on by an ignorant mother, and an extra supply of clothing clandestinely furnished, encouraged her eldest son to flee his home and seek protection from the aunt just named, who destitute of the natural claims of those affections which has to course the veins of consanguinity, lost no time in obtaining employment for her nephew, then scarcely fifteen years old, as a conductor of a cross country mail in a one horse wagon, announcing his approach to each respective post-office by thrilling blast from a tin horn; and as large oaks from little acorns grow, this son in less than three years afterwards graduated with the full honors of a four horse stage driver, the proper grooming of which animals had formed within him on the Sabbath day, a greater delight for a curry-comb than the Bible.

The father, after more than two years fruitless search for this truant son, and attended with heavy expenses, once more embraces his first born under the parental roof, and giving vent to sorrow mingled with joy in strains of the psalmists: "My son, my son, would God I had died for thee;" "did I not early teach you when riding in a coach never to ride outside as the postillion, but inside as the owner, in which latter place or position you would be entitled to eat at the first table, whereas the former would force you by custom of our land to eat in the kitchen with ostlers and boot-blacks." That which was intended by the father as wholesome reproof, the mother could not appreciate, and declared in presence of the returning prodigal that his course had been honest, and therefore honorable and perfectly free from censure.

The second son, it is believed, joined a company of strolling gypsies in the far wilds of the west, who with all the other children (save one) in after days, separated from the father and scattered over many States of our union, professing and practising like a Caleb Quotem, many trades, but master of none.

But to return more directly to my original purpose.

Wholesome and salutary advice is often seriously poisoned by an unwarrantable interference on the part of some bystanders, in whose veins run not one drop of blood existing between the parent and child, which may be traced to two sources, first those who possess a kind of restlessness, and who are never happy or contented unless they are paying more attention to the affairs of others than

to their own; and, secondly, another class who are prompted by the tenderest and purest motives still unwise and uncalled for, causing blighting and withering influence on the mind of the child.

To better illustrate the latter interference I will take A. for a father, B. for a son, and C. for a bystander.

A. commands B. to depart for his school, which is so far obeyed as to place B. about ten rods beyond the gate which opened into the yard immediately fronting his dwelling. B. sets down to spin his top, or shoot with marbles, A., in a voice sufficiently loud to be heard by B., again commands departure for school, and like the first disobeyed; whereupon A., not a little excited at this disobedience, advances towards the child with a small stick or rod in his hand, threatening at the same time its infliction on his back unless he forthwith promptly obey the command for school. Up steps Mr. C. and says "Mr. A. you should not scold your little boy, or threaten to flog him, for he would go to school without it, as I know he is a very good little boy."

A comment to show indiscretion, nay, cruelty on the part of C. is unnecessary, for the most superficial observer (even if the father had been indulging in an undue ebullition of passion), must acknowledge it would have been better for the child, if the admonition of Mr. C. had been made to Mr. A. in absence of B., who now, in connexion with his previous inclination, believes that his sire was wrong, and thereby doubly disposed to contemn and despise his future commands or requirements.

In the case of Eli just named, neither the page of sacred nor profane history furnishes any mitigating circumstances whereby he was hindered or prevented from a timely and proper restraint of his children through the instrumentality of a third person, but solely arising out of his own mistaken views as respects true parental tenderness

CHAPTER VI.

IN speaking of correction I deem it proper here to say, that it should never be inflicted by a parent under an improper influence or anger, but always endeavor as far as possible, first to convince the child's understanding as to the justness of the inflictions, which as to mode and degree cannot be too seriously considered.

The rod by some has been met with entire disapprobation, contending that punishment of a milder form proves more salutary and lasting in prompting to duty, whereas the former, like a spur of the moment may seem to stimulate proper action, but soon its benefits are no longer discoverable, from the fact, that the child has been taught by the frequent lash to feel itself degraded, and thus not only the mental but physical energies palsied and unfitted for the seed of laudable emulation, which latter course should be encouraged in the mind of a child instead of being depressed.

But there are cases where the use of the rod is indispensable, and I have already alluded to it in the stage of infancy where the child assumes airs of a buffoon, in its ground and lofty tumblings on the floor.

In giving vent to unhallowed passions, and in recommending the rod, I do it under divine sanction as a dernier ressort to reclaim the wicked or incorrigible child, where gentler means have failed to produce reformation, and the many instances witnessed where mild means had proved unsuccessful, no doubt spring from a want of punctuality on the part of parents or instructors to inflict, or else the promised punishment is so extravagant, that even a child six years old of the meanest capacity would know that it dare not be inflicted. In order better to illustrate my views in relation to the many dangers to which a child may be subjected, for the want of punctuality on the part of parents, and to show a case of foolish extravagance, I beg leave to mention an anecdote of two boys playing on the floor, while the mother was at the tub washing the family clothing. The oldest boy is said to have cried out, "Mam, Bill is pinchen me! Upon which the mother

turned round and, addressing herself to the little offender, said, "Billy, don't you pinch your brother again, if you do, it will not be well for you, for I will give you such a trouncing as you will remember all the days of your life."

A few minutes only elapsed and the complainant repeated his charge. "Mam, Bill pinches me again." Upon which the mother seized a tin-dipper, and plunging the same in a pot of boiling water, snatched a knife from the dresser, brings it forth, and, in a menacing attitude towards the accused, declared at the top of her voice, "Billy, did I not just tell you that if you pinched your brother a second time I would give you such a flogging as you would remember all the days of your life? now, rest assured, if I hear of your pinching your brother a third time, I will scald you with this hot water, and afterwards skin you as I would a dog!"

A minute, only, elapsed, when the eldest boy cried out, "Mam, Bill pinches me again." Whereupon the mother became enraged almost to distraction, and in order to show her high displeasure of such disobedience and full determination not to let it go unpunished, pulled locks of hair from her head, stamped her right foot upon the floor, and then, in a voice almost resembling the Falls of Niagara, exclaimed, "Billy, did I not just tell you that if you pinched your brother a third time I would scald you and afterwards skin you alive like a dog? and all that I have now to say to you is, that if I hear of your pinching your brother a fourth time I will tell your father of you."

Although the mother had in connexion with promised punishment flashed, as it were, lightning from her eyes, showed the boiling water, flourished the deadly steel, dragged hairs from her head, with violence stamped the floor, and screamed with a terrific voice sufficient to awake the lion from his lair, still not a nerve was moved on the part of the little offender, who, on the contrary, coolly observed to his brother (complainant), "Mam has told three lies right off in quick succession, and I don't believe one word she has said or will say, and, therefore, I will give you one confounded big pinch."

Sane persons are always considered as acting from motive, whether it be good or evil, while the insane are contrarily actuated or governed, and it is not a little to be

regretted that mothers who have received opportunities in their education of a refined cast, far superior to the wretched one just described (who threatened to scald her son and afterwards skin him alive), should to their infants, while dandling them on their laps, indulge in trifling and unmeaning expressions, such as "Mammie's pitty -itty-litty-sweety-nicy-charmy-tiny lammy," or if they do not indulge in such nonsensical or frivolous expressions, often to hush the capricious cry of their child or as opiates to quell pains of reality, threaten to cast their offspring to the hogs, or else cry out for the dog.

"Here, Ring! Here, Ring! come take Johnny-with the old tom cat, bulls, bears, lions, panthers, screech owls, wizards, ghosts, hob-goblins, and bugbears," together with an array of demons more dreadful than ever presented themselves to the poor drunkard while laboring under a paroxysm of delirium tremens.

And not a few mothers justify themselves by declaring the child too young to understand or comprehend what they say; if so, then mothers acknowledge themselves insane, but the contrary is the fact, else why does the child become quiet? evidently from fear, and although too young to remember or recite the unmeaning threatening words of the mother in after years, yet awful periodical aberrations of the mind have followed it down to to the grave, even at the advanced age of threescore and

ten.

Punctuality in business has ever been considered as important to its success as the main-spring of a watch is in regulating its movements, and as promises of reward often have a better tendency to stimulate a child than the rod, parents and teachers should as sacredly redeem their promises under this head as they would execute threatened punishment.

Intending in subsequent pages, however, to present further views under several distinct heads, as to what I conceive essential or important in the proper training up of children, necessity will again force me into the nursery, where many duties attached to the important station of parents (especially mothers) will be duly considered; begging leave here once more to say that education forms within the mind a kind of second nature, and so powerful has it manifested itself even in the ranks of the middle