The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1897-04-01
CHILDREN'S CENTURY.
ABOUT CHILD CULTURE.

ABOUT CHILD CULTURE.
Mothers Clubs and Klndergartens.
NJ. E. j. Kelley IN Leslie's Weekly.
Some wise mortal, discussing Victor
Hugos remark that this Is the woman's
century, added "and the twentieth will
be the children's century" The child
is apparently a latter-day product. we
have had future men and women,
fathers to the man and mothers to the
woman a plenty, but the child, consld-
cred as child, seems to have come in
to existence only yesterday. 1t Is
scarcely decade since a new science
called child-culture began to be talked
about, and presently there grew up
child study circles, mothers clubs, and
kindergartens. Child-study came to
the dignity of statistics and a special
course in the pedagogical colleges.
Psychologists and psychologists began
to talk Iearnedly about prenatal in
fuences, heredity, individuality, and
environment. And there developed all
sorts of charities and sociological ex-
perlments, bows clubs, kindergartens,
Fairgrounds, day nurseries, and what
not-all intended to reach small boys
and girls. New needs OF children are
discovered every day as the science OF
child-study develops. 1t is enough to
make our grandparents turn in their
graves, if they know what is going on,
to think what they missed in their
bald and severe childhood, when child
was supposed to be thankful to Its par
ents for being alive at all.
Probably in no other branch ofsocio-
logical development has the change OF
base been so complete as in the treat
ment of defectiye, diseased, orphaned,
or abandoned children. Within the
memory of people not very old these
classes of children were sent to the
almhouse to be cared for as best they
might. The notion that any special
provisions were needed for them, OF
that the society of the decrepit or in
dolent or vicious might be harmful, Is
a decidedly latter-day one. Orphan
asylums, founding homes,day nurseries,
babies hospitals are extremely modern
affairs.
The wholesale method of training chill
dren, however, does not meet universal
approval. The feeling against the great
institutions grows stronger every day.
In Australia and New Zealand and in
several of the United States a sort OF
s'farmlng-out" 6 tenn has been sub
stituted In the sc OF orphans and
foundllngs. In Massachusetts and, to
some extent, in Pennsylvania children
deprived of their natural protectors are
given to families who satisfy the State
officials of their fitness, and weekly
sum is paid for the care of the children
until they are able to look out for
themselves.
The chief objection to the wholesale
method of bringing up children is that
it destroys individuality and the sense
of responsibility. Children brought up
in large institution seem to be cast
all in one mould. Isolation from the
practical affairs of the everyday world
leaves young girl particularly liable
to yield to the temptations that are apt
to beset her when just out of an insti-
tuition and crazed by her sense of free
dom. For the first time in her life she
may. stay up after nine o'clock, pro-
menade the street to her hearts con-
tent, or even 90 to dance. Many,
probably, drift into the safe harbor OF a
home Of their own. For the boys
turned sdrift by the institution there
is rarely such comfortable prospect.
A boy without independence and self
reliance, lacking in ability to hold his
own in the struggling, everyday world,
is not apt to be good material for
citizenship. It must be said in fair
ness, however, that institutions do not
always have the finest material to deal
with in the first place.
Another objection which has lately
been raised against the great institu-
tions, particularly those which keep
children until they are fifteen or six
teen, is that they are not only trade
schools turning out shirt-makers, glove.
makers, and other craftsmen, but they
are also constantly bidding in the mar
ket for that sort of work, and thereby
reducing the wages in these trades
below the living limit.