The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-11-17
EAnILY aENIrsEs.

From RUpFT'I B0S1y.
There are few families OF any size
Without so.cAlled genius. PAieness,
HhyneSs, peevlshneBs, and smArtness
are ordinarily the characteristics by
which Il may be recoEuIzed, Each OF
these 10 an indication more or less OF A
morbid condition requiring resistance
rather than encouragement.
Parents cannot be TOO much ON thelf
guard against the common tendency 10
consider these little abnormal Specl-
mems Of humanity ~ healthy exist.
ences. There Ia In lhe feeble child 0
certain Acuteness OF sensiblliiy 70 i'm.
presslons Of sill kinds, which gives H.,
particularly In The fond eyes Of the
father and the mother. an apparent
brightness by which they ire apt 10 be
dAzZ!ed. Their parental vanity Is 20
pleasantly ickled with the precocIous
manifestations Of their children that
they cannot resist indulgence in the
sensation, There Ia nothing which de-
lights us 30 much - the supposed SUI
pertoriIy OF the IntelliH ence OF our on.
spring. Tue smart child IL the saving
clause In q long record Of parental stu.
pidIty. To have given birth 10 an I'm.
fAnt phenomenon seems to bestoV an
unexpected eeidt upon The moot COM
monpiAce being.
Whenever there ls any apparent de-
partuHe from the usual manifestatIo
OF average childhood, there IL reason 70
fear danger. A sound youngster should
be bold, rudy, 6oiaerons, good-nA-
tured, and thopRhuesa. II o child be
pale shy, quiet, irritable, and reflec>
tive, We should doubt the VIgor OF his
organization, and treat him accord.
inGly.
It ls too much the practice 10 edu.
cate children In accordance with their
supposed InclInaLons. When these
are unquestIouAbly OF o healthy IA.
ture, It may, perhaps, be we'll 10 follow
their guidance; but Wheh they are
clearly, Rs Is ofEen the case, the mere
perveFse indications OF disease, they
should be taken rs warnings 70 avoid
the direction to which they point. The
pEecocious 'smartnsss' OF q child, 80 far
from being cherished, should be BY all
means discouraged. When boys and
girls throw aside doll or go.cart, hoop
or marbles, and, Shunning the com.
panionship Of their comradea, hide
themselves In corners, and with pre-
mature voracity devoUr Rollins His
tory or the American EncyclopndIa,'
they should be regarded as 30 many
little patients requiring medical treat
ment. They may not want any drench.
Ing With drugs, but they certainly
would be better for Q hearty regimen or
rough'and. tumble In the open air. Il
Ia true OF the brain, % OF every other
organ Of the human body, that 1t can
not be developed, and more especially
at an early age, by pTeponderating ex.
ercise without q prop0rtionate weak.
ening OF the rest. Excessive thinking
is.as great perversIon OF function as
would be an lmmodeEAte sweating or
secretion Of bile; and the increased &C.
ton Of the brain, skin, or liver can
only BE- sustained at the expense OF
every other vital organ. The exGgger-
ated strength OF part implies weak
mesa OF the whole.
The precoclIy OF children who chow
q premature aptitude for study shoald
undoubtedly he checked-no: violently,
however, but BY iDsinuAting diversion,
Where opposition ON The pGrt OF parents
Is made too manifest, st b apt to pro-
woke, particularly In The morbIdly dis.
posed, an obstinate TesisLauco which ID
exceedingly difficult 10 overcome. The
best plan to pursue Is 70 avoid all un-
necessary demonstration OF objection
70 the child's precocious tastes, but 10
30 placs him that be may b necessarI-
y restricted, II not entirely prevented,
from indulginH them. Living in the
country, travelling, and pleasant CON-
papIonShip are among the obvious
means OF sfeCting this.
Most parents are In too great hurry
to send their children to school. There
are certain sturdy natures which on
pose vigorous stupidity TO ali april
cation OF Premature learning and
science, however made, who may 20 10
school day after day from the earliest
age with impunity. There ara others,
however, whose unnatural senAtbility
OF brain is excited TO an excessive
degree OF activity by early schooling,
and thus are.fatallY IN ured. Children
ought not 10 be systematically set TO
study before the age OF SIX or seven
years, and then their application should
be moderate snd carefully tempered
with play and exercise.