St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-11-11
Five and Fourteen.


Five and Fourteen.
There are two periods in the moral
and intellectual development of a girl
which cause the profoundest anxiety
to a mother. At five years old, or
thereabOuts, the period of babyhood is
past, while the period of girlhOod is not
yet reached, and, between the two,
comes time of anarchy and chaos. The
little soul is now bursting its shackles
and trying to readjust itself to new
conditions. The child is ceasing to be
a mere pet and plaything, and is be-
ginning to live an individual life.
Nothing is more common than to see
docile, well-trained child suddenly de-
velope, without any apparent reason, a
willfulness and insubordinatin entire
ly at variance with its previous habits.
The mother, who has been dreaming
of sweet daughter who is to walk be-
side her all her days, making life fra
grant and beautiful to her by sharing
with her all l-her youthful hopes, and
joys, and trusts, turns heart-sick at the
naughtiness of the half tiedged terma-
CANT. For it is the good, cherubic
little girl who usually manifests the
change a spoiled child is so disagree
able all the while that any accession of
badness is not noticeable. A great
deal of self-cOndemnatiOn and unhappy
foreboding would be spared the mother
if she would only recognize that much
of what is so very unlOvely is not es-
sentially wrong-that it is merely what
is good in state of unripeness. The
fragrant blossom has withered and fall
len away, leaving in its place the hard
and acid embryo fruit. A wise mother
will be very careful to distinguish be-
tween those qualities which promise
evil in their developed form and those
| which are mere crudities, and her aim
will be to foster all the unfOlded pOssi-
bilities in her child's 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 retOrts and unfiattering per-
sOnalities, which have won for her
smiles and caresses, or, at worst, an
admiring reprOof, all at once become
intolerable, and are rebuked with ac-
|
been taught to consider charming be-
come subjects for displeasure when the
baby rOundness and dimples are gone.
| Her sense of justice is outraged, and
the unwarped sense of justice i'll a child
is often very strong. She becomes Il
little Ishmael, her hand against every
mans and every mans hand against
her. In certain sense this can scarce
ly be avoided, but, if the mothers love
be unfailing, and her sympathy always
ready, she can keep sweet the fountain
of love and trust which, without that
refuge, might become very bitter.
Just when this new life is unfolding, a
mothers wise care is most earnestly
needed. The soul which MAS seemed
to draw it's life from hers is beginning
to lead an individual existence. 1t is
to the perfect development of this indi-
viduality that the mother should bend
all her strength. Each human soul
contains within itself the germ of its
own life. To make of it all that may
be made, the mother 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
stultifying the whole nature.
The dangerous quicksands of this
period safely past, the mother begins
to breathe freely again. She again be-
gins to see visions, and to dream
dreams, till the second and more seri-
GUS season of anarchy comes to try her
faith. Childhood is over, and woman
| Nraf for h.A W no
ing, moral, intellectual, and physical,
is in state of ferment. New motives,
new principles, new emotions, are bat
tling for predOminance, 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
overturning of that which had seemed
so firmly 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 are tax
ing 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 with
out compromising with evil. TO aid
in the conflict and insure victory, moth.
ing will help mother more surely, mol
direct her more easily in this difficult
task, than the recognition that this
also, is merely stage of growth nee
essary to full and perfect develop
ment of her child's nature, and that tC
her is intrusted the privilege of foster
ing the growth, while she shall be look
ing to the end with the prophetic ey,
of love- Century Magazine for No
vember.