Norwich bulletin., 1922-09-23
rHE srLENCE RooM.

Dear Sisters of the Corner: Do you ever punish your children?" I asked of a friend.
 My friend f-owned. 'I do not like that word. punish she said What am I. to punish my son and daughter? They know am just as full of faults as they, 70 why should I do the punishing just because am larger and older?" ''Whyl" I exclaimed for I was act uaily shocked Where did you get such outrageous ideas about child rearing 2" My friend laughed dryly. Perhaps I retain some ideas from my OvA child hood. Don't you remember thoughts that used to pass through Yur little brain when you were being, whipped T felt my face color. but I answered her. that I dld but you don't suppose hat my children think those little In- urgent thoughts"
 You may be very sure they do.''
 T never thought about that. How are r- to control them if they need punish nE sometimes?-
 "oh. control-thst As 2 different word altogether" said my friend. We may control a great river of water and train it to usefulness. but we cannot beat 1t and punish 1t hack to its source. If we fry to do it. even though we are appar- eutiy successful for a tims, we arc likely eventually to be overwhelmed and sPept away by the same tide that we have tried to throttle. So it is. I think with nauKhtiness in children We may nress it down and down. and punish theHn. but when they get too old to pun tsh, what then?
 How about when they cry for every. thtaz they SeeZ'
 'afy children never cried for wher they were told No from the time they were babies they knew I meant No" But your children are 90 well be iaved. How do you manage it? Ant would like to know how you managt selhshness?'
 well. even when the children wer mall I never allowed the smallest t show a disposition to grab or select hi piece of candy. I taught them 1t was al rdona5le otfense and might caus m. to deal with them in this same way will show you my method of dealin with waywardness in all of us," smile ny hostess.
 "In all of trs?'' I said
 ''Yes: as I said before I am often i fault as well as my children. and the realize it Every mother sometimes il though she may not admit it. So whs any of us does wrong She or he sentenced to a certain period of time he silence-roou1."
 ''Silence room? Pardon my curiosit. put just what fs a siIence-room?" Come with me and I will show you sasd my friend. rising and leading tE WAY upstairs. We keep t locked an ,znz the key in the han as she reacf d for 1t on the hook.
 T am almost afraid to look" I sai fa
 You needn't be afraid" my frien rsld
 But the name suggested horrib hings to me and it seemed uncanny.
 ''I see you cannot cast off the old ,ids sbout punishment" my friend saie, she pushed open the door.
 IL was a large square room with wal ot a soft gray tone. The carpet was the same delicate neutral share and u .tIrtains at the window were smoke-cc pred. In the center of the room a hui sather 1ined-chair with wide arms, al directly In front of t on the wall hu1 single picture. It was a picture of mother with her hsby. upon the V nan's face wss hauntingly tender h manly breeding expressing of love al .enderress. ....
 ''I don't understand" I said. there nothing here to infiict punishment. VI [ could sit here and look at that pi .ure for hours"
 Could you fooik at it long with a ger and ill in your heart?"
 'T don't believe I could" I said, ? syes filling with tears.
 Wrong doing is largely due to co sitiou of mind with all of us" sa5d I friend "and the old errone0us idea punishment is simply to beat that at fiide from the child-rnind. But we tnow ft doesn't work. It may cau certain nanifestations to cease, but ioesn't touch the root-ths heart. A