Year: 1860

ticc. How shall parent avoid these pro.
vocations to wrath is question that de-
mands an answer. 1t is an inquiry that re-
lates to vital points in the family. Its
peace, harmony, happiness, the good or
evil course Of sons and daughters, charac.
ter in this life, and glory or shame in the
life to come are points involved.


shall speak of some of the ways in
which parents provoke their children to
| wrath.


l. By want of sympathy with them
Some fathers always keep their children at
arms-lcngth. Perhaps they are pressed
with cares and duties belonging to their
business, so that they have no time to
spend in conversing with the little ones
about their sports, studies, companions and
other things. They eat with them, are oc-
casionally in and out, and spend short
! time at the close Of the evening in reading
q newspaper at the tireside; but they have
no time to devote especially to the enter
tainmcnt of the children. They never
stop to observe their plays and toys, and
| express their views about this, that and the
other, and thereby show their interest in
what secures juvinile attention. Perhaps
they think that it is of no consequence
whether children are amused or mott is
well enough if they surround themselves
with things to entertain them without troub-
| ling their father, who never provides them
with that which shall interest. Here is no
sympathy with childhood, and it is soon
perceived by young observers, Such a
father may be feared but he is not ardent
| ly loved. a young man in his employ,
who loves to sport with children, will draw
| the sons of that father to himself, as the
father does not, and cannot draw them.
Some mothers have not true sympathy
with their offspring. They can see 10
need Of so much running and noise. They
| wonder if other children are so active aud
boisterous. A check is put upon their
sportiveness many times day by the mo-
ther 5 voice, hushing, complaining, or scold-
ing They learn, in short time, that
their mother has no interest in their pas
! times, and that the best way for them is to
have all their enjoyments by themselves
\ barrier is thus erected between them and
mothers love, that may diminish their
| attachment to home hereafter, and finally
send them reckless wanderers over the
earth.


Rev. Mr.. Hempstcad, late chaplain of
our State Prison, said at public meeting
in Boston, that he had found, by actual
observation, that want of sympathy with
childhood has been a prolific cause Of
crime. Parents, in not appreciating the
motives and dispositions Of their offspring,
had corrected them unwisely, and thus sent
them adriit in the world, sick of home, and
d termined to have their own way; or
else, maintaining a cold reserve, and never
STOPPING to participate in their early pleas
ures, or coudole with them in their daily
sorrow5, strong affection either for parents
or home, so that they were easily drawn
away by the fascinations and temptations
of the world.


Now, no parent is qualified to govern the
young, unless he can sympathize with them,
and Join with them, at suitable times, IN
tatir plans, works, and plays. We should
all remember that once we were children,
a fact which the class Of parents referred
to seem to have forgotten. The more cor
rccty and vividly we can recall the feel
ings and aims of childhood, the more really
can we enter into the projects and joys of
our own children We should rccollect,
also, that it would be unwiso and pcrilous
to make little men and women out of them.
a child must be child. He must think
and act like child. The parent who
would make him otherwise intlicts an in
jury upon his undcveloped nature, and will
probably provoke him to wrath. DR.. Scott,
the commentator, had remarkable success
III family discipline. a friend once asked
him what was the secret of his success |:
and he replied, 81 never corrected them
for being children, but for being naughty
children.


Then the trials Of children are real
We are too apt to think that, when child
loses or breaks a plaything, or experiences
some other trouble to make him weep Bit
terly, that it is of no consequence. 1t is
only childish enjoyment that is lost
But these trials Of the young are real to
them. What loss Of riches and office, the
trials Of disappointment and sickness, to-
gether with the ordinary perplexities and
yexations of domestic and social life, and
to adults, such are the juvenile trials in
question to our offspring, Unless we re-
member this, it is impossible to express
such sympathy for them as we ought.


Now, the direct tendency of a want of
sympathy with children, is to diminish their
sympathy for us. If | sympathize with
you in trial, you will sympaihizc with me.
Love draws out love. You hate another
and he will hate you in return. Speak
kindly to a neighbor, and he cannot speak
unkindly to you. Here is philosophy
that is substantiated wherever human ma
ture is found, 1t holds good with regard
to childhood as really as it does with regard
to mature years. The consequence is, that
want of paternal sympathy for the child
keeps him at distance, SO that ilial affec-
ton does not expand and grow, and di-
vests home of its highest charms, thereby