Page images
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

your prayers and meditations, and reading, in a profitable manner, without that indecent hurry which renders these exercises of but little use. As it has pleased God to preserve you through the night, beg of Him to preserve you from evil during the day; for you are always exposed to danger; and many temptations will arise, which those who forget God will yield to.

Speak the truth on every occasion to the children under your care. Never use deceit to dry up their tears; nor endeavour to keep them quiet by promising them what you do not intend to perform. Children soon discover these falsehoods, and never love those who deceive or disappoint them. A considerate parent will not chide you, if, in playing or running, her child should accidentally fall and be hurt, but she would have reason to be grieved and displeased, if she detected you holding your hand over its mouth to drown its cries, or telling a lie in order to pacify it. Such treatment is very cruel, and hardens the hearts of those who practise it, besides doing great injury to children.

Never give children any thing, either to eat or play with, which their mothers have forbidden. By so doing, you disobey your mistress, injure perhaps the health of the child, and teach it disobedience to its parent.

Children are often fretful and peevish; but you must endeavour to bear their little humours with patience; for, in speaking gently and kindly to them, you will soon gain their affections, calm their anger, and succeed in making them happy.

Never suffer children to seek their pleasure in tormenting any living thing.

[ocr errors]

Little children do not understand the pain they often inflict on animals, which they are foolishly permitted to handle. The small fly, buzzing in the window, often escapes from their little fingers with her fine gauze wings quite broken off, and the loss of

some of her slender legs; and the poor playful kitten is often held fast by the neck, and put to great pain in other ways, by children who are not taught better.

When a child has been crying and sobbing violently, it is very wrong to threaten it with immediate punishment, if it does not instantly cease; for it cannot help sobbing long after its anger has passed. Never torment children with the terrors of a dark room, nor frighten them with false stories and descriptions.

In walking out, never go farther than is permitted, or stay late; for it is a cruel thing to hurry little children, and to compel them to keep running by your side, in order to recover the time which you have idly sauntered away. Never commit any action, when out of sight of your mistress, nor make use of any expression, which you would not choose that she should know; for that must be wrong, whether it be in word or deed, which you would desire a child to conceal from its mother.

Never suffer children to play at an open window above stairs, even when you are with them, and be particularly careful not to leave them alone in a room in which there is either fire or candle.

By steadily pursuing this line of conduct, you will not fail to make the children love you, and also to gain the approbation and good-will of your mistress. And that your hearts may be right in the sight of your heavenly Father, who careth for all those who put their trust in Him, never go to rest at night till you have carefully looked over what you have done during the day, what you may have spoken hastily, or in any way amiss; ask yourself whether you have done any thing contrary to the truth, been unkind, envious, cross, or spoken evil of any one. Even if an evil story be true, it is wrong to take a pleasure in telling it over: it is not "doing to others as we would be done by" and, in the Bible, great, blessings are

promised to him that backbiteth not with his tongue nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour." This practice of looking up to your Creator every morning for his guidance and protection, and again, at night, faithfully examining wherein you have failed, will make you quick-sighted, and watchful against evil, will teach you to be sorry for your sins, and will often be the means of obtaining divine grace, and bringing you near to Him, who maketh his children to lie down in safety. A FRIEND.

[ocr errors]

THE PRUDENT MOTHER.

IT is peculiarly the duty of a mother to watch over; the conduct of her daughters;, and their well or ill doing in life may be usually traced to the good or: bad care they have received from her. It is very often quite in vain that a cry is raised against bad companions and bad ways, that threats are used and scoldings follow. So far, even the most careless; mother will exert herself, and then think she has done enough. But let the christian mother be told that this is not enough. A daughter should see that her mother attaches the most important consequences to prudence and discretion, that her own respectability as well as her happiness and her child's eternal welfare are concerned. A particular instance lately fell under my own observation; where, by kindness and discreet management a young female was saved from misery and ruin.

"

In a quiet country village lived a most respectable couple, who had been married nearly twenty; years, without receiving any serious uneasiness, from their children. Their eldest girl,, Sally, was now growing to womanhood. At this time, the, Squire's family, which had been hitherto only a

[ocr errors]

source of good to the neighbourhood, unhappily received into their house a young kinsman as a visitor. He quickly made an acquaintance with Sally, and as quickly won her heart. Poor Sally was weak enough to consent to walk out with him; and from that moment her danger became great indeed. When a young woman yields any point that she knows to be wrong, her betrayer at once perceives his power. Sally's imprudence would have been her ruin, but for her watchful mother. She soon perceived the pensive eye, the downcast look, and absent temper of her daughter, no longer the willing helper of her mother. It was plain that some cause had worked this sudden alteration; and, to the great dismay of the mother, that cause was soon discovered. Wondering at her unusual absence from home, she searched for her, and found her in company with her new and treacherous acquaintance. The mother's eyes were immediately opened to a sense of her daughter's danger, and she sorrowfully returned home, thinking what would be the most likely method of saving her. In the gentlest manner she. set before her the consequences here and hereafter to which her present conduct must necessarily lead; she at the same time increased in kindness towards her, and, as far as their simple means would permit, tried to afford her unusual indulgence. She even gave up a profitable job of nursing, in which she was engaged, that she might be in the way to keep her at home and always in some employment. But all these methods, though excellent in themselves, failed of success; and, in spite of all her precautions, and Sally's good promises, the lovers contrived to meet again. The mother now thought it high time to call in the advice and authority of her father. It happened that this good pair had a cousin settled in the neighbouring town as a dressmaker, a much smarter line of life than their own; and this cousin always expressed herself glad to

[ocr errors]

see her country kin, whenever they had any thing a little decent to appear in, that they might not dis credit her house. The father and mother immediately thought of this as a safe asylum for Sally; but the question was how to fit her out, as they had no money to spare for cloaths, and Sally's were by no means such as to suit the taste of the dress-maker. In the Savings Bank was a small sum, the hard earnings of many years; it was a little stock which neither sickness or sudden occasion had hitherto tempted them to touch. Sally had seen her father and mother often reduced to the greatest shifts rather than break upon this sum. But, when a child's safety depended upon the money, they hesitated not a moment. The bank was visited, garments bought; and, without any previous notice, Sally was taken by her father to her cousin's house where her lover could not find her, and where it was hoped that this change of life would help to restore her to peace of mind. The plan succeeded. After some little time spent in a vain pursuit after Sally, the young man found another lass quite as much to his mind, and as this girl's parents did not use that unwearied diligence for their child's welfare which the danger required, and, as the young woman herself was of a vain thoughtless turn of mind, she soon fell a prey to his arts. Sally's parents were sorry for their neighbour's trouble, and had, more than ever, reason to be thankful for their own decisive conduct. In a very short time, Sally felt the fulk force of her parent's wisdom, she saw the disgrace and misery of her companion, and was thankful for her own escape.

We learn, from this tale, the blessing that attends a parent's anxious care. This willingness, in the parents, to sacrifice their own interests to their daughter's good, was much more likely to prevail than threats and punishments; and, perhaps, in the state of the girl's mind might be of more use than

« EelmineJätka »