The Mother CHAPTER 7.
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Correcting a Fault.
Mrs. Hartley noticed with pleasure, that for days after the party, the children were happier, and more easily interested than before. This she had always observed on similar occasions. In a little while, however, things were going on pretty much in their usual course, and she was called upon to exercise all her tact and judgment in drawing the lines between them — so as to protect each one in his or her rights and privileges. All difficulties were submitted to her husband, and the best means to overcome them discussed between them.
"There are two faults in Clarence and Henry," she said to Mr. Hartley about this period, "that I am at a loss how to correct. They are bad faults, and will affect their characters through life — if not judiciously corrected now. Clarence looks with an envious eye upon everything that Henry has, and shrewdly manages, sooner or later, to get possession of it by his brother's consent. Henry soon tires of what he has, and is easily induced to part with it to Clarence for some trifling consideration. It is not long, however, before he wants it back again — and then trouble ensues. Sometimes I think I will make a law that neither Clarence nor his brother shall part with anything that has been given to him. But I am afraid of the effect of this. It will foster a selfish spirit. It will allow of no generous self-sacrifice for the good of others."
"I think with you, that the effect would not be good. Still, it is very important that a certain feeling of property in what each one has, should be preserved. As far as this can be accomplished, without strengthening the selfish tendency of our nature, it should be done. It causes each one not only to protect his own rights — but to regard the rights of others."
"I see all that very clearly. The happy medium is what I desire to attain. As things are now, the disposition which Clarence has to appropriate everything to himself is fostered — and Henry is losing that just regard to his own rights that he ought to have. Now, what ought I to do? Can you devise a plan?"
"Not so well as you can. But let me see. Suppose you try this mode for a while. Make a law, that if Henry give Clarence any of his playthings, the right to possess them shall be as perfect as if you or I had presented them to Clarence as his own. The practical working of this will, in a short time, make Henry reflect a little before he relinquishes his property to his brother."
"That will do, I think," said Mrs. Hartley. There will be no harm in trying it, at any rate."
On the next day she gave Clarence a new book, and Henry a spinning-top.
"Now let me tell you something," she said. "This book belongs to you, Clarence, and this top to you, Henry. I hope they will please you very much, and that you will take good care of them. You can lend them to each other, if you choose; but I would rather you would not give them to each other. Should either of you do so, the one who gives his book or his top away, cannot reclaim it again. Do you understand, Henry?"
"O yes, ma'am, I understand. I'm not going to give anybody my top, I know."
"Very well, my son. You can do so if you wish. But remember, after you have once given it away, you cannot get it back again."
"Why can't I, mother?" asked the little boy.
"Because, after you have given anything away, it is no longer yours."
"I'm not going to give it away," he said, in a positive voice, as he ran off to spin his top in the play room.
For about an hour Clarence was very much interested in his book — while Henry continued to spin his top with undiminished pleasure. After this time the interest of Clarence began to flag, and the sound of Henry's humming top came more and more distinctly to his ears from the adjoining room. At last he closed the book and sought his brother.
"Let me spin it once, won't you, Henry?" he said.
"Yes, I will," returned the generous-minded boy, and instantly handed the top and cord to Clarence, who wound it up, and sent it humming and skipping about the floor at a grand rate.
Henry reached out his hand for the cord, but his brother held it back, saying,
"Just let me spin it once more."
"Well, you may once more," was replied.
But it was "once more," and "once more" — until Henry's tears restored to him his toy.
"You are a selfish fellow!" said Clarence, as he flung the top and cord at his brother's feet.
Clarence did not resume his book, but stood looking at Henry's top, as he spun it, with a covetous expression on his face.
"If you'll let me spin your top — then you may read my book," he at length said.
"I will," quickly returned Henry.
The top and book were exchanged, and, for a time, both were well pleased. But the book was rather beyond the grasp of Henry's mind. He tired of it soon.
"You may have your book now, Clarence. I'm done reading it. Give me my top, won't you?"
"I'm not done with it yet. I let you read my book until you were tired, and now you must let me spin your top until I am tired."
Henry rarely contended with his brother. He did not like contention. Knowing how resolute Clarence was in doing anything that suited his humor, he said no more, but went and sat down quietly upon a little chair, and looked on wishfully while Clarence spun his top.
It was half an hour before Henry again got possession of his top; but the zest with which he had at first played with it was gone. After throwing it for a few times he said —
"Here, Clarence, you may have it. I don't want it."
"May I have it for good?" eagerly asked Clarence.
"Yes, for good."
"You'll want it back."
"No, I won't. You may keep it forever."
Clarence took possession of the top with right good will, and went on spinning it to his heart's content.
After dinner Henry wanted it back again, and when his brother refused to give it up, went crying to his mother. Mrs. Hartley called up Clarence, and asked him why he did not give Henry his top.
"It isn't his top, mother; it is mine," said Clarence.
"Yours! How did it come to be yours?"
"Henry gave it to me."
"Did you give it to him, Henry?"
"Yes, ma'am, this morning. But it's my top, and I want it."
"No, it is not your top any longer, if you have given it to Clarence. It is his, and he must keep it. Have you forgotten what I told you when I gave it to you. If you give away your things — then they are no longer yours, and you cannot expect to get them back again. I hope, my son, that, hereafter, you will be more careful what you do."
Henry cried bitterly, but his mother would not compel Clarence, upon whom Henry's tears had no effect, to restore the toy. The poor little fellow's heart was almost broken at thishard lesson in the school of human life.
In about a week, Mrs. Hartley tried it over again. Gifts were made to the children, and soon Clarence went to work to get possession of what his brother had. But Henry had not forgotten the top, and was, therefore, not quite so generous as before. He withstood every effort for the first day. On the second, however, he yielded. On the following day he reclaimed his toys; but his mother interposed again, and maintained Clarence's right to what Henry had given him.
The poor child seemed unable to comprehend the justice of this decision, and grieved so much about it, that Mrs. Hartley felt unhappy. But ultimate good, she was sure, would be the result — as painful as it might be to correct her child's fault.
On the next occasion, Clarence found it much harder to prevail upon Henry to give him his playthings than before. The same result following, and the little fellow's eyes began to be opened. He would look ahead and think when Clarence wanted him to give him anything, and the recollection of the permanent losses he had already sustained, at length gave him the resolution to persevere in refusing to yield up his right to anything that had been given to him. He would lend whatever he had, cheerfully. But when asked to give, he generally said —
"No. If I give it to you — then I can't get it back again."
The parents did not like to check the generous spirit of their child, but they felt that it was necessary both for his good and the good of his brother, that he should be taught to set a higher value upon what was his own. If he were not led to do this while young, it might prevent his usefulness when a man, by leaving him the prey of everyone. Besides, the lack of a due regard to his own property in anything, was not right.
Another fault in Henry, they felt bound to visit with a rigid system of correction. He was naturally an obedient child, while his brother was the reverse. He was also very yielding, and could easily be persuaded by Clarence to join in acts which were forbidden by their parents. When called to account, his usual excuse was, that he had been asked by Clarence, or had gone with him. He did not appear to think that he was to blame for anything, if he acted upon his older brother's suggestions. The only way to correct this, was to let each be punished for offences mutually committed, even though Henry was far less to blame than Clarence. It was only by doing so, the parents felt, that Henry could be made to see that he must be held responsible for his own acts. This course soon effected all they desired. Clarence was then usually alone in all flagrant violations of parental authority.
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