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CHAPTER IX.

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THERE is perhaps no evil that has proved itself so devastating, particularly in our land, to both body and soul, or destroyed more property with blasted expectations of fond and affectionate wives, to say nothing of loss of character, impoverished children, thronged alms-houses, crowded penitentiaries, and blood-stained scaffolds, than that produced by drunkenness; and as the confirmed habit or thirst for alcohol is not the growth of an hour or day, parents cannot be too careful in the early training of their children, to avoid the demoralizing draught even in its mildest or most innocent aspect, or for one moment, either in theory or practice, so instruct their children as to believe a little alcohol is good in its place," and it is not in its use but in its abuse that it is pernicious." A greater lie was not uttered by Satan when he deceived our mother Eve, and daily experience and observation has awfully proved the falsehood. In one sense alcohol may be considered good in its place, and that is where nature's God placed it, meat for his noblest creature, free in its native element from the perverted and poisoning hand of man. We not unfrequently leap into danger by following the customs and habits of others, and although the sideboard is greatly cleared from the sparkling wine, its existence is yet too prevalent, to say nothing of the stronger draught of brandy and water after dinner, which obnubilates or stupefies the ten pair of nerves spread over the stomach, and thereby retards a healthy digesting of our food, rather than its promotion. Mothers, too often, in the nursery prescribe and administer for an infant not a week old," milk punch," "Godfrey's cordial," "paregoric," "laudanum," &c., the very tendency of which causes to inflame not only all the formations of the stomach and tender intestines, but also invades the more vital organs of the body besides, with an occasional use, for worms, of rue and tanzy bitters, all acting as so many pioneers in after life to the more copious draught of alcohol, when the unsuspecting victim, from his or her parent's false training, becomes a reeling and staggering swill-tub, a breathing corpse, a walking automaton, loathed

and despised even by himself. And that father or mother who says to a son, "I would rather follow you to an early grave than that you should become a drunkard," must set the example of total abstinence from all which intoxicates, for it is in vain to expect salutary tendencies from precept, in the absence of example.

The Washingtonian total abstinence pledge, though first embraced as it were yesterday, by the six reformed drunkards of Baltimore, has already filled the world with rejoicings, and however men may honestly differ in their opinions as to the course or true policy in further advancing this great cause, one fact is certain, which is, that God is the author and friend of temperance, and it must ultimately so triumph as to expel that monster from our land, which goes about, like the great enemy of man, as a roaring lion, seeking whom it may devour, and early prejudices with false imbibed notions as to what constitutes liberty, can only be expelled by the gracious means appointed by the great Sovereign of the world, the most prominent of which is moral suasion, in connection with the enlightening of the human mind, which latter has been so powerfully presented in an Essay by Thatcher Trall, M. D., of Brooklyn, and for which he received one hundred dollars, the prize awarded by the General Temperance Council of the City of New York, for the best Essay on Alcohol.

The duties and obligations of parents to their offspring are so numerous, as well as important, to undertake to. enumerate all in detail would more than fill a thousand quarto pages, and I must here satisfy myself with only a slight glance at those not already herein mentioned or explained. A child may be trained to practice benevolence, and yet so taught as not to become sufficiently benevolent, or come up to the standard of its ability, or it may be so instructed as to give its alms or attention, as to act not only unjustly to itself, but others having legal prior claims. In order to train a child so as to secure friends, it must be taught to be friendly, and this reminds one of a question put by a Sabbath-school teacher to a little girl, who, being interrogated as to the cause why everybody loved her, replied: "I know not, sir, unless it is because I love everybody,"

A child should be so trained as to early think for itself, and to argue and reason by the comparison of things, at the same time may become so inflexible or self-willed in its views, as to shut out wholesome instruction from strangers of riper years, if not subjected to ridicule, and this reminds me of a learned country gentleman, who, on visiting London, repaired to a museum, and on entering the first room, informed the proprietor that he had never before entered a depository of natural curiosities, upon which he was kindly furnished with a conductor, who, for politeness and attention, proverbially stood unrivalled in the city, where he always had his own way. As the country gentleman passed from one curiosity to another, and his own historical knowledge failing to fully satisfy, would ask information from his accompanying friend, who never failed to give a long yarn history, whether right or wrong. At last the gentleman's eye caught a very large and old sword, suspended upon the wall, and believing it was one worn by an ancient hero, asked what that sword intended to commemorate, and was very promptly and politely assured by his conductor that it was the one with which Balaam slew his ass. The visitor replied that Balaam did not strike his ass with a sword, but only wished he had one; upon which the conductor rejoined; "Well, sir, this is the same sword he wished."

And while a child is trained to become yielding and submissive, at the same time to be so taught as not to subscribe sycophantically to any doctrine, or contrary to the immutable laws of common sense, or manifest a pleasantness at the expense of truth; modesty, gentleness, mildness, and gratitude, are among the first roses gleaned from the infant nursery, and a child should never be permitted in a toneof high authority to command a servant or menial of the household, or demand a glass of water without prefixing the word please, which is a very little word, or to fail saying thank you, which two words are not very long, after the request is granted, and though a long article might be presented to my readers on the impropriety of permitting children to order the assistance of servants, on the most trivial occasions, when time and health both permitted the execution of the office by the party making the demand; still, let it suffice for the

present to say, that children should not only early be taught to help themselves, but all early buddings crushed which may savor of a cowardly disposition to tyranise or domineer over those whom time, chance, or fortune, may have placed in their power, else that child may become, as Themistocles said on a certain occasion, pointing to a child, "That little boy you see there is the arbiter of all Greece, for he governs my mother, my mother rules me, I the Athenians, and the Athenians all other Greeks."

CHAPTER X.

PARENTS generally in our common district schools do not attach that importance which the subject demands in selecting a teacher who must more or less make his impress upon the tender minds of their children, not only in respect to the knowledge of letters, in connection with moral and religious deportment, but rather, in some instances, apparently wholly absorbed in inquiring the lowest salary or wages to be paid. It may be said that this question is the legitimate province of the trustees. To a certain extent, granted; but it rarely occurs that a teacher is hired without an extension of common courtesy by those officers, in inquiring generally the pleasure of those from whom they derive their trust.

Again, it may be urged that neither the trustees or parents have a right to object to anything which comes clothed with a written commission from an officer legally appointed to judge of his capability in point of literary attainments, as well as moral character; to a certain extent, true again; but no set of trustees or parents of any common school district are forced to employ a teacher merely because he is invested by town superintendent or school inspectors with such a certificate, and as far as possible, both trustees and parents should endeavor to know the man under whose auspices they are about to place their children, even if it subjects to a loss or participation of the public fund; but as this

knowledge is not always attainable, necessity obliges a strong reliance on the course pursued by law, and even from this source certificates are not unfrequently obtained as is a kiss, by favor, or those authorized to examine the candidate may have been elected by a convention, the majority of which, though honest, were as unenlightened in letters or the moral character of the nominee, as an ostler of whom I once heard, when interrogated, in the absence of other inmates, by a gentleman just arriving at an inn, what was the general news of the day, replied, that oats had risen in price, but straw had fallen.

I am an advocate in bringing all elections, as far as prudence will permit, direct to the people. But in selecting so important an officer as an inspector or superintendent of our common schools, I would recommend his appointment by a board of supervisors, dividing the county into four districts, each having a superintendent, with a salary of four hundred dollars per annum, whose exclusive attention, five days out of each week, would be confined to examining and superintending two schools each day, commencing and ending with either the morning or afternoon session, and when applicants, as teachers, are to be examined, let such examination take place before one of his schools, so arranged as to pass through the district in regular succession. This course would not only lead to something more than a regimental review, but would stimulate both teacher and child, and the cost would not exceed the present adopted course.

In connection with literary and moral attainments, a teacher should be selected who possesses common sense, apt to teach, a male, and very desirable, a father of one or more children. In giving preference to a male, I do not wish to be understood as excluding the female teacher, particularly if a mother, for I readily admit that there are at the present day many instructresses who eclipse the other sex as teachers, but as there are many points or principles involved in the education of a child which can only be collected or gathered from the great bookworld, I have accordingly preferred the male teacher, whose position and sphere in life lead him more to mix with his fellow-men, than does the secluded, innocent, beautiful, and bashful walk of the female.

And in giving preference to a married man, the father

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