The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-09-09

older boy came to the rescue, and with
out inquiry or comment wrenched 1t
loose from the weaker grasp and handed
it to her W vigorous charge, saying
There. now, run away with 1t. and don't
let me hear any more quarreling.n The
meek little loser in this unequal game
stood still for a moment, wiped his eyes,
and left the field.
/ have seen a child deliberately put
away and conceal all his best toys for
fear his visitors might injure them, while
his mother sat laughing at his ingenuity
in finding hiding places. without uttering
one protest or making a suggestion that
it would be generous to share the delight
he found in using them. Hospitality is
as much the duty and privilege Of the boy
as Of the father, and the power of giving
pleasure ought to be made plain to him
as a responsibility, as soon as he can
enjoy a playmate.
There can be no question that It IS
hard to see a pet engine In danger Of de-
struction, or to have you very dearest
doll taken by some one who. having no
maternal instinct, holds her by the neck
and brushes her clean white dress; but
his hardship belongs to the germ-educa-
ton, which will bear fruit a long day
hence, when the heir of the house comes
to his own, or the fair young woman sets
aside her own comfort for the gratidca-
ton Of a guest.
Few natures are gifted with a native
generosity, an innate love of giving out
Of their W s~torehouses either Of mind
or material possession to aid their fell
low-creatures Unborn in most Of us Is
that tendency to self-seeking which is the
bane of human society, says the New
York POST While an infant is yet UNI
able to articulate its cravings it will
snatch the bright object of its desires
from its brothers ham and struggle to
retain it..
Yet it is easily possible for a little
one to be gently indicted into the en-
joyment of sharing ad giving until it
delights in the visible result Of its I'M
s~elishness. Both the appreciation and ex-
pressed qualification by which a mother
can convey her happiness in the prof
fered shore of a. tld-bit and the stern
~disapproval which maks the discovery
of a hidden sweet devoured in solitude
make a lasting impression
The longest honaiy about sharing with
Others and not being greedy, and all the
othe dont's and nots in the language,
are OF no avail compared with the
force Of making the giving and dividing
so pleasant that the child wants to be
generous for his own sake. In the verb
est baby heart you can rouse an active
wish to be kind by making it plain that
some is happy in consequence.
It is in no way difficult to make a
child realize its own comforts by show
ing him the meager provision of the
poor. Or a cold day a bare foot speaks
volumes to a well-clothed child; it would
not be hard to win the young heart to
such s~oftness as to be willing to give
UP something to remedy the need. And
if the object lesson can be carried as
far as to let the new shoes be actually
given to the unshod, and the cold little
foot be covered while the donor watches
the delight of the recipient, 1t is fairly
to be placed upon the c%ertainties that
he who gives will never fail to think
kindly OF the shoeless as long as he
lives.
But I did not mean to be too quickly
drawn into the ealms of what we call
charity my thought were rather turn
ing to the forms of s~elfshness which do
! 81 HUGH ~ Lldh6 VI IidI the nome OF
the child of today, and, hardening into
habitual moulds of manner and action,
win destroy the beauty and charm of the
home of the man fifteen or twenty years
hence.
An absolute tyranny becomes a part of
many children's daily action toward
their nurses and attendants: if the
child is content, healthfuI, uncomplain-
ing, the busy mother does not ask how
this result is obtained. Many a quite
young or even old woman lives in an
absolute slavery to an exacting child,
and on longer comment is made of the
surrender of time and ease and comfort,
end even sometimes duty, than the
smiling commentator of the mother,
who says, not Without pride in the mas
terful energy Of the young tyrant; Nora
i sa treasured l really do not see how
she can be so patient with Ernesti''
Meanwhile, Ernest is overthrowing her
work basket, insisting on long and tire
some walks, refusing to pick up or repair
any disorder, requiring an attendance of
an hour for what could pc done in IF
teen minutes, making dressing and un
dressing a toll, demanding to be coaxed
or watched to sleep, and adding hours
of labor to a day already well burdened
with care and responsibility.
TO be taught not to do things because
they will try or weary a nurse is but a
decent foundation to the good nj
which are the true expression of charac-
ter; but 1t helps a ~thousandfold more to
inculate by practice Gheory is Of little
use to an immature mind the ways by
which the relief can be given. When
a little girl has learned that by being
still n playing with her dolls nurse
can get a nap after a wakeful night with
baby brother, she will soon begin to en-
10y her own Importance, and. tptoe
about in a most impressive way, and
hold up her fingers with the gravity OF
her grandmother if you open the nursery
door too suddenly. The doing and see
ing are the things which teach the child
thoroughly and appreciation is the very
essence Of growth to the seed once sow
in good ground.
Especially hard it is to a devoted
mother to avoid letting her children be-
come very selfish in regthr to herself
yet while she spares them the perform
ance Of duty and takes upon her already
burdened hands tasks which are rightly
theirs. she is robbing them of things fal
more precious than an hour of idleness
or Of gay companionship. BY a sterr
or in1exible command 10 do certain
things at certain times-things. perhaps
-eorv dfcfaefaful hecausn uninterestine