St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-10
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In a letter lately received, an anxious
mother asks how she shall interest her
children and keep them at home and out
of the streets and the bad influences
they are subject to there. These chill
dren are only twelve to fourteen
years old. She complains that
there are loads of things writ
ten telling even to the minutest
particular what to do for the little ones,
but nothing, so far as she has been able
TO see, for children who are grown older.
My dear, it is because it Is so important
that mothers should start right with
their little children, and so never come
10 the place where you stand bewildered
Just now, that so much has been written
in advice 10 mothers about what TO do
for the babies.
e n wise man once said that If he could
have the training of a child for the first
five years, he did not believe that any
Dne could undo his work and ruin the
child. | should say the first ten years,
if my opinion was asked on the queS-
ton. But the help is needed now by
This mother whose children have not
been properly guided so far. If the
mother has retained the love of her
children, and has them entirely 10 her
self, she can yet counterfeit the intlu-
gnceS of the street; but it Will take.
lime and patience to do it. If they are
fond of books, she could have an enter
tanning child'S book TO read in the even
ing: not the gOody gOOdy kind OF a
book, where the hero or heroine was
sick and too piOus too be comfortable
to live with, but such book as TTow-
bridges "A Chance for Himself" Any
of that series for a boy, or one of So
phle Mays delightful stories for girls.
II the worst came to the worst, and no
other sort of stories would keep them in
the house, would get the widest, most
bloodthirsty books that are printed. and
read to them or get them TO read to me
from them.
do not like this class of books; but
/ like the book the devil shows them III
the streets after the lamps are lit far
less. And then, my experience has been
that as children grow older who have
= free access to books. they loose their
taste for these highly cOlOred, richly
spiced dishes of literary food, as they
do their love for childish plays and
candy, and turn TO a higher class OF
reading. Then l would try to make
them interested in something l was
doing, perhaps get them to help me, and
ask the neighbOrs' children in to play
games. or to listen to the stories read.
and show my interest in everything that
interested them. 1t may take good
while, but if you persist, and do not
allow the children TO see that you are
trying to keep them away from their
accustomed hauntS, YOU Will succeed.
A mother is greatly to be pItied who has
to ask such a question, but clrcum-
stancs may be such that the early years
Of the chiIdren'S lives have not been
entirely under her control, and father
has a duty as well as a mother. Ii the
children, boys particularly, see their
father rise from the supper table, don
his hat and leave the house to be gone
all evening, no one knows where, leaV-
ing the tired mother who most likely
has spent the whole day shut up in the
house, burdened with its care, 10 spend
the evening alone, can he wonder ii
they think that is the proper, manly
thing to do and wish to follow his eX-
ample?
1t is rather a sad commentary on the
condition OF the average father. that all
these letters asking for help and advice
as to the training of the children that
belong to both should come from the
mothers, with no slightest hint that the
fathers are equally interested i'll their
fate. What would the father say, do
You think. if the mother should do all
sorts of things that he did not wish his
children to do? And yet many mothers
have this very thing to contend with.
A father tells his boys not to smoke or
bet on races or prize fights, or swear OF
loaf on the street corners. or call at the
saloons. but he lights his cigar before lie
leaves the house, and the boys know
that he is doing all these other things
also. It's all very we'll TO say that
man has been through these
things, and knows that they are bad,
but the boys are human and want TO
initiate some one-whO so likely as
father? and they want to 60 through all
these things, and have these expert
ences, too. Can any one blame them?
No, If fathers would have their chill
dren be models, they must set an eX-
ample. If they would have homes
happy, and fit places in which children
should grow, they must do their share
to bring the matter about.
AUNT POLLY.