The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-11
CHILDREN's TROUBLES.
Social Distinctions Which Lead Them
Into Snobbery.
Harner's Razar-

Harper B3Zar.
Children are susceptible to many pains
which we escape as our knowledge in
creases. To them the fact that the friend
who sat all winter at an adjoining desk
without suggesting great differences in con-
dttiOn is, on a first appearance before an
admiring public able to suddenly outshtne
them in splendOr. arOuses pain all the
more bitter because in its origin II is mis-
understood The laws of cause and effect
so much study and so much gain, so much
application and so many good marks-haVe
been those by which they have been guided
in the schoolroom, by which they have been
taught TO measure their everyday progress.
But here on a platform, where the fruits
of all their labors are supposed to be dis
pniyed, where for the first time the world
Is admitted in judgment-here for the hrst
time superiOritteS which, so Tar as these
children can see, bear no relation whatever
either to individual excellence or endeaVor,
and which though arbitrary and seemingly
artificial are subtle and powerful in
their influence as those when owe thelr
origin to virtue.
get our bearings among the shoals of social
discrepancies What wonder, then, that a
child should sometimes founder in the ef-
fort. The boy understands the pain or tne
effort well the girl, though he Will
not often confess it until he has boy of
his own to guard. Then, and then only,
he confesses what were some of these ag-
onies of his youth.
one cannot but applaud the wisdom and
tact of these public-School teachers. me
problem they are trying to solve Is DIFF
ficult one and cannot be easily settled For
the rules they make Tor commencement
day, judiciouS as they are, are not the rules
which the scholar can prohtably carry into
the rest of his life, unless there goes with
them an derstandng of principles In
volved-the principles of taste for instance.
of general fitness. which is but another
word for the same thing, ana OF modesty
and of kindly consideration.
For the requirements of life vary with
varying conditions, and one Is as stupid
not to obey them as one Is vain in obtrud-
ing individual advantages. Not to dress
properly for a great function Is as vulgar
to OVerdreSs for small one Ana ue-
fiance of convention and taste rs often but
another form of expression chosen by
spirit that is vain. For the vanity of opin~
ion is as subtle in its suggestions for dis
play as the vanity of person.
1t is a difficult task to make the young
understand fine distinctions. To teach
them certain well-established ways of do
ing things-of eating, walking, moving. for
Instrumentation their own ways or those or
an injudicious acquaintance are preferred;
to train them in the uses of fine appoint
mentS that they are at nome among them,
and so cease to be self-conscious or awh-
ward in their presence; to instill into them
a sense of proprieties, without which they
things, and while doing them to help Gull
tiVate in the mind Of the child n consider
alton having no touch of condescension in
1t for those who nave not had the same
advantages-to do all this requires an abil-
ity, delicacy and refinement TO which we
owe all honor.
For children at times are terrible snobs-
worse Snobs than grown-up people. "A little
girl in a carriage on her way to dancing
school last winter saw friend, also going
to dancing school, get into a stage. Il
more" said the child in the carriage to her
mother She goes to dances in omni-
buses" You will go that way yourself
for the rest of the winter, the very wise
venience to herself she made the child go
in stages for the rest of the year.