The Republican journal., 1881-12-08
Five and Fourteen.

The following article, containing a wise and
helpful suggestion to mothers, appeared IN the
Home aud Society" department of The Century
Magazine for November:
There are two periods in the moral and intel
lectual development of glrl which cause the pro
toundest anxiety to mother. AT five years old,
or thereabouts, the period of ba5yhood is past,
while the period of glrhood 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 read just itself to new con
ditlons The child is ceasing to be mare pet and
plaything, and is beginning to live an individual
life. othing is more common than to docile,
well trained child suddenly develop, without any
apparent reason, willfulness and INSTRUMENTATION
entirely at variance with its previous habits The
mother. who has been dreaming of sweet daugh-
ter WHO is to walk beside her all her days max
ing life fragrant and beautiful to her by shar-
ing with her all her youthful hopes, and Joys and
trusts, turns heartslck at the naughtiness of the
half-hedged termagant For it is the good cherubic
little girl who usually manifests the change; a
spoiled child is so thoroughly disagreeabe all the
while that any accession OF badness is not notice
able great deal of self condemnation and IN
happy foreboding would be spared the mother if
she would only recognize that much of what is
so very unovely is not essentially wrong-that 1t
| is merely what is good in state of unrpeness,
The fragrant blossom has withered and fallen
away, leaving in its place the hard and acid en-
bryo fruit wise mother will be very careful to
distinguish between those two qualities which
promise evil in their developed form and those
which are mere crndities and her ain, will be to
foster all the unfolded possibilities in her childs
nature, and help to bring them to beautiful ma
tuuty.
Everyone knows how tiresome and unattractve
little girl Usually is when she has Outgrown her
intantie sweetness The little impertinences the
saucy retorts and unflatterng personalities which
have won for her smiles and careSses, Or at worst
an admring reprOof, all at once become intolera-
Bile, and are rebuked with acerbity The very WAYS
which she has been taught to consider charming,
become subjects tor dispeasure when the baby
roundness and dmples are gone Her sense of JUS
tce is outraged and the unwarped sense of justice
in child is of en- very strong She becomes lit
tie lshmael, her hand against every mans, and
, every mans hand against her. In certain sense
this can scarcely be avoided but, if the mothers
love be unfallng, and her sympathy always ready,
she 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 has seemed to draw its life from hers
beginning to lead an individual existence 1t is to
the perfect development of this individuality 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 he
mother should only guide the growth, leaving it
free within the limits OF moral probity to grow in
to its fullest poss blity. She cannot lop it off here
and there, or suppress its growth yonder, without
manning and stutifyiug the whole nature
The dangerous quicksands of this period safely
past the mother Degus 10 breathe freely again.
She again begins to see visions, aud to dream
dreams till the second and more serious season of
anarchy comes to try her faith. Childhood is
over, and wonanhood is yet far away The whole
| being, moral, intellectual, and physical is in a
state of ferment New motives. principles,
new emotions, are ba tling for predomnance, 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
overturniDg of that, which had seemed so firmly
established If mothers were needed ID
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 taking place. but
changes in temperament. in disposition, in tone
mauitestlug themselves There is need of a
wise hand which shall guide without CALLING, a
tender heart which shall sustain without compro
missing with evil To aid in the conflict and in
sure victory, nothing will help mother more
surely, nor direct her more easily in this difficult
task than the recognition that this also is merely
q stage of growth necessary 10 full and perfect
development Of her childs nature, and that to her
is ntrusted the privilege of fostering the growth
while she shall be looking to tho end with the
prophetic eve of love