The times., 1898-10-09
"a study of n Child,

A book of somewhat unusual character
IS "A Study of n Child" by Louise E.
Hogan. Notice the title 1t is not 1.-THE
Study OF The Child. but "a Study Of A
Child" The subject is removed from
the abstract to the concrete. We have
had plenty of books on the study of chill
dren in the abstract; this one is the sim
pie story of the development of one par
ticular child. That perplexing creature.
the average" child, is not in the Ques-
tion at all
Perhaps the book will seem TO some
critics like a chronicle Of very small beer
indeed, but such critics are not required
TO read it, A single chapter. even a sim
gle page, will give a correct idea of the
nature OF the book, and the unwary Will
not be deceived. All of its two hundred
and more pages are covered with facts
relating to the development OF one infant,
written down as they occurred, and Print
ed almost in the exact shape of the origi-
nal diary. To people who are not inter
ested in children this book Will seem very
great rubbish; TO those who are, and par
ticularly to the young mother, the kim
OCTEalNA4EAs anu AA-S RAN-A-NNAS
teacher. ii should appeal with peculiar
force.
Until a comparatively recent period
children We're regarded as undeveioped
human beings, VINO were 70 be trained,
like vines, in the place where they We're
intended 10 go, their only business IN LIE
being 10 respond intelligently and with
docility to this training. The possibility
that the child might have some ideas of
its own which would be worth consider
ing was hardly taken into account at
all Lately, however, there has been
movement for child-study, which, in
spite of the r:dicuie, condemnation,
worried mothers and spoiled infants
which il has occasioned, is undoubtedly
doing more good than harm, on the
whole. Whatever is extravagant and
unjCstified in its methods Will be slough
ed of in another generation, and the
reaction which viii ensue, combined
with the softening influence of the best
features Of the system, viii be likely TO
result in an intelligent and far-seeing
plan of education.
In the preface of this book Mrs. Hogan
quotes a letter which she received from
Dr. Preyer, to whom a part of the manu-
script was sent before publication. He
says in part:
Since fifteen year, when the first German edi-
tiOn OF my book The Mind OF the Infant
vas published have wished taat lady, after hav
ing studied the work dole, would lei a child devel-
op itself naturally and without continuity inter
fefing with motEer natu e | actually brought my
boy up in this way, and he is always happy. TEe
boy you Lave Obse. we'd ms L ] ave batn duc1ted
IN a similar way / feel nearly sure are sailing
carefully, bUi with energy, IL exactly the same
direction. ] think the wish ] mentioned viii soon
be fulfilled by You to my hearts content. Mind
you DO net 60 too deep into psychol, gy-contro-
versies which spoil the effect Of your obszrya-
mons. which in many cases may serve pTsctl-
cal guide, without any comm, niaIy. NEsn some
years ago was often asked 10 write popular
nursery psychology with my pedagogical rules,
] always answered that such manual must be
written 10y mother who had not intIusted her
baby 10 nurses but brought il up and thoroughly
studied il lovingly herself and / added that /
would help any lady who would undertake the
lengthy, but ve.y pleasant WORK.
This letter indicates the work of Mrs.
Hogan IN the introduction she gives
some reasons for child-study in the
home and some of her own ideas on the
proper bringing up Of children. One of
these is that child should not receive
too much attention from grown folk, but
should instead be let alone TO do what
pleases it" She says:
II the persons whose business it is 10 take care
OF infants UoG.d, instead OF amusing themselves
al the expense OF the child's nerves, practice |
suiclCnt sa.frestTaint to watch the efforts OF 2
fouT-Ino nti-old child when il is toying TO touch
ball any object within its reach ard line OF
vision, 4s the observed did when three and
oae-half months Old tie immense possibility
would be evident al once Of training a child 10
selioutcrtainment by simply letting lin alone 10
fEd out about things and do for himself.
She then goes on to say that the gen.
eral attitude OF parents and teachers not !
yersed in child-study is somewhat
skeptical, and that they are inclined TO |
let well enough alone" This state /
one who has ever tried TO talk 10 the |
average mother about scientific train |
ing 4 children. 1t is a queer fact that |
while science is universally acknowledge |
ed 10 be helpful in raising flowers, pouI- !
try, or sheep, there seems to be notion !
in the minds of the public that in the |
bringing up of the human animal the |
infaIlible mother instinct is the best |
thing, especially after ii has been the |
guide Of the mother through several |
years. Undoubtedly, experience does |
teach an intelligent woman a great |
many things, and there is something in |
intuition also, but neither of these |
agencies prevented the mothers of the /
last generation from carrying their ba- /
bies out into the cold wind with necks |
and arms bare, nor does ii prevent the |
mother in certain European countries
from tying her infant up in swaddling
clothes, which prevent the baby limbs
from getting any exercise whatever.
Neither does instinct teach all mothers
that a child nine months old must not
eat everything thar comes on the table, |
or that a baby should not be encouraged
to walk too early. All these things are
recognized by the scientist and the
rev mother as evils, but the old
fashioned mother has one answer TO |
all arguments-children have always
been brought up that way in her family.
That under the system of instinct more
than half the children die before they |
reach their fifth year, is a matter which
does not interest her at all, especially if
her own weSns happen to have had suf-
hciently good constitutions TO survive
the very mixed treatment which they
get. The fallacy of this sort of argu-
ment lies in the fact that while here
and there a mother does bring up her
flock with intuitive knowledge of baby
nature and its wants and ways, all
mothers do not by any means have this
Common sense is one of the
most uncommon things in the world.
The record of the development Of one
child, which follows this introduction,
shows plainly that the youngster receiv-
ed, from the very first the most scien-
tific treatment which his parents could |
give him. The record of the first year
is rather fragmentary, owing to the fact
that the diary proper did not begin till ]
the child was fourteen months old. He
seems TO have been an intelligent and
lovab!e baby, though possibly the fact
that the record was kept by his mother
has something to do with this impress
sion. The instinct of imitation is quite
prominently displayed, as is the sensi-
tivenesS TO sight and sound which an in