n make
your offspring so love you, that the memory of your piety shall
prevent their wickedness, and the hallowed recollection of your
goodness stimulate their own.

And equally in your power is it to neglect your child. By suffering
pleasure to lure you--by following the follies of fashion, or by the
charm of those baubles which the world presents to the eye, but
keeps from your grasp--you may neglect your child. But you have
neglected a plain and positive duty--a duty which is engraven on
your heart and wound into your nature: and a duty neglected is sure,
sooner or later, to come back again as an avenger to punish; while,
on the other hand, a duty performed to the best of the ability
returns back to the performer laden with a blessing.

But it may be said, how are children to be trained in order that
happiness may be the result?

It is quite impossible to lay down rules for the management of
children; since those which would serve for guidance in regulating
the conduct of one child, would work the worst results when applied
to another. But we mention a few particulars.

The grand secret in the management of children is to treat them as
reasonable beings. We see that they are governed by hope, fear, and
love: these feelings, then, should be made the instruments by which
their education is conducted. Whenever it is possible (and it is
very rarely that it is not), a reason should be given for every
requirement, and a motive for the undertaking any task: this would
lead the child to see that nothing was demanded out of caprice or
whim, but that it was a requirement involving happiness as well as
duty.

This method would also teach the child to reverence and respect the
parent. She would be regarded as possessed of superior knowledge;
and he would the more readily undertake demands for which he could
see no reason, from a knowledge that no commands of which he
understood the design were ever unreasonable.

The manner of behaving to children should be one of kindness, though
marked by decision of character. An over fondness should never allow
a mother to gratify her child in any thing unreasonable; and after
having once refused a request--which she should not do hastily or
unadvisedly--no coaxing or tears should divert her from her purpose;
for if she gives way, the child will at once understand that he has
a power over his mother, and will resort to the same expedient
whenever occasion may require; and a worse ev