Charles Duran: Or, The Career of a Bad Boy; By the author of "The Waldos" — John Shaqi
Charles Duran: Or, The Career of a Bad Boy; By the author of "The Waldos"
General
Charles Duran: Or, The Career of a Bad Boy; By the author of "The Waldos"
Boys -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Sunday school literature
Perhaps my readers never saw a child affected with the sulks. I will
briefly describe them. First, the eyes begin to roll rapidly in their
sockets, and the sight turns upward. The chin falls down a little, and
the corners of the mouth are slightly drawn back. The lower lip then
rolls down nearly to the chin. Soon a whining commences, which grows
louder and louder, and becomes disagreeable to every person present. At
the same time the eyes turn red, the face gets out of shape, and the
child becomes _blind!_ I saw a little boy once have the sulks so badly
that when his mother sent him into his room to get his apron, before
sitting down to dinner, he could not find it, though it was in plain
sight! Before he was two years old, Charles showed a very bad
disposition. This, instead of being corrected, was fostered by the
training which he received. To the domestics in the family he was
insolent and unkind; and even to his parents, _"I will"_ and _"I won't"_
were said with fearful frequency. Still the doting parents would merely
say to him, "You should not do so, Charles! You should say, 'I don't
want to,' or, 'I do want to,'" as the case might be. Thus they
indirectly taught him disobedience, which he was learning fast enough
without such assistance. In this way did these parents, with cruel
kindness, help on the ruin of their child!
Charles Duran, with all his faults, was a bright, active boy. What he
needed was training,--_parental training_. His parents committed two
very common errors: they promised him correction for his disobedience,
without inflicting the punishment; and they often repeated his sayings,
and spoke of his doings, to others, in his presence. Parents should
always keep good faith with their children; and, while they encourage
them, when they are alone, by suitable and well-timed praise, they
should rarely repeat what they have said, or speak of what they have
done, to others, in their presence. This is injurious to the child,
betrays vanity in the parents, and is not very edifying to others. The
singing of a young raven may be music to its parents, but to us it is
like the cawing of a crow.
CHAPTER IV.
CHARLES DURAN AT SCHOOL.
Charles was now old enough to go to school. He was accordingly sent to
the district school, not far from his father's house. Teachers say that
they can tell whether children are good and obedient at home by their
conduct in school. Those children who mind their parents will generally
obey their teachers; and those scholars that are obedient generally
learn well.
How was it with Charles Duran at school? Did he obey his teacher? At
first, as all things in the school were new and strange to him, he was
somewhat restrained. He soon, however, became acquainted with his
teacher and the scholars, and as soon learned to break the rules of the
school. He became disrespectful to his teacher, and caused him much
trouble.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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