Evening star., 1897-02-19

childhood. In child study growth was the
principal point observ&dl Thousands of
children had been measured with the most
interesting results. Growth was not, as
commonly supposed, the same all over the
body at the same time. The difference be-
tween the fundamental muscles and ac-
cessories was pointed out
In speaking of the 4delopment of the
hbers. cells and muscles, DIR. Halleaid that
the finer muscles in a childs makeup were
connected with its thoughts, and were
therefore of great Importance. The play
| OF the facial muscles often indicated the
thoughts, and mind reading, so called, was
simply muscle reading
Thousands of valuable observations had
been made as to childrens eyes. and 1t had
been found that in Germany, where chill
oren @ enter school at the ages of five or six
years, y per cent hadI defective eyesight
This was increased by the end of the school
term TO f5 per cent. In many cases where
children at school had been thought to be
duii or stupid 1t had developed upon investi-
sat1on that they were afflicted with defec-
tive hearing.
DR.. Hall said that in all cities apparatus
for testing the faculties of children should
be Kept. Headaches among school children
were due, he said, mainly to defective eye
sight. IF school life is really undermining
health 1t cannot do enough good to offset
the harm. A child who is not well ought
rot to be taught
During the afternoon session Mrs VIII
liam King of Atlanta presented the greet
Hgs Oh Georgia clubs to the congress.
The Evening Session.
The session of the congress last evening
was held in Central Hall, which, despite
the lnclement weather, was well filed
During the evening Mrs. Alice c. Robinson
of Baltimore presented a resolution, which
was unanimously adopted. The resolution
read as follows:
Realizing the almost lfmitless power for
good or for evil exerted by the daily press,
ana that the proper education of the youth
OF our land is of vital Importance to the
future prosperity of the state:
Resolved, That we will admit into our
fouses orly those papers whi 1 inspire to
noble thought and deed, and that our III
1uence shall go toward cultivating the pub
lie taste, until it shall demand from the
press only that which elevates and refnes." )"
Mrs. Margaret E. Sangster, the poet, gave
@ talk or Reading Courses for Mothers.
The idea of a course of reading she said,
is rather formidable when presented to
the mind of a busy woman whose time Is
already occupied with the care of the
house, the management of her children and
the various social duties which crowd upon
time in our complex modern civilization.
Many women find their reading necessarily
very limited; others have a sort of un-
spoken feeling that to read in the day time,
even If time is afforded, is a sort of waste
full idleness. Margaret Ogilvy, you remem
her thought 1t hardly respectable to read
in the morning. l remember the pithy say
ing of one friend whose babies were crowd
ed in the nursery like birds in the nest: i
have abandoned all thought or hope of
reading anything except the Bible and the
cookery book
Mrs. Sangster pointed out a number of
books which she thought would be helpful
to mothers when they were called upon TO
amuse and entertain their children. In
conclusion she said that the mother should
have In view the profit and pleasure of her
family; and groups of mothers meeting to-
getbpr and following of read
ing, inte.ligentiy marked out, might easily
affect and uplift the social life of a COM
mun:ty.
,Ir. Anthony COmstock's Talk.
Mr.. Anthony Con- stock of New York,
whose is familiar from one end of
the country to the other, spoke upon the
subject How to Guard Our Youth Against
Bad Literature. In the course of his talk
he said that he had found vice making it's
way into the schools of New York by means
of vicious publications. He had gone to
the boys and girls and insisted on knowing
the truth. and had lear1ied it. He had been
In this work for twenty-five years this
coming March. He had nothing to regret,
though he might have made more money in
another way They had driven out the
evil publications, and there was 'encour
agement to believe that the work would be
permanent. He told how the mails are
used, in spite of such guarding as has been
possible, to circulate obscene photographs
and pamphlets into homes in the remotest
corners of the land. And these things are
sent without the parents knowing anything
about it. They are CIRCULATED by. vicious
boys. ..- 'f''t .f-t
Mr.. Comstock then read a resolution
which he desired the congress 20 adopt
but which was submitted to the committee
on resolutions. 1t was as fellows:
Realizing the almost linlitless power for
good or for evil exerted by the daily press
and that the proper education of the youth
of our land is of vital Importance to the
future prosperity,
Resolved, That we will admit into our
houses only those papers which inspire TO
noble thought and deed, and that our in
fiuence shall go toward cuitivating the
public taste until it shall demand from the
press only that which elevates and refines.
Resolved, That we, the mothers, in con-
gresS assembled, do call upon the Congress
of the United States and the various legis-
latures of the several states in the Union
to enact specific laws to prohibit the dis
sem1nation among the young of all papers
books, magazines and circulars containing
detailed accounts of stories of bloodshcd.
lust or crime; all pictures and displays
which tend to degrade woman or corrupt
or deprave the minds of the young, and all
advertisements of every name and nature
which offend decency, or of any uuack or
medical charlatan which offers for sale or
for criminal purpose"
Mrs. I. w. Birney, the president of the
congress, has announced the following
committee on resolutions: Mrs Ellen A.
Richardson, Mrs. Rachel Foster Avery.
Mrs Ellen Henrotin, Mrs. Benton Smith
Mrs Edwin Atwell, Mrs. Graham. Mrs
Henry Stinson, Countess di RraZZa Mrs
Agnes E. Kemp and Miss Janet E. Rich
ards.