The age-herald., 1899-01-22
Mrs. ]. H. Phillips
 Talks on Child Study

The Woman's club was taxed beyond it's seating capacity yesterday afternoon with a representative gathering of Birmingham women. The occasion was a talk on child study by Mrs. J. H. Phillips. Preceding her talk the Misses Lewis sang charmingly, and following Mrs. Phillips delight full talk was brief one by the president of the Woman's club, Mrs. Robert H. Pearson and by Miss W. M Allen. The latter spoke in reference to the mothers meeting which is to be held on next Wednesday, and the following ladies were elected to represent the Woman's club at the first meeting of the Mothers club: Mrs. Zac Smith, Mrs. J. D. Moore, Mrs. B. O. Watkins, Mrs. s. l.. Ledbetter and Mrs. Harvey Harsh An announcement was made that on next Saturday a well-known young lawyer of Birmingham would address the Woman's club on the subject: ''The Laws of Alabama as They Relate to Woman"
 The usual club tea closed an unusally charming afternoon at the Woman's club. Mrs. Phillips talk and the club tea were under the auspices of the educational de- partment.
 Mrs. Phillips spoke in her usual delight ful way, and recalled a number of amusing incidents in child life. The following is quoted from her remarks yesterday:
 What is Child study?
 Professor Barnes, of Leland Stanford uni- versity, says, Tt is the inductive and quan- titative study of human beings" It in- cludes, therefore, what is meant by genetie psychology.
 Gletic psychology aims to discover the laws that govern growth and development of human beings. The interests, tastes, in- stincts, ideals, that predominate at differ ent periods in human development, the va rfk1 tts 4l..A ods, and the extent of these capacities, are questions for genetie psychology.
 Professor O'Shea, of the University of Wisconsin, says: "Child-study has been thought to refer wholly to the scientific investigations of the characteristics of child life. Such people regard it as an in- tellectual movement merely. But in far more important sense it stands for a rich emotional attitude towards children, con- secration to the care in the home and iI the school.
 Teachers gatherings everywhere are con- sidered incomplete without papers and dis cussions upon this subject Most of leading periodicals have a Child Study de- partment, not to mention numerous peri odicals devoted entirely to the subject.
 But what we may consluer the most sig nificant and hopeful fact is that in the ma jority of women's organization this subject leads in interest-philosophy, current
  glad to acknowledge it's leading place, be- cause they know it embraces everything. Miss Allen has opened her educational de- partment with this as it's first study, and without solicitation you will see women focking to join.
 It has already been learned that heaping together mass of souless statistics is nnt studying the child. There is a great gulf fixed between that loving knowledge of child nature which can be born of sym pathy alone. Without this sympathetic at- mosphere, the science of education will beat it's wings help4essly in a vacuum.
 The emotional love which fills the mothers soul must be spiritualized or it cannot enter the eternity of the chd's life. yEn- frightened motherhood says: My child our child Gods child" Mother love stands to the child for Gods love; it must have this divine element in it or it can not support true life and growth The emotional mother performs for the child every dsagreeable task, and allows every wish to be gratifed, simply because she loves.
 Kate Douglas Wiggin says: 'There are women who live in perfect puddles of ma ternal love, who yet seem incapable of jus tice; generous to fault, perhaps, but sell dom just. The enlightened mother knows she is simply the child's guardian until it arrives at the age of discreton-that un- certan peried which arrives so late in life with some people, and not at all with others.
 Untaught maternal instinct in a general way indicates the method by the soft coo- ings, rythmic jingles and melodious rhym- ings with which the mother soothes and wins her child, and seeks to attune his being to the control of reason and will. In our effort to train this instinct we should keep this in mind, and in the preparation of young women for the art of human cul- ture, we should open every avenue whence light may come. We should place in their hands every instrument of power, from the needle to the pen, and from the cradle that