Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1894-01-17
Do We Give Our Children Enough Sym.
pathy and Consideration?

Do We Give Our Children Enough Sym
pathy and Consideration?
1t is not unusual to hear the mothers of
grown families assert that their children
when young never disobeyed them. 1t is
only charitable to suppose that they must
have forgotten many little everyday occur
rences but it is nevertheless fact that
those assertions have caused young moth
ers much unhappiness. The higher educa-
ton of home discipline is to train child
to self government, and the question some
times arises whether implicit obediensa in
children always generates characters best
fitted to withstand temptation.
That there is nothing SO sweet and Iowa
BILE or that adds more to the comfort and
happiness of parents than dutiful, obe-
dent child, must be conceded by every OBJ
server of domestic life. That a restless,
disobedient child is thorn in the flesh to
its parents is equally true, but any num-
Der of cases could be cited where those
same disobedient children have become
men and women possessing strict upright
ness and principle. 1t is quite possible to
teach child at very early age that its
faults and failings only react upon itself.
If it will play with the fire it is wisdom
sometimes to allow it to burn its fingers.
But to see every fault unless it be griev-
GUS one) is no doubt often unwise, and that
is why too little training often seems to
bring about better results than the use of
excessive parental authority.
The rule of gentle persuasion also seems
to fail with some temperaments, and a
sound spanking may tide over present diff
fculties; but sensible parent looks fur
Their than the mere present, and trains a
child for self government and future use
fulness. Put yourself in his place" is
scarcely ever thought Of as a rule to be ap-
piled to children, and it is a question if it
is not one that would bring about good
results in making the Judgment of older
people more just and lenient. Truly young
hearts sometimes carry heavy burdens,
made needlessly so because grown people
will so soon forget their own childhood.
People forget that the courage of little
child who owns to fault may be greater
than that Of the grown man who confesses
to wrongdoing. The one may have words
and arguments and Qualifications ready at
hand, and is quite sensible of the fact that
the acknowledgment of his fault what
ever it may be, reflects credit ON himself;
and he must have been indeed great sin
ner not to feel that there are others who
can sympathize with him, having been
similarly tempted.
Possibly with his knowledge of the world
he may have accepted the too common in
depreciation of the commandment which
says, Thou shalt not lie," to read, "Thou
may'st if it be justifable;"' but the little
shrinking child, to whom sin is sin, and
every falsehood is written down in a book
kept by Gods angel-it is pitiful to think
of the want of sympathy with which his
little story of faults committed is some.
times accepted.
Who shall say that the child is not more
courageous than the man. or that it is not
often wise to condone a fault that is freely
confessed, or that even willful disobedi.
ence may not sometimes be safely over
looked, if at the same time habits of truth
fulness are encouraged. Children as well
as older people are apt to live up to what
is expected of them, and to accuse child
of falsehood is often the means of pointing
tho first step in the way of untruthfulness
New York Tribune.