The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1898-04-18
Our Kindness Corner.


How strong is the law of suggestion es-
peclally in its effect upon children. I am
reminded or mother who going out
Ior the afternoon, remarked to her chill
dren: Now, don't stuff white beans up
your noses. Is it any wonder that when
she returned each little nose was crammad
| luil or white beans? Now most parents
| would hold that this was rank disobedierce
| n"t l thlhk that no one was Responsible
Tor this act so much as the mother who
! thought Of the worst thing that could hap
| pen IN her absence, ana wifully planted
| the thought by suggesting il to the minds
! or the children. Had she suggested that il
| would be fun to make mud pies or some
thing that she was willing for them to do,
or even not made any suggestion Whatever
the white bean episode would probably
never have occurred.
In many cases too the consnouancoe Of
such an act are even worse than the act
Itself. How many parents upon seeing such
q Sobe'iienCe would descend un0n those
shlaH children in anger so intense that to-
TAI ahlllfi!aton would seem to be the Only
end. In such chastisement the good of
the enid is entirely lost sight of in the
uncomfortable amer of the parent at the
diSobedcnce. This terrifics the child ana ,
severe corporal punishment at the hands
Oh one he is taught to believe is his dearest
lflchd produces an eStrangement which de
crcaSeS the tlturc influence of the parent. |
On the ether hand, the children have al |
ready suffered the natural consequences |
OF Stuiing beans up their noses. The nose |
mas become the seat of great distress and |
the doctors efforts to relieve them any
thing but agreeable, so that q repetition of /
the bean act is already beyond d recur- |
renee. OF the disobcdiencc just enough !
coo.ncss toward the offenders as is pro-
duced IN the parent by the offense would
cause greater distress than a more violent
hmGnt an
make PREPARATION and a determination never
again to cStranGe themselves by a similar
oHenSe. OF course parent would not
continue that estrangcmcnt for such n
length of time as to accustom the child to
doing without his friendship
Herbert Spencer tells of a father who
brought up his little boy and girl IN tHis
principle. He possessed the confidence and
affection of his children and found Tat the
simple display of his appreciation and dis
APPRECIATION gave him abundant power of
control If on his return he finds that his
BOY has been naughty he behaves toward
llm with that comparative GOODNESS which
he consciousness of the boys misconduct
PRODUCES. He finds this a most efficient |
punishment. The mere withholding of the :
usual carcSS is a source of the greatest
lStreSS, producing much more prolonged | :
II OF crying than a beating would do. In | f
Illustration Mr.. Spencer tells little story ,
hout the boy, an urchin of five who dur +
~ the absence OF his mother one day, q
mmltted numerous OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES off a
art OF his sisters hair ana wounded hIrr- r
If with a razor taken from his fathers T.
reSsnc case. Hearing of these occurrcn- / o
IS on his return the father did not speak b
} the boy either that night or the next
forming Not only was the trihuation
'eat, but the subsequent effect was. that |
men few days after the mother was D.
oout to go out, she was earnestly asked y
Ut to do so; and on the inquiry il an H.
AIRED his fear was that he might again m
ansgre.s in her absence. be
has had q great awakening -
the subject of mans (and OF course wo- -
s. duty to his fcathcrcd ncighhors t.
Inc benign teachings had sunk deep into .,
G hcart OF one of the citN's four hundred.
10, per consequence. had become greatly 7,
5guatca with the prevailing style in bats u
e saw through the countless bodies of B.
lughtered birds a perpotuation of a fash r.
l more lifting savage than a woman -
The nineteenth century. ~
Ter desired reform met small sympathy r
I'M tn" ranks of millnors. whose moral H.
ION was obstructcd by the LARGE stock T.
b-rda ana feathers secured for the sea- -
trade. Seeing that no hope of ~, -
$ lay in that direction this woman, Wi. -
$ the happy poSSessor of natures best II
t to her daughters. tact, determined ON r.
curse at once wise and brave. She Of IS.
"a htf palatlal home as Temporary r.
'Sroom to a noted Chicago firm if they -
ltd bring n stock of millinery of artis- y
design which should rcvel in horal crea- r.
Is but give not a hint OF bird lifc, or p.
&c properly speaking bird death The u.
i"t5 came. the flowers were perfect -
ugh to deceive the very bees and hum -
Z blrds themselves If they had come 4
lA' sale. Certainly attractive enough r.
tempt the pretty women who came r.
t'hberS TO the unusual display Nearly -
y woman went home the proud posses 10
OF love of bonnet. Now what lad T. :
leader of society done. She might have A.
~ snpped the bird trimmings from
own bonnet and none would have Pc
the wiser or better but she Possessed ed:
spirit of reform in a more ENLARGED 4
e. II II was wrong for her to wear Nd
), 1t was wrong for others. ana she AZ
d try to stop it. She demonstrated TX
knowledge of Woman's nature by NOT 4 p
ne her friends to wear ugly bonnntS. A. D.
showed them that feminine faces could AID.
even prettier in a cluster of roses ~ D.
with the objectionable surroundings * - >
made 1t easy to DO the right thing A u
y lhg h& the millinery To them. She a. D.
1t fashionable to do rght--qnd she
red to principle. In short. she used
beautiful home and her social rnsi- IN
IN trrthering a cause which aInoaIe5 says
: heart, and we consider slfnh worldly II
ltaGes amongst the talents for which } we
re held Responsible 't'
ouGh inc teachers at the public book
Is much had been done toward on expire
hnent and reform amongst the WON'T, some
place. If the laying aside of aiara+tn hctlt
IS caused a pang to the mothers heart a,i,i
az well imagine that the boys hcayad nGnuI
a sign at the thought of no more Staten
luHIihS' no more collecting eggs on the O.