Children -- India; India -- Social life and customs; Missions -- India
The question of discipline is sometimes rather difficult with so many
dispositions, each requiring different dealing. We try, of course, to
fit the penalty to the crime, so that the child's sense of justice will
work on our side; and in this we always find there is a wonderful
unconscious co-operation on the part of the merest baby. But the older
children used to be rather a problem. Some had come to us after their
wills had become developed and their characters partly formed. Most of
them were with us of their own free will, and could have walked off any
day, for they knew where they would be welcome. Discipline under these
circumstances is not entirely easy. But three years ago something of
Revival Power swept through all our family. It was not the Great Revival
for which we wait, but it was something most blessed in effect and
abiding in result; and ever since then the tone has been higher and the
life deeper, so that there is something to which we can appeal confident
of a quick response. But children will be scampish; and once their
earnestness of desire to be good was put to unexpected and somewhat
drastic proof.
At that time the mild Esli had charge of the sewing-class, and the class
had got into bad ways; carelessness and chattering prevailed, so Esli
came in despair to me, and I talked to the erring children. They were
sorry, made no excuses, and promised to be different in future. I left
them repentant and thoroughly ashamed of themselves, and went to other
duties.
[Illustration: SEWING-CLASS IN THE COURTYARD.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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