The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1921-06-02
SPANKING UNNECESSARY


~ nav oADaSh -
up sever children to vigorous, happy
and w~ell-poised maturity dropped in to
see her young daughter-in-law. She
was greeted by the sound of sobs and
bowls from behind the closed door.
The young mother explained, her face
set hard, Elsie has been naughty.
She is being punished
The grandmother sank into a chair,
praying for wisdom. Il never pun.
ished one of mine in any such way in
all my life she advanced mildly,
land they never ~disobeyed me, either
why, Mother Burton cried the
young mother incredulously. That's
just impossible. What did you dc
when they didn't mind. when they
acted as Elsie did just now? She was
so naughty. You see that lovely set
of Stevenson? l told her three sep.
arate times not to touch it, but she
persisted in handling the backs Of the
books with her sticky little fingers.
What else could anybody do but pun
ish her."
Well" said the grandmother, Lets
consider this case. | always tried to
put myself in the children's place and
tried to imagine why it was they
wanted to do what seemed naughty,
what there was in it that attracted
them. Let's look at the Stevenson
set. Yes, isn't it a beauty, all red
leather and gold lettering? Why,
believe it's the bright coloring that
fascinated Elsie. There's nothing
wicked in liking pretty, bright things.
Shed be a little Ounce if she didn't.
Why, if that had happened to me,
believe I'd have tried giving her some,
thing bright and shiny that she could
play with
"No, you don't understand Elsie
said the young mother, that wouldn't
work with rer. It's stubbornness. You
ought to have seer how angry She
looked"
We'll, perhaps you got her mad
up" suggested the grandmother, gent
ly. The young mother gave a skepti-
cal, impatient gesture, You can try
it, and see for yourself
The grandmother went quickly into
the kitchen while the mother was un.
locking the closet door, and by the
time the sobbing, excited child had
come out, she was back with an egg
heater and a bowl of soapy water.
Elsie looked blackly at her mother
and marched straight toward the for
hidden books. You see," breathed
her mother triumphantly.
Elsie" called the grandmother
brightly, Just see here what I've got.
Mother says we may play with it, you
and l.. See, when you whirl the egg
beater around, how it makes the water
all froth up. It's as good as beating
eggs. Come over and try it."
The egg beater's shiny blades shone
clearly as they whisked about through
the glistening, foaming suds. Elsie
was too little to contain more than
one idea at a time especially when
one of the ideas was such a beautiful
one. She ran to the bowl and began
to try to turn the beaten.
At first Grannie had TO hold the
bowl steady, but in a moment the
deft little fingers caught the trick, and
whisk, how the suds foamed up. She
beamed as she beat, absorbed, radiant,
the little eyes blurred with tears
Frightening, the little, sullen, angry
face s~oftening to a smile. Its %loverly,"
she pronounced solemnly.
Grannie and mother began to talk
about the weather and a new recipe
for cookies, The crisis was past.
When g%rannie stood up to go, half
an hour later, she remarked casually
to Elsie, ooh, say, dear, mother just
loves those pretty red and gold books
down there. And we are afraid that
if you touch them, you'll get them
dirty. You'll try to remember about
that, won't you? You wouldn't like
mother to spoil your things"
Elsie's small mind had gone a long
distance since that episode Of the
books. To her it seemed as though a
long time had passed. And she GER
tainly cared nothing about them, now
She nodded, peacefully, her eyes on
the shining water. ooh, | don't care
anything about the books" she said,
when I've got this"
Wv. s. S.