St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-07
MEANNEss TO CHILDREN.
Some Parents Have Themselves to
Blame for Ingratitude.
philn. ini,hi, nirnnn

Some Parents Have Themselves to
Blame for Ingratitude.
Philadelphia Times.
Parents who treat their sons and
daughters in a way to merit their in
dlgnatlOn and %reproach, though the
facts which call forth such feelings
may be endured in silence, have only
themselves to blame when they are
brought to a realizing sense of their
loss of the love and the confidence of
their children. That is often looked
upon as ingratitude in a child which is
directly the result of the parents
method of dealing with him. Children
learn quickly by experience and seldom
lilo themselves to get burned in the
fire twice.
How frequently, on a farm, a pretty
calf or colt or lamp is given to a child.
lie takes the promise in good faith,
believes the creature to be his very
own. feeds it, tends it, perhaps loves 1t
only to find, when it has developed
into a handsome and desirable animal,
that 1t was never intended to be really
his at all. He was allowed to call it
his and to look upon it as his, but when
there is some increase or a good Oppor-
tunlty tor sale ruthless hands bear away
the treasure, without even consulting
AK ~ . iC0ilhSo ny d SluRlS WoIui
and the father pockets the money, well
satisfied with his bargain. He is sorry
Tommy OR Susie cried about it, but feels
that he has made it all right by
promising another; but the child has
learned a sharp lesson from experience
lie has learned not to trust his father,
and some OF the II of affection
are forever closed against him.
GHlS sense OF justice has been outraged:
he becomes less frank and generous,
more secret and selfish. His innocent
nature has received a shock, and he
RECEIVERS from it only to be more worldly
wise, but less truStful. In after years a
child who has been treated in this way
vii! unconsciously and perhaps I'M
av0idably do many things that will
wiring his fathers heart; but the sad
hearted man. if he looks back far
enough, will find the cause in his own
actIons-in his unreaSoning tyranny
over the conduct or possessions of a
little child.
Selfish men reason that everything
possessed by a child belongs to them
selves until he reaches the age of twenty
one, and accordingly seize upon their
chlldren's earnings aud ruthlesSly APP
proprIate them TO their w use. How
often a boy plants a little patch OF pota-
to@S Ol something Oh the KIND ana WORKS
i'll it whenever he has a little time TO
call his own, eagerly hoping to sell
his crop and provide himself with some
books, clothing or something for which
his boyish heart longs, only TO find the
results of his labor sent to town some
fine autumn day and turned in to
pay the grocery bill!
Or, perhaps. he works for a neighbor,
with his fathers consent. and delight
eddy plans to do wonderful things with
the few dollars he earns; but, alas! too
many boys find how easy it is to turn
such earnings toward the souaring up of
old neighborly accounts, and many a
daughters school money is very handy
to pay interest with.
Verify. people who deal in this way
with their children have their reward,
though it is not always quite what they
expect. Very little children know the
meaning of justice, though they do not
understand the definition; and parents
who break their faith III this respect
can never regain their former position
III the child'S respect and affection.