The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-07-09

A New York paper has department
IN its evening edition headed, "To
Spank or Not to Spank" and under
that heading many wise and many
worried mothers air their views, and
seek for advice on the subject of the
need or good Of spanking hayward
children. One woman writes:
Il have always believed in spanking
children who were obstreperous, but
my little daughter, Minnie, aged 9,
does not seem to mind. She says to
her little brother, Harry, aged 6: ooh,
come along, Harry. Mamman beat
us, but that'll last only a few minutes,
and we can do this for an hour What
can do with a child who reasons in
this fashion,"
In reply to the inquiring mother the
paper answers:
This letter shows that when it is a
child that confronts us and not a
theory 1t is well to study the child. and
not to insist too strongly upon the the
oTy. If this small damsel fears no
spanking because she is philosophic
enough to weigh its grief sting with
the long enjoyment of her naughtiness,
devise some long punishment for her.
Deprive her of her opportunities to en-
JOY life. Keep her indoors and at some
task for a punishment"
Devise for her some long punish
ment." Poor thing! she'd find long
enough one of the punishments devils
ed for me when was "obstreperous''
by my Aunt Lizzie" who brought me
up and was perfect genius for in.
venting long and, now think, cruel
punishment. Pointing to an extra
high chair, from which my feet could
not reach the floor, she would say,
sternly: Emily, get up in that chair
and shut your eyes, and keep them
shut for ten minutes" It seems a slight
punishment-but, Ola spanking was
fun beside it. My eyes wouldn't he
shut two minutes before 1t would seem
that ten minutes and more had passed
How the long punishment" dragged.
and long before it ended / resolved that
1t would be long, indeed, before 1 again
gave that woman" as I used to men
tally call my exacting aunt. who was
not my own aunt, but an uncle's wife.
another chance to so torture me. But
Aurt Lizzie did not allow her punish
ments to lose their terror by too fire.
quent an infiiction. She had a large
and exasperating variety, and it was
a long time between turns.
She was not really a cruel woman.
and l was not a very naughty child:
yet the punlshments were actually as
cruel as II had been wicked sprite
and she a witch. Many a good.
Christian mother. in her eagerness to
wisely correct her children, fortunes
them, even as did my puritanical guar-
dian. l guess a good spanking. after
all, is the best, and it is the only
punishment recommended by Holy
Writ.
In Childish Eyes,
The Vagueness of the young with re.
spect TO the age of their elders is p1aas-
antly illustrated by the early history of
a nobleman who once represented =
division of Manchester in the English
parliament. His mother had a maiu
who seemed to childish eyes extremely
old. The children of the family longed
to know her age, but were much foo
well-bred TO ask question which thew
felt would he painful; so they sought
to attain the desired end by a system
of ingenious traps. The how chapce5
in lucky hour to find in his "Bool, oP
Useful knowledge" the tradition ttot
the aloe flowers Powered rfIv onoo -,
hundred years. He instantly saw mis-
opportunity, and, sccostiDg the maid
with winning air and wkeedlira 80.
cent, asked, insinuatiuSly: "guqaa
have you often seen tEc aloe fiower?"