Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-17
ovER-CIvILIzED CHILDREN.
Nursery Reforms Needed-Au uucbi,d,sk.
Way of IIxi.y

neiorms Seeded-An Cnchildlfko
Way Of Living.
Louise Belts Edwards in Philadelphia Press.
rode In the street car not long ago beside q
mature Young lady OF eleven or twelve and q
young man, apparently her brother. Cranine
ner neck out Of the window she exclaimed:
lhere goes Miss - with that Cousin Charlie
OF hers. sh'd think she'd be ashamed. when
IT'S town talk he's such n bad fellow" Her
brother made no reply at first, but vouchsafed
a nonchalant Yes, yes, believe So" at her
ihsistent repetition, isn't he a bad fellow.
Iom. I'VE will not anticipate the past" a.
Mrs. Malaprop SAYS, but il is impossible 70
heip wistfully recurring to the day, not 40 yerv
long ago, when such wisdom was not per-
iected out OF the mouths of babes and when
nursery VI S
were precocity The only result of this nm
natural. because unchild-like way of living vs
could bear it. The peach is so sound. shouoh
NOT 20 iair TO see. with the bloom brushed off IL
nu. tnere Is canker at the heart Of the fruit
40 lnis case; our children take their pleasures
more and more sadly and will soon cease 10 tale
tnem AZ all They partake. well ne we. Of the
spirit OF the age. and 1t would be indeed strange
WIN our restlessness. our introspectiyeuess.
OF craze Tor amusement and novelty they did
not share our pessimism, or ennui and our
general sense of dissatisfaction In orr .,x;"..
thaf they should have all the best of lie vb,is
thes are at hfe's morning, we nave lavisbed q.
,nein All that Is at our command Of the riches
ana Pleasures of this world. forgetting that
s sue cares go In the same package. The papers
oaiiy record cases Of Juvenile melancholis; the
statistics of crime show an increased number ~
child suicides each year.
I'D like 10 die" suddenly observed a mite NJ
Tour yawning. and when alarmed relatives d.
msnaea h's reason. soberly said it was just for
" "a had
must indeed be a domestic reyolution hesors
Iong' else we VIII be obliged to force its pleas
ures upon infantile cynicism after the fashion
OF the little girl in the skit. now going the
rounds OF the press. who tried to make baby
smile with the glove stretcher"
STRIKE FOR SIMPLICITY.
The role Of Cassandra has never been an "A.
mired one-probably because she merely poip,ed
out evils without suggesting their remedies.
No Cassandra i. There is a remedy in tb,.
case-the only one. too-so simple in the stating
that we have long overlooked il as it Law at ouf
very doors, so difficult in the execution that the
spirit faints at the prospect. We have stiIl
nominal control, at least, Of our children. III
possible, though not easy, to put on the stop
brake here today in our own homes and declare
Tor simplicity. IL means. of course. endless
trouble to ourselves. interruption Of our WAYS
OF living. struggle with the children and criti-
cism from outsiders; in short. the revolution
VIII be attended with all the immediate. confu-
slon and ultimate benefits OF similar social up-
neafais We need a nursery reform league.
formed of aroused and determined mothers.
" mo shall insist that their children return 70
the regimen OF early hours. plain food. simpls
dress and simple manners, ''hours for work ma
hours Tor play, plenty of each, which are
necessary to make up an ideal, or even normal,
Will the children like isa They would
ha Nd " 1.r h.,.. "a sl~~