The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-10-21
An American Girl Has an Opera Wrap Of White Molsseine de Sole.

parade before their parents friends. Tn
happy little mortals.
1t isn't in the natural order OF things
that every child born should be immensely
and startlinrly clever. And it isn't always
the great geniuses that give early signs OF
what they are to be in the coming years
MANY a genius has been slow OF growth.
Oaks that flourish for 4 Thousand years do
not spring up into beauty like a reed"
IT is well for one to be ambitious Tor
ones children. for has not there been
many a great endeavor made simply be-
cause the maker Of 1t knew that some
loved one was expecting him, or her. to
mako it? We never want to ~disappoint
those We love. We always want to be just
as great as they expect us to be. but tire
destiny of Z child should be as wisely di-
recteI as possible. but not robbed of all
individuality. II may be- IL" fondest dream
of n mothers life To see her son following
this profession or that. but will he be as
successful in il rs he should be If he was
prompte I'm the adopting OF ii solely ny
the determination not TO disappoint MS
mother?
With an inordinate desire 70 have her
children appear TO the very best possipie
advantage. the unwise mother often forces
them TO appear ut their very worst by cor
rectirg them before strangers. JACK Is
growing tall, and there is quite a humpy
look to his shoulders when he siumps
down in n lazy fashion, n fashion dear 10
bows who are long OF limb and tired OF the
restraint of the schoolroom. AT the sans
time Jack IS quite as proud OF his goou
physique as Is his mother, and IL IS not
calculated to put him Mt his best TO de-
mand of him. before lady callers, that he
stand Up straight. 'for goodness sake.
At once Jack becomes i'll at ease ana SUD
denly his hands and feet seem To nave
grown so big that he does not know what
to do with them and he is glad enough ~
get out of the parlor, hearing the man
depreciating remark as he goes that '
boy IL growing so last L uoh l hH"" "
do with him.
ubora are more sad little hearts IN Il
schoolroom than the anthinhing one "ou''
guess when casting a casual eye over u
long lines of desks with their neat IT.
occupants bending industriously over tneir
hooks and states. Tom or Bessie, ma!pe'
49, started off for school with the words
ringing in their ears: II am ashamed OF
YOU that your marks in arithmetic were
no better. Johnnie Jones Is always per-
feet"
Johnnie Jones has the seat next to that
OF Tom, and Tom knows he is a hatefui ~
tie fellow and .'copies dreadfully from the
other fellows States" And Bessie Is MIS-
cradle all day because she has been re-
minded that she does not read or write any
better than the little girl In the seat next
hers, when the little Siri Is u "hoie sS"A
younger than she is
l have been told that this sort of thing
IS competition" thai II is good for the HI
tie student. but ! doubt it, don't YOU
II you are watching some child grow, anu
are praying that he will be a genius. or at
least very clever. first or all make MN
happy and contented. and remember this;
All the means OF action
The shapeIess masses. the materials
Lie everywhere about Us. What we need
IL the celestial fire 10 change the flint
Into transparent crystal. bright and clear.
That fire is genius.
The celestial fire" comes more easily ana
naturally when one is allowed TO pursue
| ones way with a certain measure OF IN
diyiduaIity. What some other child does Is
not what your child should be made TO
feel is expected of him.
And above all things. reserve your crit
| cisms for the privacy of his own little room
| and whisper them there. SO that even the
; other children of the family may not hear
| them. A child with the least bit of spirit
will be deeply resentful IL made to suffer
for some fault before others. Yes. do not
force. but end carefully your little genius.
and he may not disappoint you.
MARGARET HANNIS.