The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-03-29
TRAINING IN USEFULNESS,
How to Develop the Thinking and Reason
ing Powers in Children.

How TO develop the Thinking ana heilSOn-
ing Powers in Children.
How quickly children learn who is
just, and firm, and exact with them. and
how they pour out their love more upon
those who act thus than upon the over
indulgcnJ and weak ones who pet and
carcss, and then feel compelled to pun
ish. From two to five the temper and
affections develop quicker than the
reasoning powers; but constant iirmnesS
Will Subduc and regulate the most pas
sionato of children, without resort to
corporal punishment if it be but eXer-
cised steadily. 1t is at this age that q
child's training for after life more seri-
ously begins; not in book learning, but
in little actions of utility: of little
household matters, and little offices
that teach child that it can be of use
in the world. Proudly a little one of
four or five will talk of my work" if it
be given some little task that its tender
years can manage-some help to mother,
or nurse, or servants, done well and
carefully; and such small tasks lay the
foundation for son or daughter that
shall be useful to the world they live in.
The day is almost past when handiworlh
is considered derogatory to any one. Is
a man less man if he can clean his
boots better than his servant? Even at
the tender age of four or five, little
task of usefulness within its power will
make prattling little one proud and
happy, and more satisfied than the tear
ing to pieces of twenty toys.
1t is from the age of five that the seri-
BUSINESS of life begins with a child.
Lessons (call them not tasks have to be
learned, and work, "Heavcn's noblest
gift" performed. But here this very
seriousness should be made the joyous
ness OF an occupied life; each charac-
tcriStic of the child developed and not
crushed. Well has Goethe put it when
he sees in ''sclf-will'' future firmness
and resolution; and yet, how many
parents and teachers try to crush out
sclf-will as an evil thing, instead of di-
rccting it into Sclf-reliance and firm
ness and resolution, Temper, too, is
crushed; whereas, if guided it may
mean immense power of purposes; I'M
guided, it does mean awful misery and
untold grief.
l1cSSOlS W ulOSJ tuIluItl dIc tb plttto-
urc: it is the teaching and the school
that are irllsomc, and some times hate
ful. All children are proud of llnowl-
edge. and will not mind the trouble if
they but see the end and aim of their
trouble.
How early a little child's thinking and
reasoning powers are made use of by it,
self was aptly illustrated the other day
by a mite of four, on hearing of the Ger
man Emperor death, asking, And now
he's gone to heaven. isn't he, mamma?
And will he SEQ little baby up there?
And what will he talk, German or En-
glish? And will he know little baby"
and then suddenly, after some words of
explanation, "And will little baby I'M
derstand him." Such thinking and rea-
soning powers can be developed deli,
catcly and gently, even in children
thus young; but in most of our schools
they arc crushed out by child's being
set to learn tosks of inexplicable gram
mar from not-to-be understood primers.
Because an exceptional child shows
| power to understand grammar and math-
ematics we must have system for all
children on his mental plane.-Phreno-l
| logical journal.