The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-25
SHALL CHILDREN BIZ oHrLDL1KE,
Common Mistakes That Are Made In
the Training OF Small Folks.
From the London ladies' Pictorial.

From the London ladies' Pictorial.
At the present moment the modern child
Is, In every sense of the word, very much
IN evidence. On all sides the small person
Is seriously discussed. Upon the stage it
occupies prominent position, which, how
ever. provokes a vast amount OF discussion
and controversy; in fiction 1t has taken
quite high place, and socially, of course,
it has become almost terror in the land.
Like Fraukenstein, we have raised up q
veritable monster which threatens to over
whelm US. For, truth to tell, we are con-
derably under the thumb, If not nat
urally rather afraid of the child Of to-day.
IL awes Vs. We feebly acknowledge our
inability 60 cope with Its precocity and to
meet its requirements, and according to the
showing of those presumably qualified to
speak with authority it is absolutely neces-
sary that our treatment in every way OF the
advanced and exacting nd.of-the-century
infant should be brought up to date. Now
adays we take our children much too seri-
ousy. As we 20 the length OF assuming
that they moralize over their colored pict-
ure books 80 we encourage the little Great
ures TO have ''nerYes" and tastes" and pet
| diversions. It is a common cry of the
modern mother that her Dolly is such O
"highly strung, nervous" child, or that Ber-
or something else Of the same kind. Time
was when infants were not consulted in
| these matters They we're brought down
stairs, ''oiled and curledn like young Assy
! rian bulls, and were expected to gratefully
| take what form of amusement was pro-
vided for their mothers guests. There was
| no talk of ''overexcitement" or nerves in
those days, and except in books OF the
| Stamford and Merton class, boys and
a. l. b 81
| parents. We know perfectly well that
| our treatment of children nowadays
| is absurd, that We make them
| old men and women before their time
| aud permit them to be nuisance to then =
| selves and still greater nuisance to otae1s.
! Times out of number the practice Of taking
! small children to crowded lat homes" aud
other social gatherings has been denounced
without success; but overlooking this side OF
the question altogether, it cannot be too
| deeply deeplored that mere infants should
be introduced by ion-hunting hostesses as
''the little daughter of Dabble," or Mrs.
| Tompklns' little boy" simply because their
| father has written play or their mother a
novel. One baby differs very little
| from another in glory-until of course, 1t
has been made Objectionable by
the adulatiou OF sncbbish grown-up folks
and the needless training of Its parents
| but from the way the chlioren OF
s.celebritiesn are treated when they are
taxed about one would imagine them to be
| invested with beauty and talents and at
! Effectiveness not possessed by any other
| little men and women. The system il in
every way Objectionable. It is absolutely
painful to study, aud for its effect on" has
only to observe closely the pallid. prec3.
oious, ill-behaved, and bored lit crea ure9
| who are trotted out 70 advertise their
fathers and mothers, and pander to the
! snobbishuess OF the ubiquitous lion-hunter.