Children, as has already been remarked, do not require to be taught and trained to eat and drink, to resent injuries, to cling to their possessions, or to run to their mother in danger or pain.  They have natural instincts which provide for all these things.  But to speak, to read, to write, and to calculate; to tell the truth, and to obey their parents; to forgive injuries, to face bravely fancied dangers and bear patiently unavoidable pain, are attainments for which no natural instincts can adequately provide.  There are instincts that will aid in the work, but none that can of themselves be relied upon without instruction and training.  In actual fact, children usually receive their instruction and training in respect to some of these things incidentally—­as it happens—­by the rough knocks and frictions, and various painful experiences which they encounter in the early years of life.  In respect to others, the guidance and aid afforded them is more direct and systematic.  Unfortunately the establishment in their minds of the principle of obedience comes ordinarily under the former category.  No systematic and appropriate efforts are made by the parent to implant it.  It is left to the uncertain and fitful influences of accident—­to remonstrances, reproaches, and injunctions called forth under sudden excitement in the various emergencies of domestic discipline, and to other means, vague, capricious, and uncertain, and having no wise adaptedness to the attainment of the end in view.

Requires appropriate Training.

How much better and more successfully the object would be accomplished if the mother were to understand distinctly at the outset that the work of training her children to the habit of submission to her authority is a duty, the responsibility of which devolves not upon her children, but upon her; that it is a duty, moreover, of the highest importance, and one that demands careful consideration, much forethought, and the wise adaptation of means to the end.

Methods.

The first thought of some parents may possibly be, that they do not know of any other measures to take in order to teach their children submission to their authority, than to reward them when they obey and punish them when they disobey.  To show that there are other methods, we will consider a particular case.

Mary, a young lady of seventeen, came to make a visit to her sister.  She soon perceived that her sister’s children, Adolphus and Lucia, were entirely ungoverned.  Their mother coaxed, remonstrated, advised, gave reasons, said “I wouldn’t do this,” or “I wouldn’t do that,”—­did every thing, in fact, except simply to command; and the children, consequently, did pretty much what they pleased.  Their mother wondered at their disobedience and insubordination, and in cases where these faults resulted in special inconvenience for herself she bitterly reproached the children for their undutiful behavior.  But the reproaches produced no effect.