that. We have all seen these
little monsters of tender years, utterly
beyond control and terror to all who
know them. We call them-with rea
son-"spoiled children"
Beside the irreparable harm to
child's temper. and, x consequence, tc
his whole character, caused by this
premature will development, there is
his physical health to be considered.
We all know that mothers fit of
anger will make her baby i'll; how
much worse must be the effect on his
delicate organization of fit of anger
in the baby himself Moreover, tenn
pers as well as other bad things grow
by indulgence, and what is merely
pitiful in the child becomes dangerous
in the mantle fruitful cause of disas-
ter and crime.
The mother who has let her child get
beyond her control almost inevitably
resorts to management" to render
life tolerable in the house with him.
Managing is done by promises or by
threats. ''lf you'll be good and not
cry mamma'll bring you something
nice" is perhaps the most common
promise. The child believes, for natural
faith in mothers truthfulness is hard
to eradicate; he is good, perhaps and
she leaves him.
Now, the mother is exceedingly apt
to forget her promise, given without
much thought, just as she might give
sugar plum to keep him quiet mo-
ment, and here creeps in another dan.
ger He claims his reward the moment
he sees her. She ought, of course, at
whatever sacrifice, secure something to
keep her word; at the very least she
| should explain seriously that she for
got, but is sorry. He will be disap-
pointed, but he will credit her with for
getfulness only.
But what does the mother do in most
eases? She looks upon 1t carelessly as
a matter of no Importance. and says:
so, we'll, never mind I'll bring you
|
time" is the same as never, and there
follows the dreadful sight of IA child in
fearful temper, carried off screaming,
possibly whipped, protesting-poor, out
ragged little soul-'You promised! you
promised! you said you would.'
Threats are-if possiblc'-worse,
when, as is usual, they are not scru-
pulously carried out. Even if they are
mild, as threat to deprive him Of
something if he does so and so, they
are bad enough, but what shall be said
of the mother who deliberately threat
ems what she knows she will not do?
IF you don't stop that instantly III
take your head Off" once heard from
the lips of refined lady-like looking
woman on her own door steps as
passed her house. Did the boy of six
stop playing in the gutter and run for
for his life? BY no means!-he went
calmly on; he knew his mother was tell
ing an untruth.
| When this mother punished him for
a falsehood, as she doubtless did when
his prevarication was announcement to
her, what did she indelibly impress
upon the indignant soul in the poor lit
tie tortured body? No less than this
fearful lesson: that beside being un-
truthful, his mother was unjust that
she punished him for what she herself
| did, therefore that it was not wrong for
grown person to lie.
If any mother thinks child of that
age incapable of drawing an inference,
she underestimate his intelligence.
Last of this melancholy crop is fear.
This is the weapon Of the servant tc
manage the child, and she is not SO
much in fault as the mother who has
let him get the upper hand by cultivat-
ing his will. The terrible and lifelong
results of a childs fear of the ''bogy out
side the window" the "beggar man who
would carry him off" the bears unle-
the bed that would devour him if he al,
not lie STILL" can never be known
Many persons have passed all their
days in state of nervous dread OF they
knew not what, others live the lives oil
towards, because of terrors instilled in
to their minds in infancy. have heart
grown man tell, with shudders OF
horror. of the suffering of his child
hood, when left in his bed to so &c
sleep, or when waking at night in
the dark, and he had conscientious
and most devoted mother, too.
Grown-up people do not re alize thu
powers of an undisciplined Imagination
That child wants light at night, o