The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-01-16

purity. it is surprising that more
attention is not given to one grave
fault the neglect on the part OF
parents and teachers to give their
children information concerning
the plain facts of their physical
being. and instruction as to their
responsibility i'll view OF their po-
tentiaIitv of fatherhood and moth
erhood. 1t does not need arGu-
mpnt to show that this is an M
portantmatter. Biology teaches us
that there are two main functions
Of all living organisms nutrition
and reproduction. The one has
80 ito with the preservation OF the
individual. the other with the lie
of the species. Is not the knowl-
edge Of one of the two mann tunc-
tions of our life all important mat
ter? This being SO, why is it
subject to be religiously avoided
in the training of children? Is 1T
because they take no interest IN 1T?
For your answer 90 to the mother
who has had hundreds OF puzzllng
uuestions put to her by the won
c}erinc mind of her child. 1t is
false modesty that keeps parents
and teachers silent: a feeling based,
sometimes. on the fact that their
own early knowledge was assocl-
ated with impure thoughts, and
thev DO not, therefore. know now
to- present the subject purely to
their children. And so they ac
cent. in spite OF their own expert
ance. the foolish tradition that
would fain make them believe they
are thus keeping their boys and
lirls in blissful ignorance. What
is the result Of this neglect? "A
I7ov comes to his mother with some
tluestion which his own unfolding
mind has formulated, orWhlch facts
he has observed suggest, In nlne
cases out of ten she Will either
rive him some evaS1ve answer or
else chiae him for talking about
such improper things. That boy
docs not come to his mother with
many more such questions. but he
get, them answered. Where? On,
The streetcan answered. these ques-
SONS and many more. Some back
aEley. where a half dozen boys are
smoking cigarettes, can give that
BOY information in a half hour that
he cannot forget in ii lifetime
Results: DO men gather grapes
of thorns or FIGS of thisties? lie
sees the subject in distorted light
and his brain is fired with a thou
sand exciting pictures. Would thai
s,ov ask his mother about his sex
nal life now. think you? II, whe1
he had first come to her, she hao
satisfied the query in his mind IL
a judicial and honest manner. ano
had tried. as new questions pre-
scented themselves. to show hin
the wonders Of his being III wa.
that would make him feel their sa
credness and his own responsible
1tv. the outcome might have beer
very different, but she has lost tina
opportunity and it is as irrecover
able as the purity her boy ha
lost. Come to me when you wan
TO know about such things. sal
awisc aud iudicious mother to he
little girl, after her eager inquire
about the baby dress her mothe
was making had been sweetly an
truthfully answered. The chill
rs ennohlett by her mothers cont
dence and viii be worthy OF /
1t will bind them fast friends an
she will come to her mother an
gain from pure lips the 6nowlede
OF what motherhood really mean
Even if it were possible. could tt
mother afford to leave her chill
~ ignorance: Ask the Thousand
OF outcasts who have learned
The sacrifice Of all that was dear
life. whether Ignorance is sd
protection in this world. So-callt
modesty on the part Of parents al
teachers is responsible for mu(
of the evil that drags down ii
race. Such modesty makes o
boys and girls a prey to all Il
powers Of sin and pollution. SUI
modesty helps to fill our insal
asylums with wrecks of the your
manhood and womanhood Of o
country, and feeds the dens of i
EQUITY that nightly burn the Ii
out Of thousands more IN this a.
other cities. Such modesty
crime. Minneapolis journal.