Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-01-09
PrecOciOus Children.

What with our infant day y-schools, Sun
day-schools, night schools, and studies at
home, the minds of some children are
kept constantly on the stretch. They
become precocious, commit chapter after
chapter in the Bible, and hymn after
hymn to memory, reciting the same to
astonished fools, who praise the silly
mammas and proud papas on account of
the achievements-mental gymnastics
of bigheaded and littlebellied boys and
girls. "Oh," said foolish mother, "my
darling Eva never was a child; she was
born young LADY, Before she cut her
teeth, she could tell all her letters, learn
tunes, say papa and mama. Oh, she was
so smart! We could wake her up out of
sound sleep any time, and she would
perform for the entertainment of neigh
bors and visitors who called. As she
grew from infancy into childhood, she
had none of the wild and boisterous ways
of street children, but preferred her books.
Nor did she care for dolls, or other play
things. Oh, she was such bright child I"
Where is she nowT' we inquired
"Dead," was the reply. "She was i'll
two days, and died of brain fever The
effect. The poor, dear child is an angel
hath taken away"
Now, angels are all very well, perhaps,
but we like, for our daily associates, "real,
live, warm bone and muscle,n not myth.
In children, as well as adults, we prefer
less brain and more body.
The foregoing is simply the experience
of thousands. PrecoCity in children is
to be deplored, not encouraged. A dull,
sleepy child, makes the best man. The
business of childhood is to grow, rather
than shrivel up in school and die. Colts,
put into harness, or kept under a saddle
before they get their growth, make poor
or indifferent horses. Half our college
graduates, who smoke tobacco and COM
nit other indiscretions while pursuing
their studies, are "shelved," being used
up, and good for nothing before reaching
thirty years. Would not little physio-
logical training be more useful than so
much Greek, Latin, and rhetoricS
Precocious boys and girls should not
be kept in school, but out ofdoors-in the
garden, on the farm, in the play ground,
rolling hoops, flying kites, riding horse,
climbing hills-all in moderation-and,
if properly fed, clothed, and trained, they
will learn enough later in life. They
should also sleep abundantly. Children
grow most when they sleep best.
If the human race is to be perpetuated,
some attention must be paid to the laws
of health. To become parents of robust
children-of children with enough vital
ity to keep the lamp of life burning into
old age-requlres "right living" on their
part. Children are affected by the physical
and mental conditions of their parents
Stock here, as elsewhere, is an important
consideration. "Blood tells" We may
improve or impair the quality of our
blood, by the way we live, the habits we
form, the pursuits we follow, and by our
very thoughts.
But enough. Sensible parents will
have sensible, not precocious, children
take proper care of them, raise them,
train them, and they will live and perpetu-
ate the family name, and be blessing to
their parents, the State, the nation, and
race
Silly, foolish, fashionable, dissipated,
Ignorant and ambitious pas and mas
shall not live out half their days.
Science of Health