within an hour or two of
the first whipping, a second one, for some small ebullition of nervous
irritability, which was simply inevitable from its spent and worn
condition?

5. Would not all mankind cry out at the inhumanity of one who, as
things are to-day, should propose the substitution of pricking or
cutting or burning for whipping? It would, however, be easy to show
that small jabs or pricks or cuts are more human than the blows
many children receive. Why may not lying be as legitimately cured by
blisters made with hot coals as by black and blue spots made with
a ruler or whip? The principle is the same; and if the principle is
right, why not multiply methods?

6. How many loving mothers will, without any thought of cruelty,
inflict half a dozen quick blows on the little hand of her child and
when she could no more take a pin and make the same number of thrusts
into the tender flesh, than she could bind the baby on a rack. Yet
the pin-thrust would hurt far less, and would probably make a deeper
impression on the child's mind.

[Illustration]

7. We do not intend to be understood that a child must have everything
that it desires and every whim and wish to receive special recognition
by the parents. Children can soon be made to understand the necessity
of obedience, and punishment can easily be brought about by teaching
them self-denial. Deny them the use of a certain plaything, deny them
the privilege of visiting certain of their little friends, deny
them the privilege of the table, etc., and these self-denials can be
applied according to the age and condition of the child, with firmness
and without any yielding. Children will soon learn obedience if they
see the parents are sincere. Lessons of home government can be learned
by the children at home as well as they can learn lessons at school.

8. The trouble is, many parents need more government, more training
and more discipline than the little ones under their control.

9. Scores of times during the day a child is told in a short,
authoritative way to do or not to do certain little things, which we
ask at the hands of elder persons as favors. When we speak to an elder
person, we say, would you be so kind as to close the door, when the
same person making the request of a child will say, _"Shut the door."_
_"Bring me the chair."_ _"Stop that noise."_ _"Sit down there."_
Whereas, if the same kindness was used towards the child it would soon
learn to imitate t