The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-02-04
Opportunities Offered Them in
the kindergarten.
INFLUENCING FUTURE GRANDMAS
What May be Done for the Nation.
Childish Minds Early Taught to
Seek Proper Paths-Careful Work
Well as Constant Prayer.

The destiny of nations lies in the hands
of women" "
These are the inspired words of the
great founder of the kindergarten.
. Napoleon devined the truth that
underlies them, when, being asked the
question "What is the greatest need
of France today?" he gave the laconic
answer Mothers"
Does the destiny of this Hawaiian
nation, then depend upon its women,
its mothers Undoubtedly it does in
a far larger measure than We at pres
ent realize. If this be true, the sooner
we find it out the better, so that we
may apply our effort for the uplifting
of this portion of humanity where it
will return the greatest results.
IN a discussion lately as to the i'm
portance of kinderg arten work one
LADY somewhat passed middle age,
who did not believe very much i'll
them as factor in a reformatory
wo'k, said, "The place to begin is
with the grandmothers."
Yes, that is just the place to begin,
but we will have to begin with the
only grand Dioth hers we can re ach, and
these are the little ones in our
kindtrgartens, and there will never
be any real beginning until we can
discuss the "grandmothers' IN these
little ones
We have been try ing for generations
TO fefT one Upas tee by struggling
efforts to lop off the topmost branches
We max some progress it is true, but
gradually ii is dawuing upon us that
if we lay our axe to the root of the tree
We shall do more effective work and
more surely accomplish one desi ed
end, but the trunk is huge, we must
take time, it Will be long work, but
it will be a certain and permanent
one.
The time must come when we will
be willing to begin a work whose full
harvest cannot be reaped until gene
rations after We are gOne. We must
begin sometime to put our very best
aud strongest effort upon the child
rem of today who are in the coming
to morrow to be the mothers aud
grandmOthers of successive genera
tiOns from whence this abundant
harvest will be reaped; reaped from
the seed sowing of toiay if iL be well
done. What matters it if We are not
here to see?
Is not the character of the present
generation but the product of the ill or
we'll directed effort of the mothers of
When he said "rrain Up a child in the
way he should go, and when he is old
he will not depart from it," When q
child of good parents ever goes wrong
we know there has been some failure
i'll the training, in the guiding and re-
gulating of its questionable years,
though neither they nor we can al
ways tell Just where or what 1t was.
Undoubtedly, in such case it is more
often than otherwise the result of mis-
directed effort spIinging from iguor-
auce OF the mental, moral or physical
laws of nature. The men of today,
are as a rule, what the mothers of yes
terday unwittingly chose them to be.
Is there no remedy? Must we still
go on AS cur fathers have done before
US, fighting evil with prayers ami
petitions and much wasted, because
i'll directed fort, (aun this is not say
ing that prayers aud petitions have
no place In retOrmatury work, on the
contrary, we believe they do have
large office to perform in ameliOrating
cOndItlODs K conditions that
cannot be permanently changed how
ever excepting tn cOugh the natural
process of growth, which must begin
ia the most pressiOnable period of
humau Hfe). Has not new light
OaWneu Oh our DAY Oy winch we ought
To be able to do more permanently
effective work than they? Is there
not in the Kindergarten idea new
weapon which ma5 Oe u>,d with fresh
advantage against the foe, in this war
of aggression upon the combined
hosts of evil, that seems to hold the
field aud defy us as We fight Come,
let US together go into our little Ha
waiIan Kindergarten and tarry
awhile, considering some of the pos |
abilities for the future which it seems |
% offer.
LAS the twIg is bent,-the trees iu-
,liued,n but We don't think of that to
Iegin with, We only watch the little
,nes, busy and happy at their songs
LDd games and occupation work; we
tre satisfied, as a general thing, if
hey are clean and tidy and orderly,
hat they have a good teacher, and
hat all is going on, well. But If we
OOk below the surface, W. see the
amily. Our kindergarten is trans
Ormed.
A mother-she gathers her little
mes about her all ready for her mold
ng touch. Napoleon's thought flashes