Mark Twain's Advice On Domestic Discipline

Aocording to my observation, lli moHt difficuft limo to bring up u cliiUl ík in the. moniing. You Can sometimes, though seldom, bring thetn tro in tho morniiig by yelling at thcin, but lbo effectivenras of the procesa ditrrininhes with its repetition, even wheu not entirely ncutralizod by the ohüdren'a trick of stopping tlieir ears with tlu; bedclothoK. The only prompt, ctT'eotive, and ubnoluto method ia to bring thein up by the liiiir. If youv ehild hiifl a good, healtliy scalp, without any tendenoy to pretaatuie bddnöSB, this method will work with tho most gratifying eflicioncy. Try it ibout once a week, and you will lm Burprised to observe how its inilucnco will extend tlirough tho six days, inspiring child with the livelicst possiblo interest iu the resplendent pageantry of unrise. The pulliug up of a darling child by the hair requires tho exercise of energy and firmmesa ; but no affectionate pareni will lnitate at tho little sacrifice of this kind for the welfare of his Notbing can be moro fatal to your 8( jipline thau to allow your childron to . jontradict yon. If yon happen to be . ;rayed into any misstatement or lj zeration in their presence, don't permit b úw.m to oorrect yon. llight or wrong, r, you must obstinately and promptly -y pressall opposition, witli forcé if need be. ïhe moment you permit them to 8' dmibt your nnerring Wisdom you will 5 begiu to forfeit their respect and pander to their conceit. Therc can be no Saddei r speetaclo than a pareiit surrounded by olive bráncheá who think that they know more than he does. I vividly remember c how my father - who was ono of tlio most c rigid and successful of diseiplinarians - j. qucllcd tho aspiring egotista that . -d me to correct his careless remark _ (when he was reckoning a problem in i shillings) that iive times twelve was fc two and a half . " So, " said he, looking ( ovor liis spectacles and surveying me grimly, "Ye think ye know more'n your father, hey? Come 'ere to me!" His invitation was too pressing to be ; clined, and for a few excrutiating moments I reposed in bitter humiliation acrofis his loft knee, with my neck in the . embrace of his left arm. I didn't see him demónstrate his ruathematical accuracy with the pahn of his right hand on the largest patch on my trovs(;rs, but I felt that the oíd man was right ; and when, after completely eradicatiiig my faith in the multiplication table, he íisked me how much fivo times twelve was, I insisted with tears in my eycs, that it was sixty-two and a half. "That's right," said he. 'Til learn ye to respect your father if I have to thrash yo twolve times a day. Now go'n water them hosses, 'n be lively, too !" The oíd e.iitle;an didn't pm-mit my nWMt for liim to wane much until the inflammatory rheuinatisni disabled him, and even tlien he continucd to inspire me with awe iintil I was thoroughly convincod that bis disability was leut. i Unquestiomng obeclienoo is the crowniiig grace of childhood. When you teil your cliild to do anything and he stops to inqnise why, it is advisable to kiiidly but t'irmly fctch hiin a rap across the ear and inferm him " Tliat's why !" He will soon get iu the way of .startiug with charniing alacrity at tho word oï command. Ono of the most invetérate and annoying traite of ehildreu is inquisitiveness. If you are considérate enough to attempt tosatisfy their omniverous euriosity, you may as 'well prepare to abdícate, for you wilï bc noupJ osaed by thoir questions a dozen times a day, and your weak sagacity will bo hopeleasly compromised. An average child i a magazine of uncon(iu!iible and disconcerted conmidrums. You caiuiot expect children to have much rcvcrence for a pareut "whose ignorante they eau exposé twice out of three times trying. It is well enough to answer an easy questiou now and then, just to convin'ci tlicni Unit you can when you choose ; but when they come at you with a poser, teil them : " Oh, uever mind !" or " Bhut up," and then they will grow lip independent aud scli' roliant, and re strained only by veneratioii froin split! ting your hciul open - to ñnd out how it holds so much üiformation without letting more out of it. It would bc dillicult- -very difficult - to estímate the beneiicial effect that would be cntailed upon their childi-en if párente generally would adopt tho method here vagfuely iudicated.