The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-02-26
ideas tor TIunmen.

NAJ
only women understand children thor
cusnty, but II a mere man keeps very
quiet and humbles himself properly and
retrafns from talking down to his SUI
periors. the children VIII sometimes be
good to him and let him see what they
Rink about the world. But. even after
patient investigation and the condescen-
SION OF the nursery. 1t is hard to draw
babies correctly"
He IS true. that where a man must
wonder in this regard a mother will
step in and understand. otherwise the
great men n good women of the world
would not exist. and the oid world would,
have less record of noble deeds thar. 1t
shows today.
But in spite of this quick mother SOUP
the fact remains that thousands of little
ones grow to manhood and womanhood
without for a moment being understood
thoroughly, without knowing the entire
sympathy which can develop the blossom.
49,
Il believe" laughed a young father the
other day. that if I found anyone fore
ing my young ones into the dark as I
used to be forced. I should murder that
individual upon the spot. Ny own tor
lures remain with me too wildly for
that. As a child I was of a frightfully
nervous temperament. Ny people being
all sturdy. healthy beings, could not un-
derstand nerves in a boy. They ridi-
culed the thing openly. Endeavered in
all possible ways to harden me- One
of my iercest trials was descending to
the cellar to bring up apples. My family
were New E~nglanders, and used to eat
apples during the evening reading circle.
OF course. when the apples were to be
brought, I was dispatched to the cellar.
The agonies I underwent in. going up
and down that dark stairway may have
determined me to spare my own young
sters all similar tribulations."
What a ridiculous thing it is this pro-
cess of hardening, 'as it is understood.
Hardening is certainly desirable, the
strengthening of the child's physical
powers, quieting his nervous system and
developing his reasoning powers. But
these ends were never yet accomplished
by adding new shocks to a frail congti-
tuition 1t Is claimed by those women
with whom child study is a life work,
that a child from babyhood who has
been understood will not know the
meaning of -vousn or fear.
tiOc pfOuiem Oh the matter lies IN
the case of the child who has been mis-
understood and has become a victim of
nervousness. What can be done to bring
him to a rational view? Gentleness and
patience are the only means possible.
Don't ridicule his fear-especially before
strangers. Don't refer to 1t at all. Treat
him as if in every respect his valor
equaled yours. Don't send him upon mis-
sions which, on account of -rvousne
he breads. Trust to time and develop
ment which are powerful and which blot
out many fears.
The nervous child should b protected
from all shocks, all sudden excitements
and terrors contain poison as subtle as
the microbes of contagious disease. The
thoughtless practical jokes which older
children will play at times upon the
young and timid should be guarded
against. "Old wives tales as Shakes
peare calls them, have often a bad in
luence upon a nervous young one. The
healthier children can cas- off the effect
OF these bioodcurdling yarns. But to the
trail little people this is we'll nigh i'm
possible Any man or woman who. in
childhood, loved an old family nurse.
wild remember that there is no tale of
medical clinic, of graveyard, of spirit
world and of strange Condolences In
which these old people are not adept.
Nowhere Is the thoughtfulness or the
supreme selfshness of the housekeeper
better illustrated than by the appear
ance of the spare room. BY her guest
chamber shall We know hert Even
though the furniture may be of the SIM
plest character. the walls covered with
the least expensive paper. and the
window curtains of eight-cent swiss,
there may yet be tina subtle some
thing we call comfort, which even the
c~ostliest~ furnishings fall to give without
the careful ~forethought of the hostess. |
First of all. let your spare room be
livable-don't let it dimly suggest a
vault. with its generally unused air and
chilly atmosphere; and don't, on the |
other hand. let it suggest the appear
ailce of having been partially vacated
ter the incoming guest-for there is
nothing really more inhospitable than
the half-empty bureau drawers n the |
~untenanted peg or two in the ward
robe. They all plainly say: You are
not expected to tarry iongt' and truth
to tell, there is usually not much desire |
to do SO beneath such a roof and with
such a hostess.
First, then, have an air of livable |
comfort in the apartment devoted to
the rites Of hospitality. If possible have
a, lounge. or at least. a low capacious
armchair. furnished with a cosy, usable
cushion or two-not the heavy embroid-
cred affair which plainly says, touch
rne mott" Then at the head of the
lounge, or beside the chair place a sub
stantial table, and on it scatter a few
books. ranging from grave to gay, and
one or two late magazines or Journals
not. I beg of you, those dating six
months back!
Let the dressing table stand in a good
light, and see that it is furnished with |
al the small toilet accessories, pins. hair
pins, a whisk-broon, a hand-mirror, a
bottle of violet water, and all the trifes |
required by the fastidious woman.
Next. n perhaps most important of |
ell, is the washstand. Let the toilet |
set be roomy and complete, and be sure
to supply a capacious foot-bath. Let there
be a generous provision of towels, gener-
GUS both as to size and quantity. and
do not fall to provide a Turkish bath mai |
30 that the guest may enjoy her morning
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