Year: 1860

wrath by administering punishment with
out regard to their mental moods. 1t is as
important to study moods as motives-
Children are not always alike in their men
tai states. Nor is it peculiar to them. 1t
is so with their parents. The latter have
days W hen their patience is more easily ex-
hausted, when they are more irritable, sad
or testy than they are at other times. The
exceptions to this are few and far between.
1t does not require very long or deep study
for any of us to discover this in ourselves
and there are causes for it. Multiplicity
of cares, mental anxiety, bodily illness and
similar causes, beget these varying and un.
happy state of mind. But if adults are
thus subject to them, may not children
be ! Is there no more excuse for them in
the latter, who have not arrived to years
of discretion, and over whom motives of
selt-control have, consequently, less infu-
ence! This must be granted. But wheth-
er conceded or not, every parent knows
that his children are not always in an
equally favorable frame of mind to receive
correction. When they are peevish in con-
sequence of illness, correction often arouses
retaliating, sullen or revengeful spirit
The same kind Of correction will awaken
harder thoughts, and angrier thoughts,
than at other times. So, when child is
angry, it is nearly as dangerous to infict
punishment, as to do it when the parent is
angry. The child is not then in frame
Of mind to perceive the justice of his chas,
tlsement, nor to care much about it. His
feelings are too bitter for that. Also, the
nervous system is frequently affected by
the weather and physical indisposition, so
that the child is more easily provoked to
wrath by the parents, When these diff
ering frames OF mind are not observed, and
chastisement is administered without any
regard to them, injury is usually done.-
The heart of the child becomes more sadly
warped than ever. A bad thing is made
worse The child will misconstrue, or
misapprehend paternal motives then, and
be likely to take the very worst view of his
experience, and hence feel the most un.
kindly towards his parents.


l. 1t is easier to preach ON family gov
ernment than it is to practice. Enough
has been said to show that the government
of children is very difficult matter-that
it requires wisdom, foresight, penetration,
and good knowledge of human nature, to
be able to discipline the young heart arigh.
No doubt it is the desire and aim of nearly
all parents to govern their children so that
they shall become useful and worthy mem.
bcrs of society. But we err in Judgment,
or knowledge of the mental and moral laws
under which children act The science of
family government we are not so familiar
with as we are with other sciences. If it
be true, as the poet says,


The child


That shuts within its breast bloom for heaven,


May take bemsh from the breath ofIoye,


And bear the blight forever"


it is not strange that many of the young
make shipwreck OF their hopes We say
that teacher must have knowledge ot
human nature if he would be successful
disciplinarian, and we say the truth. But
how much more true must this be of the
parent, whose government over his children
never ceases during their years of minor.
ity! Yet this is difficult knowledge tc
acquire. If all the points considered de
mand our attention, and others beside
every one must see that parents have nc
inferior work to perform. How often they
are perplexed, and scarcely know what to
do! How many of the wisest have asked
anxiously, "Who is sufficient for these
things! y and how many others have re-
sponded, " Who?' Men who have made
good governors and legal counsellors have
failed utterly in managing their SONS. 1t
is so much more difficult to govern a fam.
lily than state A ruler is not obliged to
study the dispositions of his subjects, but a
parent must Facts prove that an amia-
bic disposition may be soured by misman-
agement, and naturally unamiable one
may be improved by judicious culture
But how shall we acquire this necessary
knowledge of different dispositions. This
is the difficulty. Such considerations show
that we can theorize upon this subject
much more easily than We can reduce
theories to practice.


?, We learn, hence, the necessity Of
parents making family government more
of study, and the subject of more serious
thought than they generally do. Mer
have their treatises on the cultivation oi
plants, grains and fruits, the raising o.
bees, colts, and other animals; but how
few of them, who are fathers, have any
treatise upon the management of children
They have weekly papers upon politics
agriculture, the mechanic arts, and upor
almost every thing else that pertains to the
trades and callings of life. But how few
have any means of instruction upon til,
subject of Home Education True, very
little has ever been written or published
upon the subject-a fact which shows how
little attention has been devoted to it
While enough has been produced upon th'
culture of plants and the training OF colts
and even Canary birds, almost nothin,
has been done for the instruction of parent
concerning the most important of all thei
duties-the government of their children
on which, not only the happiness of bot
parties is suspended but, in a grea