“William! stop that noise, I say—_won’t_ you stop! Stop, I Tell you,
or I’ll slap your mouth.”
William bawls a little louder.
“William, I tell you! ain’t you going to stop? _Stop_ I say! If you
don’t stop I’ll whip you, sure.”
William goes up a fifth, and beats time with his heels.
“I never saw such a child!—he’s got temper enough for a whole town;
I’m sure he didn’t get it from me. Why don’t you be still! Whist.
Wh-i-st. Come, come, be still, won’t you? Stop, _stop_, STOP, I say!
Don’t you see this—don’t you see this stick? See here now,” (cuts the
air with the stick).
William, more furious, kicks very manfully at his mother—grows redder
in the face, lets out the last note, and begins to reel, and shake,
and twist, in a most spiteful manner.
“Come, William! come dear—that’s a darling—naughty William! come,
that’s a good boy; donty cry, p-o-o-r, little fellow; sant ab-o-o-s-e
you, sall eh! Ma’s ittle man, want a piece of sooger? Ma’s little boy
got cramp, p-o-o-r little sick boy,” etc., etc.
William wipes up, and minds, and eats his sugar, and stops.
AFTER SCENE.—The minister is present, and very nice talk is going on
upon the necessity of governing children. “Too true,” says mamma,
“some people _will_ give up to their children, and it ruins them—every
child should be governed. But then it won’t do to carry it _too_ far;
if one whips all the time it will break a child’s spirit. One ought to
mix kindness and firmness together in managing children.”
“I think so,” said the preacher; “firmness first and then kindness.”
“Yes, sir, that’s my practice exactly.”