DIFFICULTIES OF CHARACTER.

Evening Star, Issue 3907, 1 September 1875, Page 3

DIFFICULTIES OF CHARACTER.

(OMW-l //■ | at {k.igl• y Hi Arnold’s timn | used |<i feel i rimy could not toll j liilli ;l lip. iio Wins l,)ii:-o!r so jVlUlk lllul j 1 1 mi'Ii ,r ..r noil ho d'liilitod them.! they i;n -w licit he r.ut only required i tnitii fr<on ills pupo.-., hut that his own | l:lo had no eonem-dme-nt from thorn iu t it ; nor wnr- his words nioro formal j j:hrasos, mount only to agree with tin; I roh. t«J the schoolmaster. A. child will bo ashamed of ids r.-,vn habit of duplicity, in association with u teacher who treats him with confidence, placing his own life, openly before him, and never deluding him with exaggerated statements or appeals to false motives, ft is necessary to be careful in dealing with a character j u which the habit of nnr.rnthlnlness has boon acquired, not to attempt its cure by starting with strong denunciations against talsehood. and severe punishment for the first transgressions against veracity. This line ol conduct, may have the olii-ct-ol only leading to a deeper cunning, in order to conceal the hold which deceit has over the character. It is not easy at once to break oil a habit of false speaking, and we must guard against Fading into temptation to hide one lie by telling many more in its support. At tlie same time watchfulness will be required over the words of an untruthful child, and if these show appearance of equivocation, they must bo taken tip boldly at once. When a habit of secrecy and concealment has sprung up from a system of repression, it will be important to encourage the natural expression of feeling and thought- by sympathy and interest ; but if tlie reserve be that mere natural closing of the character and conduct, which has been' adopted in self-defence against the injudicious attempts ol older persons to prv into recesses of feeling and sacred reserves in a child, the better plan Is to let the child fad at once that all his rights will be delicately guarded, and no inirusinu permitted into anything lie dm-s not prefer to unveil. It is diilicult j lor some persons to understand the pain which it is to others to have to share their thoughts and feelings with those who mav not perfectly undcr---.lhikl them ; and that rough kind of quc.viio'.ung wide'! insists iu knowing ;li the 1 1 1.1 ie im.eo; nr, i eserves of a •■•hild s nature, teaches deceit rather ihaii . trank ness. W hdsl it will be found iu mo.d eases that children have acquired a habb ~i‘ untruthfulness IVuiu .i want of care to their early teaching, yet there are some few characters in whom. Un-re seems to bo a natural temh-’iicy to delight in practising deception on other--. To find that thov have the ’ power of deluding those | -around them seems to aliord a certain gratification to them, and they will set their invention to work for the mere purpose of mystifying or deceiving men; truthful and therefore more credulous natures. The slightest indications of such a tendency should at once rouse the watchful concern of those who have the care of children, for it may soon be indulged to such an cx'tent as to become a species of disease. I ho sioi ics ot notorious imposter.-, who hav., ror no purpose but-a love of ile! in ling others carried on systems of fraud, the practices of very -many', to say tie- least, of what are j'-aih-.i ■ spintaaiisiic mediums,’! all I show what a powerful passion this ten- • demo lo impose on oilier,s mav become

by frequent indulgence. Where this morbid impulse appears in any form in a child, it should be taken up at once with great decision and thoroughly exposed ; it will be necessary also to guard most carefully against being deluded at any lime, even to the length of appearing distrustful and suspicious in such coses. For nothing so excites and strengthens tho tendency to imposition as any success. In eases of this kind untruth should bo severely punished, and the meanness and disgrace of such attempts to play on the trust and straightforward belief of a higher integrity should be strongly shown in its true dishonor. In order to avoid in every way the practise of this most dangerous tendency, it is better to prevent among the children the habit of playing practical jokes, because', though the deception itself may appear harmless and momentary, yet the enjoyment generally arises from the completeness of the delusion, and is thus founded on the same skilful play upon credulity.