The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-11-05
Five and Fourteen.

Wise anu Helpiul SuSSeStioH W ihoeH
ers, appears in the 'Home and Soci
ETY." department of the Century Mag
azine for November late Scribner's):
There are two periods in the NOR
al and intellectual development of
girl which cause the profoundest
anxiety to a mother. At five years
old, or Whereabouts, the period of ba-
byhood is past, while the period of
girlhood is not yet reached, and be-
tween the two, comes "a time OF an
archy and chaos. The little soul is
now bursting its shackles and trying
to re-adjust itself to new conditions.
The child is ceasing to be mere pet
and plaything, and is beginning to
live an individual life. Nothing is
more common than to see a docile,
well trained child suddenly develop,
without any apparent reason, will
fulness and INSTRUMENTATION entirely
at variance with it's previous habits.
The mother, who has been dreaming
of sweet daughter who is to walk
beside her all her days, making life
fragrant and beautiful to her by shar
/ ing with her all her youthful hopes,
and Joys, and trusts, turns heart-sick
at the naughtiness of the half-fiedged
termagart. For it is the good, cher
ubic little girl who usually maniiests
the change;a spoiled child is thor
oughly disagreeablc all the while that
any accession of badness is not no
ticeable. A great deal of self con.
domination and unhappy foreboding
would be spared the mother if she
would only recognize that much of
what is so very unlovely is not essen
TALLY wrong-that it is merely what
is good in a state of unripeness. The
fragrant blossom has withered and
fallen away, leaving in its place the
hard and acid embryo fruit. A wise
mother will be very careful to dis
tinguish between those qualities
which promise evil in their develop
ed form and those which are mere
crudities, and her aim will be to fos-
ter all the unfolded possibilities in
her childs nature, and help to bring
them to a beautiful maturity.
Every one knows how tiresome and
unattractive little girl usually is
when she has outgrown her infantile
sweetness. The little impertinences,
the saucy rctorts and untlattering
personalities, which have won for her
smiles and caresses, or, at worst, an
admiring reproof, all at once becomes
intolerable, and are rebuked with
acerbity. The very ways which she
has been taught to consider charm
ing become subjects for displeasure
when the baby roundness and dim
pies are gone. Her sense of justice
is outraged, and the unwarped sense
of justice in child is often very
strong. She becomes little Ishmael,
her hand against every mans, and
every mans hand against her. In a
certain sense this can scarcely be
avoided, but, if the mothers love be
unfailing, and her sympathy always
ready, she can keep sweet the foun-
tain of love and trust which, without
that refuge, might become very bit
ter. just when this new life is un-
folding, a mothers wise care is most
earnestly needed. The soul which
has seemed to draw it's life from hers
lis beginning to lead an individual
existence 1t is to the perfect devel-
opment of this individuality that the
mother should bend all her strength.
Each human soul contains within it.
self the germ of its own life. Tomake
of it all that may be made, the moth
er should only guide the growth,
leaving it free within the limits of
moral probity to grow into its fullest
possibility. She cannot lop it off
here and there, or suppress its growth
yonder, without manning and stulti-
flying the whole nature.
The dangerous quicksands of this
period safely past, the mother begins
to breathe freely again. She again
begins to see visions, and to dream
dreams, till the second and more Sc
rious season of anarchy comes to try
her faith. Childhood is over, and
womanhood is yet far away. The
whole being, moral, intellectual, and
physical, is in a state of ferment.
New motives, new principles, new
emotions, are battling for predomi-
nance, and until these relative claims
are adjusted, no peace can be hoped
for. This second chaotic period
which comes at about fourteen years
Of age-lasts longer, and brings a
more hopeless and radical overturn-
ing of that which had seemed so firm
, ly established If mothers care
were needed in the earlier change, it
is infinitely more needed now. New
traits seem to be starting into life,
new developments are manifested.
Changes not only in purposes and
ideas arc taking place, but changes
in temperament, in disposition, in
tone are manifesting themselves.
There is need of a wise hand which
shall guide without CALLING, tender
heart which shall sustain without
compromising with evil. TO aid in
the conflict and insure victory, moth
ing will help mother more surely,
nor direct her more easily in this diff
ficult task, than the recognition that
this, also, is merely stage of growth
necessary to full and perfect devel-