The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1891-05-27
..Put Yonrselr IN His plaee. ;,

Age is not so much question of
years as of heartaches. Some men
and some women retain their youth
full spirits, their hope and joyousness
long after their hairs have begun to
turn gray. Others, through sick
ness, suffering or distress, age rap
idly, losing the buoyant, hopeful
spirit, and, what is of more conse-
quence, becoming intolerant of the
gayety of others.
1t is. essential for the proper man.
agement of children that the parent,
guardian or tutor shall to some ex-
tent .smpathize with them, and thus
be able to understand and tolerate
their naturally high animal spirits.
The man or woman, whether young
or old in years, who has lost the
spirit and vivacity ofyouth becomes
intolerant of the nervous activity of
healthy boys and girls, and is irri-
tated at every turn by their bolster
Gus behavior. Yet such man or
such woman cannot be a proper
guide or even companion of youth;
he or she is sure to repress as evil
that which is neither good nor bad
in itself, bu. only manifestation of
great nervous energy, which, if
properly guided, may become use
ful; or, if wrongly directed, may
be source of mischief
In dealing with the young it is
necessary to consider their DISPOSE
tions and motives rather than their
actions. Boys in their rough play
often hurt each other. If they do so
maliciously they need to be corrected
for this is u sign of evil disposition;
but if the hurts come as accidents or
as incidents of violent struggles,
nothing more than an admonition is
necessary. The nervous, irritable
man or woman who has lost all SYM
pathy with the exuberant spirits of
youth is not capable of making such
distinctions, but spoils the temper of
the child by continued complainings,
or, what is worse, develops hypo.
crite, who pretends to be demure to
escape censure, but when out of sight
allows full play to his animal spirits.
1t is much easier to prescribe al
course of conduct to those who have
charge of children than to follow it,
but the great essential part is to be in
sympathy with them, to keep fresh
in the heart the hopeful, joyous
spirit of youth, and to try, in imagi-
nation, to put ones self in the place
of the boy or girl who has trans
gressed some rules of propriety or
manners. If one can do that, even
in slight degree, children will become
less of an annoyance to their elders
and elders less of annoyance to their
children, for there is action and re-
action in the relations of the young
to those who are placed over them
as care-takers. Who has not known
child to be fretful and peevish in
the presence of fretful and peevish,
though loving mother, and yet con-
tented and happy when visiting sym.
pathizing friends? Their hearts are
mirrors, rejecting that which is
placed before them; but they are
mirrors that retain to some extent
the impressions made upon them,
and those that are most frequently
repeated begin at last to be perma-
nently fixed.
Excuses may be easily found for
the mother beset by household cares
and the constant supervision of a
large family, who becomes less amia-
BILE than the friend of the family
who only has the care of child on
holidays, but ii is a painful fact that
the child may be estranged from
such mother through the peevish-
ness of the latter and her inability
to appreciate or to sympathise with
the spirit of youth.
Children seem to be born with a
natural curiosity. They want to
learn and know. Their strange
questions are source of amusement
to those who see them only at inter
walls and to all who take a kindly
interest in the young ard retain
their own good humor. Yet the in
quisitiveness of a child often be-
comes great annoyance to the tired
parent, constantly beset by distract
ing questions, and sharp rebuffs are
sometimes given where kindly an
swers would be better. The effect
of such treatment to the young is to
turn them away from their natural
instructors and make them reticent
at home, where they should be freest
in talk of all kinds. 1t is therefore
of the utmost importance that par.