, 1888-10-18
TO PARENTS AND TEACHERS.
A Plea In Behalf of School ChiIdren-The
AiIing One.

OC|CdSlOutlly Is encountered q Tau VINO
has grown up in our streets and success
fully eluded the truant officers. Such a
one is almost always of the ''gamin" or
der, i'll fed, s~cantily clothed. and gener-
ally neglected. And yet, notwithstand-
ing the hardships implied, we find him
strong, active and "wiry." If pitted
against a country boy of his age the
chances are our city lad would ''use the
other up" All things considered it
must appear evident to those who study
the subject that because our children are
sent to school at too early an age is one
potent reason why they suffer 30 much
from the contrast with their country
cousins. But it is purposeless to attempt
to persuade parents to keep their little
one out of school until it is safe to send
them. Borrowing an expression, one
might as well hope to level Gibraltar
with a crowbar. In the proper authori-
ties is our only hope of reform. They
cannot be ignorant Of this grave re-
sponsibility. Reluctantly accepting the
situation, we will give mothers and
teachers a few words of practical advice
as regards their treatment of school
children, in SO far as pertains to health.
Cleanliness is next to ~godliness." Its
Importance is not always appreciated,
either by parents or children. Every
child should have a. full bath at least
once a week, whereas many in our pub
lie schools know that luxury only when
the public bathing houses are opened to
them, which is, of course, only in warm
weather. Neglect of cleanliness propa-
gates other mean habits, and tends to de-
velop the beast in ones nature. If a
child's body is continually dirty he will
soon grow low and depraved, notwith-
standing all his other influences are the
best. Let parents fix that fact in their
minds, else by that one neglect they ut
terly ruin the natures of their children.
Those who live in humble tenements,
destitute of bathing facilities, should call
the washing tub into service at least once
a week, and a general scrubbing Of the
children take place. Some mothers take
pleasure and pride in the appearance of
their little ones; others seem positively
indifferent whether or not their faces are
washed Oh hair is ever combed. They
should see that both is done faithfully,
not only In the morning, but on going to
bed.
The character of the clothing gener-
ally is not a matter of dictation. We
mo expect the children of poor pa
rents to wear ''good Clothes" but what
is worn can be clean, and there is no ex-
GUS for their being otherwise. From
this time out until school closes in the
spring, children should wear flannel next
to the skin, and let mothers remember
that Undertaking worn during the day
must not be worn during the night while
in bed. Children, as well as adults,
must have u~ndershirts for night wear,
and the n taken off at bedtime should
be spread over a chair to dry and air
well. A word here about the sleeping
ROOM. Our poorer people are forced to
content themselves with a few small
rooms, and, as a rule, they are sadly
overcrowded. That cannot be helped in
many instances, but such rooms can be
properly ventilated. Open-throw wide
open-the windows of the bedroom a
little while before the children go to bed,
and then, when they are ready to un-
dress, go in and partially, but not en-
tirely, close them. Leave them open as
much as the weather will permit. A
Discrimination to ventilate their rooms
properly is one glaring and fatal fault
with ignorant people. To that cause
alone can be attributed much of the sick
ness and many of the deaths among
them.
Some mothers allow their children to
remain In bed in the morning until laJ
and then hurry them away to school.
The consequence is breakfast must be
bolted. 1t ought not to be necessary to
say that children should nave ample time
in which to eat, and should be forced to
do so slowly. Tea and coffee are iniuri,
u to them. If mothers will insist in
allowing them to have those drinks, then
let the quantity be small, and in much
milk. Cocoa is liked by every child,
and, if not made too strong, it is whole
some and nourishing. One thing more
about breakfast; be sure that the children
eat enough. Even if they eat heartily,
as a rule they will be hungry before din
ner time comes; therefore, provide them
with a light luncheon-bread and butter
and some sound, ripe fruit if possible.
EARLY to bed and early to rise" is n rule
which cannot safely be violated by chill
dren. That they need much more sleep
than adults, every n should know. Let
the hour before retiring be passed quietly
in some form of amusement.
To allow them to go to bed excited
either by hard play, by study, or by a
''story book, " means wakeful hours or
sleep disturbed by dreams. When a
child appears to be ailing he should be
kept out of school until he is himself
again. By teachers much too high a
premium is put upon punctuality and I'M
broken attendance. In consequence,
children are encouraged to go to school
when they are really quite sick enough to
be at home and in bed. Scarlet fever,
measles, diphtheria and the like are very
easily transmitted from an affected child
to n in perfect health. The former need
not be very i'll; he may, in fact, be In
school and appear but slightly ailing, and
yet 1T Is quite possible for him to bear about
with him the germs of disease, and COM
municate them to those with whom he Is
brought in contact. All must remember
that a case of infectious disease need not