Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-04-30
vigorously half an hour every evening

ssOh, pshawl" you say: 'Tet Nature
take her course. "She will set matters
right in her W time" -
My dear madam or sir. you should
pause and analyze the meaning OF your
words. Your developing child isl grow
Ing animal, but to let Nature tax 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 the
man must govern impulse by reason ana
judgment unless he wishes to be only an
animal, instead Of the highest expires.
sion Of divinity yet evolved from animal
life.
Therefore, instead Of '1ettine Nature
take its course" you must direct Ma
lures impulses by wisdom q care Into
heathful channels.
Avert overweight ~imaginattons and
excited nerves by q systematic course OF
exercise which produces thorough cir-
culation 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 r~etires, and see to 1t that she
gets up as soon as she awakens. =,
Nothing gives my daughter such
pleasure as to lie and dream" said q
blind mother to me once. "She Is no
hand for outdoor romps, like other girls;
just give her a book and q lounge and
she will be happy all day long"
ut would be better for her health to
romp outdoors and read less" / sug-
gested.
"Oh, she Is in excellent health; she
never has an ache or pain; the languid
way is natural to such dreamy temper
aments, l fancy"
II | had told that mother what was
the nature of the dreams | e In her
young daughters eyes she would have
shown me the door. u,
But let me beg Of you to be alert and
avoid allowing your daughter to form
this habit of %languorous day-dreams. 1t
is moro fascinating than any outdoor
sport, once formed, and more enervat-
ing than the hardest labor. Many a
weakly woman might trace her ailments
back to this period OF luxurious imagln-
alton in her youths dawn.
"But I 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 ana
luxury as are the girls Of to-day. House
hold duties and the care Of the younger
children devolved upon the daughters OF
the household instead Of upon servants
and nursemaids, as In the present time.
Then, TOO, you may have been one OF
the exceptions TO the rule; bat remem-
Der that it Is unsafe to expect your
daughter to be exactly like you. She
has a paternal inheritance. Many q
calm, practical mother forgets that the
fathers fiery or poetic nature may OF
right descend to her daughter, and that
it needs a more careful guarding than
did her own. And the strangest fact OF
it all Is that the father forgets or ig-
nores this also. 1t Is well to keep the
facts before his eyes.
1t is we'll to make him realize that a
certain amount OF social amusement,
| where games and dancing predominant,
among carefully selected companions, Is
a necessity to the physical and moral
well-being of his daughter. Call his at
tention to the fact that a tightly closed
vessel Of boiling steam expiodes and
| causes devastation anc destruction II IL
has no outlet. A human being develop
ing into vigorous maturity Is like this
vessel, and the outlet tor q portion or
the surging vital forces should be made
In healthful pleasures and amusements.
When YOU daughter reaches the age
OF twelve years at latest you should In
struct her that it is not modest TO allow
gentleman guests and friends to take
her upon their knees and caress her.
| Let no false idea OF keeping her "a child
as long as possible" render your care
less in this matter. And do not make
the foolish blunder of thinking that all
your men friends are ''perfect gentle
men," who could not entertain an I'M
worthy thought toward your daughter.
In your quiet domestic role you know
very little Of what is going on In the
minds of men. You think OF your
~twelve-year old daughter as a child
they think OF the woman she Is soon 10
be-. Their thoughts and feelings are
contagious. One of the most carefully
reared aed severely chaperoned girls 1
ever knew told me that her first knoUl.
edge Of evil came 10 her at the age OF
thirteen through a lifelong friend OF her
family-a man old enough TO be her
grandfather, and q man occupying a
high social position. While she was not
| allowed TO associate with boys OF her
own age, she was permitted TO receive
the caresses OF this 'hne old family
friend" until her own modesty gave the
alarm. You can instill an idea OF dig
nifty and womanly reserve Into your lit
tie daughters mind about these matters
without destroying her iLnocence: but
even IL you must startle her somewhat
out of her childiike ignorance and free
dom of conduct, 1t is better that the ex-
perience should come through you than
through the men who frequent your
house.
Make yourself her c%onfidante, that
| she may avoid revealing herself In ie-
norance to dangerous companions OF
either sex. You tell me with great dig
nifty and some severity that your
daughter Is not allowed to associate
with dangerous companions Of either
sex; that you know her mates thorough
ly, and they are exceptional young peo-
pie" My dear madam. your words are
empty air. You know no more OF the
secret thoughts and feelings OF your
daughters mates than you know OF the
man In Mars.
You might be startled and shocked
| should they think aloud In your pres
ence once: They are not vicious, but
they are in the Uniformed chaotic state
| of which l am trying to warn you 10 re
gard to your own daughter, and their
mingled curiosity and Ignorance, and