2i 8 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



kind of punishment must necessarily be used now and then in the 

 nursery ; but, as far as is possible, the child should be made to feel 

 that the punishment is the natural result of his bad action, and 

 not the mere venting of anger and annoyance on the part of the 

 parent or nurse. If a child once finds out that certain actions 

 always entail unpleasant consequences, he will no more think of 

 committing them than he would think of putting his hands in the 

 fire, which, he has early learned, has an unpleasant habit of burn- 

 ing. There are no better philosophers than children, who always 

 resign themselves to the inevitable ; but let the children be certain 

 that it is the inevitable let the child find out that bad behavior in 

 the drawing-room means instant banishment to the nursery ; that 

 if he knocks his brother with a stick the result is " no sticks " ; 

 that if he refuses to put away his toys one night, he must manage 

 without toys the next night, and so on. 



If the mother merely talks at the child, and says, " How often 

 must I tell you not to do so ? " or, " I shall send you up-stairs," the 

 child soon perceives that, after all, this entails no consequences, 

 and he very wisely acts accordingly. On the other hand, nothing 

 should be denied to a child without some reason. A great many 

 mothers, and most nurses, bring up children on the principle con- 

 tained in "Punch's" remark, so delightfully illustrated by Du 

 Maurier : " Maud, go and see what Baby is doing, and tell him he 

 mustn't." 



With regard to corporal punishment, I think it wholly un- 

 necessary. Even those who assert that it is good for children can 

 not deny that it is bad for parents. No one is virtuous enough to 

 be judge, jury, and executioner in one. And if it is harmful for a 

 mother to treat her child like an animal, it must no less harm the 

 child to be treated as one, and to be governed through the feelings 

 of pain and fear, instead of the higher ones of reason and affection. 

 But here I can not do better than quote a few passages from Locke's 

 " Essay on Education," which I think very wise : 



The usual lazy and short way by chastisement with the rod, the only instrument 

 of government that tutors generally know, is the most unfit of any to be used in 

 education. For from what other motive but of sensual pleasure or pain does a 

 child act who drudges at his book against his inclinations, or abstains from eating 

 unwholesome fruit that he takes pleasure in only out of fear of whipping, and what 

 is it to govern his actions and direct his conduct by such motives as these? What 

 is it, I say, but to cherish that principle in him which it is our business to root out 

 and destroy ? And therefore I can not think any correction useful to a child where 

 the shame of suffering for having done amiss does not work more upon him than 

 the pain. 



And again : 



I am very apt to think that great severity of punishment does but very little 

 good, nay, great harm, in education, and I believe it will be found those children 

 which have been most chastised seldom make the best men. 



