“Don’t you think you have punished Sam about enough?” inquired Marcus, mildly.
“I guess I can flog my children without any advice from you—you’d better go home and mind your business,” was the reply.
“I didn’t mean any offence, Mr. Hapley,” continued Marcus, in the same calm tone. “I heard Sam screaming, and I thought I would run over and see what the matter was, for I didn’t know but somebody was abusing him. You would have done the same thing, if you had been in my place, Mr. Hapley.”
“I wouldn’t punish him any more, now, father,” said Mrs. Hapley; “I think it’s time to stop when the blood runs.”
“Are you sorry for what you did?” inquired the father, addressing Sam.
“Yes,” replied the boy, in a surly tone.
“Well, then, I’ll let you off, with this,” said Mr. Hapley. “But mind you, you wont get off so easy another time, if you don’t behave yourself, so look out. I’ve let you alone till you’re almost sp’ilt, but I’m going to turn over a new leaf with you, now. You’ve got to toe the mark, or else I’ll put the marks onto your back—one of the two.”
Mr. Hapley, as he said this, unbound the boy, who, on being released, went into the house, followed by his mother and the children. Marcus, finding himself alone with the misguided father, thought it his duty to address a word of remonstrance to him against such punishments.
“Mr. Hapley,” he said, “do you think this is the best way to discipline a boy? Isn’t it a rather harsh remedy?”
“I wont have nothing to say to you or anybody else about that,” responded Mr. Hapley. “It’s nobody’s business if I choose to whip my boy, and I wish folks would mind their own affairs, and let me alone. I guess I’m old enough to know what I’m about, and if I aint, I don’t want your advice.”