The record-union., 1896-01-30
LOOK TO YOUR CHILDREN.
The Lot of Many Youngster is Not a
Happy One.
Bringing Up Children In Hotels and
Boarding-Houses is Very
Strongly Condemned.

Especial Correspondence of Record -Union.)
PORTLAND (Or.), Jan 25.-I wonder
if, after all, it's such good thing to be
small boy or a small girl? 1 used to
think, not so very long ago, either, that
I'd give almost anything I possessed
to be happy, go-lucky, care-free
ycungster again, but I've changed my
opinion of late; small people of to-day
are not what they used to be- don't
know whose fault it is, but I'm rather
of the opinion that it is not wholly the
fault of the children, but rather of their
parents. Children are not wanted now
adays; they are brought into the world
under protest. Under these circum-
stances, if there is anything at all in
the law of heredity, who can blame the
child if it is morose and sullen; it is
not its fault, but the fault of its par
ents.
If one-half the children in the world
to-day had their say in the matter be-
forehand, if a glimpse of their future
could be given them, they would not
be born; that's why I say that a child's
life should be made as happy and COM
Portable for him as possible. All chill
dren are not angels, happily so, but
for Little Lord Fauntleroy, neither you
nor I, my friends, would want our
children to be unwinged angels, always
going about doing the right thing in
the right place; children are faulty
just as you and are faulty, but be-
cause they are so do not be harsh and
unreasonable with them.
Never punish a child until you have
clearly demonstrated to it just why he
is to be punished. Don't be too impul-
sive with a child, petting it one minute,
the next furnishing it, at least let it
know what to expect. There is an
other don't, this time a great big one
don't ever be guilty of beating your
child. There are other ways and man
ners of furnishing children without
beating them as though they were lit
tie dumb animals incapable of human
reasoning and common sense. Tell
child when it is wrong; point out the
error; reason with it, but never beat
it Then if the child commits the fault
again punish it in some other way. You
will find that by doing this you will
retain the child's affection and conf
denee
Above all, be patient with your chill
dren remember, fathers and mothers,
that you were children once yourself.
Do not send your little son or daughter
off to school when they are scarcely able
to speak because they are in your way,
and you want to get rid or them. Re
member that the moment a child goes
to school a new life opens before it. The
little son will find new associations; he
gets new ideas. Be careful that these
associations and ideas are of the right
sort; be careful of your children's COM
panions, especially those they meet at
school. By these companions the whole
of his future career may be determined.
Be careful in the selection of teach
ers for your sons and daughters. A
good teacher has a great influence over
her pupils. She ought to be sympa-
thetic, magnetic, a woman to inspire
the love and confidence of her pupils;
to stimulate them to higher, nobler
things. It's great responsibility 80
have the care of children and direct
their training in the proper way. A
woman who devotes her entire time to
society, leaving her children to the
tender mercies of hired servants, does
not make a good mother; neither does
the poor tired, overworked woman with
a numerous family and her own house
work to do.
But the worst kind of a mother is the
woman who rears her offspring in the
atmosphere of a hotel or a boarding
house. Children need plenty of fresh
air, plenty of sunshine, plenty of room
to jump around, in order to become
strong, healthy men and women with
aIo ], inc ioh q fh14n ont
come of good health. The average
boarding house people look upon their
children as they do dogs and cats and
mice and other pests. The confined
life prescribed by the rules of the board
ing house is antagonistic to the health
and well being of the child; one or two
walks in the open air isn't going to
benefit him materially. The child needs
plenty of room to get out in the air and
shout and play and run about. 1t isn't
pleasant for him to walk through
the halls when he wants to run, to talk
in a subdued tone when he wants to
shout, and if he should walk a little
faster or shout little louder he is COM
planned of, and gets punished in conse-
quence. That is child's life in a public
house Why is it? Simply because his
mother is to indolent to take upon her
self the responsibility of a house Of her
own. The future of her child is as
nothing to her, it is only of herself that
she thinks.
How much better it would be if only
mothers and fathers would set nearer
their children, would take a more active
part in their welfare, would in fact
study their dispositions and character
istics more carefully. Because your
child is part of your own flesh is no
reason why he should not be as dia-
metrically opposite to you in everything
as are the poles. You can't mold your
childs disposition and character, but
you can soften it down and smooth off
the rough edges. If fathers would only
take few hours from business and talk
to their boys, If mothers would only
take few hours from society and talk
to their daughters, we would have bet
ter men and women in this world to-
day.
Take any of the boys and girls who
are to-day crowding our reforgnatories
and ask them what their home life Was;
true. as you may say, their environ
ments were different from your sons
and daughters, but I ask where is the
| difference between these waits Of hu-
manity who crowd up like Topsy,
never knowing what home life was. and
your own son and daughter, who have
never known the comfort of a home.
though possibly surrounded by every
| luxury. because they never heard the
| Syyeet comfort of a loving mother or the