The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-05-19
THE lola REGISTER.
FRIDAY. MAY 10, 1893.
THE AMERICAN CHILD.
What an Englishmsn Finds to Say Abou
Him.

What an Englishmsn Finds to Say About
Him.
''The American Child, by Returned
Traveller" is the significant title of q
long article printed in the London
Queen. 1t must be admitted. says the
New York Times, that this traveller
meets young American in a much
less cavilling spirit than his country
men have heretofore shown toward
the adult product of this republic. The
writer begins with a proposition: 1.-THE
most sacred person in America is the
child" and then goes on to demonstrate
it:
SIN all civilized countries the newly
arrived baby is a small potentate, be-
fore whose tiny whims and caprices
every member of the household bows;
but the American baby exercises this
prerogative long after his advancing
age has ceased to be counted by months,
and, indeed, he does so all through his
years OF childhood.
After deploring the general and ham
pering wearing, first, of long froclss in
babyhood, then of the long Kate Green
always in childhood and girlhood, we
are told that the American child be-
gins very early in life to take personal
interest in her toilet, and have seen
a baby aged precisely one year and
eight months select the dress she
wished to wear from the pile of
clothes just sent up from the laundry.
Every baby is the proud possessor of
at least one ring, and many childish
hands fairly glitter with tiny dia-
monds. In certain circles in Chicago
this adornment of children positively
runs riot, and at the dancing school lit
tie bepowered and berouged damsels,
in the most elaborate evening attire,
may be seen any afternoon practicing
their step dances But such a state
of things believe to be exceptional,
and existing only among the most vul-
gar of the nouveaux riches"
The word about the maternal parent
of the sketch subject is true and peril
nent, and should be read by those
Americans who like to deplore the de-
cadence of mothers:
THE average American mother is
most sincerely anxious to train her
children well; and there is on their be-
half constant tendency for jewellers
in cities to take refuge in the fresh air
of the beautiful and often distant
suburbs which arc now springing up
everywhere.
'It is true that the first laws of
health are lamentably neglected in the
rearing of children, but if the Amer
lean mother is still behind the English
in this respect, she certainly carries
away the palm in the matter of per-
sonal devotion and self-sacrifcing care.
No expenditure of time or trouble
seems too great, she is absolutely re-
gardless of self, and does for her chill
dren much that we should relegate to
hirelings
''She is, if possible, too unselfish, and
the consequence is that the child is apt
to become exacting. But it is precisely
this peculiar trait that runs through
all American society-it is characters
tic of men no less than of women. Hus-
bands slave for their wives, regardless
of recreation even IN the most heated
days of summer, while the wives in
their turn lavish all their thought and
care upon the little ones"
Concerning our nurseries or absence
of them the writer says:
THE American home. like the