Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-04-29

Of balance and an outlet for this extra
supply of vitality. Such exercise should
be imposed with religious earncsiness
bv all iudicious parents. ! believe the
| old.iashiOned prejudice against dancing
I has been productive Of more physical
/ and moral disaster IN the world than all
/ the high kicking ever done m Off thea
| tres. | have known an hystercal girl,
suffering from insomnia and all manner
| OF nervous troubles, to become normal
and strong simply by dancing vigorously
half an hour every evening before
retiring.
"oh pshaw" YOU say; "let nature take
her course. She will set matters right
| In her own time
My dear madam or sir, YOU should
pause aud anaiyzc the meaning of your
words. Your developing child is a
growing animal. but to let nature take
| her course would be inconsistent with
| the social and moral obligations resting
upon her. Natures impulses are the
same from insects up TO man; but man
must govern impulse by reason and
/ judgment unless he wishes TO be only an
an NAL, instead OF the highest express.
ion OF divinity yet evolved from animal
! lie.
Therefore, instead Of 'letiing nature
take It's course, you must direct natures
impulses by wisdom and care into
healthiul channels.
Avert overwrought imaginaiions and
excited nerves by a systematic course OF
| exercise which produces thorough circu-
la,inn Of the blood.
Give her pleasures suited to her age,
and divert her mind from dwelling too
much upon herself.
Let her be fatigued enough TO sleep
when she retires, and see to II that she
gets up as soon as she awakens.
Nothing gives my daughter such
pleasure as to lie and dream" said a
blind mother to me once. She Is no
hand for outdoor romps, like other girl;
just give her book and lounge anu
she will be happy all day long"
at would be better ior her health 10
romp outdoors and read less, sug-
gested.
"oh, she is in excellent health; she
never has an ache or pain; that languid
way is natural to such dreamy tempera
men,s, fancy"
II had told that mother what was
the nature Of the dreams read In her
young daughters eyes she would have
| SHOWN me inc door.
But let me beg Of you to be alert and
avoid allowing your daughter to form
this habit Of languorous day.dreams.
II is more fascinating than any outdoor
sport, once formed, and more eneryat-
ing than the hardest labor. Many a
weakly woman might trace her ailments
back to this period Of luxurious imagin-
alton in her youths dawn.
But | never recollect any such dan
gerous period in my life, or any such
diseased imagination" you tell me.
Quite likely. Girls Of the olden time
were not brought up in such ease and
luxury as are the girls OF today. House.
hold duties and the care Of younger
children deyolyed upon the daughters
Of the household instead of upon ser.
wants and nurseinaids, as In the present
time. Then, too, you may have been
one Of the exceptions to the rule; but
remember that II Is unsafe to expect
your daughter to be exactly like you.
She has a paternal inheritance. Many a
calm, practical mother forgcts that the
fathers fiery or poetic nature may oi
right descend to her daughter, and that
l, needs more careful guarding than
did her own. And the sirangest fact Of
all is that the father forgeis or ignores
this also. II Is well 10 keep the fac,
before his ewes.
II is well to make him realize that a
certain amount Of social amusement,
where games and dancing predominant,
among carefully selected companions, Is
n necessity TO the physical and moral
well.being of his daughter. Call his
attention to the fact that tightly closed
vessel OF boiling steam explodes and
causes devastation and destruction II II
has no outlet. A human being develop,
ing into vigorous maturity Is like this
vessel, and the outlet for portion o.
the surging vital forces should be made
in healthiul pleasures and amusements
When your daughter reaches the age
Of twelve years at latest you shouic
instruct her that Il is not modest TO allow
gentlemen guests and friends TO take
her upon their knees and caress her
Let no false idea OF keeping her "a
childes long as possible" render yot
careless in this matter. And do no
make the foolish bunder of thinking
that all your men friends are "perfec
gentlemen" who could not entertain M
unworthy thought toward your daugh
ter;
In your quiet domestic role YOU know
very little of what is going on in tn,
minds Of men. You think Of YOU
twelye-year.old daughter as a child
they think Of the woman she Is soon to
be. Their thoughts and feelings arc
contagious. One Of the most CAREFUL,
reared and severely chaperoned girls /
ever knew told me that her first Know,
ledge OF evil came to her nj the age OF
thirteen through lifelong friend OF her
family-a man old enough to be hei
grandfather, and man occupying a
high social position. While she was
not allowed 10 associate with boys VI hei
own age, she was permitted to receive the
caresses OF this Cine old family friend
until her own modcsty gave the alarm.
You can insiil an idea OF dignity and
womanly reserve into your little daugh.
tef's mind about these matters without
destroying her innocence; but even n
you must starlle her somewhat out oil
her childlikc ignorsn and freedom Of
conduct II is better that the experience
should come through you than through
the men who frequent your house.
Make yourself her coniidant, that she
may avoid revealing herself In ignorance
10 dangerous companions of either sex.
You tell me with great dignity and some
severity that your daughter is not al.
lowed to associate with dangerous com.
panions OF either sex; that you know
ner mates thoroughly and they are ex.
ceptional young people" My dear
madam, your words are empty air. You
know no more OF the secret thoughts