Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-06-10
Children Left to Themselves,


exclusively spiritual reference, to be
settled by the theologians, it may De
well to consider how far the tendency OF
children, if left to themselves, is to right
or wrong. We may thus be enaoleu 70
discover what degree OF interference
with natural instinct may be essenVlal IL
the education OF the young.
Extreme opinions exist upon the SUBJ
iect. Rousseau held that the systems
and appliances of civilization are unmlt-
ieated evils. and that nature, with all
her wildness Of mood, is the safest
guide. This implies that if mankind
had been left in the original state OF say
agery their happiness and virtue would
have been better secured than by all the
boosted progress of the world. There
are not many, we fancy, nowadays who
confess themselves followers of Rousseau
in this extreme view of the evils OF civil
ization and would wish a return to prim-
tive barbarism. Travellers have made
US too well acquainted with man in a
state of nature to give US any longing to
share with him his birthright. Fretful as
the citizen may be at times under the
restraints of law and society he learns
contentment in the thought that they
secure him against a license which In
state of savage life might have left his
body to be roasted on the spit or his
years to be passed in perpetual slavery.
Those of the extreme opposite opinion
are common enough-they, for example,
who hold that nature in man is a congen-
itaI disease, which must be totally eXtlr-
pated before he can enjoy happiness or
fulfill the purposes of his existence.
Such avail themselves of every possible
artificial process for etfecting change
Of the original characteristics OF the hu-
man being. His outward form is elabO-
rately nodded according to conyen-
tional standard of grace and beauty, and
his intelligence and moral sense are, by
subieCting them to some educational and
religious machinery or other, pared and
fashioned to suit the requirements of the
dogmas of a sect
The true principle is, as usual, to be
found between the two extremes, and IN
the education of the child there must be
neither too much cOnstraint applied on
the one hand, nor excessive liberty al
lowed on the other. The popular ten
dency rather inClines to the former than
the latter, with an effect, it is believed,
not favorable to the fullest development
of human capacity for good.
There is unquestionably in infancy an
interference with the natural instincts
which is far too great for healthfgl
growth. This, of course, from the con-
dition of the subjects of it, who are hard
ly more than vegetative beings, is chiefly
physical Consider for a moment how
artificial thing a modern baby becomes
under the hands of fashionable mother!
Look at it's manifold wrappings of f1nery,
with involutions of lace and fine linen
more complicated than those of num-
my See how carefully it is handled and
deposited lest speck should soil or g.
touch derange the dressed-up manikin
Notice how often it is introduced to CON-
pany, not seldom even awakened out of
sleep to be shown by mamma, eager for
a compliment, to fattering visitors with
the ever-ready "What a fine baby!' on
their lips What more unnatural usage
could an infant be subjected to than be-
ing thus oppressed with f1nery, deprived
of its liberty, disturbed of its repose,
tormented by strange hands, and
infected, perhaps, in the closeness of g.
kiss by repeated inspirations of tainted
breath? 1t is cruelty to an infant
to clothe it in any way by which
its limbs are checked in the freest
movement to which it is i'm
PEELED by natural instinct. 1t should
have the fullest liberty to turn
and roll, creep or toddle, as it may,
without fear of disorder from exercise
or dirt from floor No supertluous
swathings of fnery should be allowed to
interfere with any of it's vagaries of mo-
ton. A baby should be left very much
to itself and nature. The less clothing
it wears, and the less this shackles it's
body and limbs, the better. We need
hardly insist upon its being allowed to
get all the sleep it will take, for great
deal of this, it is well known, is essen
tial to its health. 1t is equally obvious
that its natural instinct seeks for pure
air, and not the atmosphere corrupted by
human breathing.
The child, as it grows bigger, is still
vexed by the uusy hand of art, and it's
natural development perverted by great
variety of reforming processes. The
corset, the tight waist, the high-heeled
shoe and the dragging skirt all come in
time to hinder freedom of movement and
prevent growth. As if all this were not
enough, certain formality of posture,
carriage and walk is strictly enioined
upon the young, especially girls, which
forbids the use of the little freedom of
muscular action left to them by the re-
strictive machinery of their dress.
The processes applied to the youthful
intellect under the pretense of cultivat-
ing it are seldom adapted to it's special
faculties. Every child is subjected to
uniform system of scholastic disciDIine