The times., 1900-12-30
to this sort of training, must have a some

TO this sort of training, must have some
what mixed sense of justice.
Mrs. Stetson's ideas Of discipline are die
| tated by common sense; there is no ques-
tion about that. She believes that children
| should obey, but that they should. so far
as possible, be taught to think for them
selves. that they may not be too docile and
easily influenced in mature life. She says:
Fairness, not severity nor constant concession,
is what child appreciates.
In other words, the parent should treat
the child with the courtesy which he ex-
acts from the child. As most people know,
children learn more easily from example
than from precept and If the child is con-
tinually treated with rudeness, he will be
rude to others. Mrs. Gilman believes in
labor saving devices in discipline, and she
points out the obvious fact that people
may create fault in a child which will
require considerable discipline to eradicate
it. Many mothers, for example, teach their
children to tease" and there is nothing
much harder than to convince a child OF
the folly of this habit, 90 long as he knows
that he may, possibly, get what he wants
by It. II the parent refuses six times and
gives up the seventh, that child will al
ways ask at least seven times for anything
that is refused him. and 1t makes no diff
ference If once in a while he is whipped
for teasing. II, on the other hand the
parent cannot be induced by any coaxing,
to reconsider a decision, the child learns
to accept NO as an answer. to the great
comfort of itself, the parent, and everybody
within hearing.
Another gross error in the treatment of
children, and one which not only makes
the child unhappy. but is the source of
great deal of the lack of confidence of
which mothers SO bitterly complain, is de-
scribed in the following paragraph:
Why cannot a grown person advance to make
the acquaintance of child with the same good
Planners used in meeting an adult? FraBkness,
natrralness and respect, these are all the child
wants. And precisely these he is denied. We put
on an assumed interest," sort of stage manner-in
accosting the young, and for all our pretence pay
no regard to their opinions of confidence, when
given. Really well-intentiOned persons, parents,
or otherwise. will repeat before strangers some
personal opinion. Just softly whispered in their
ears, with pair of little arms h1lding fast to
keep the secret close; dragging T. out renorse
1essly before the persons implicated, while the
betrayed child squirms in wretchedness and anger.
To do this TO grown-up friend would warrant
an angry dropping of acquaintance. Such traitor
Gus rudcness would not be tolerated by man or
woman. But the chid-the child must pocket
every insult. as belonging to class beneath re-
spect.
Possibly the reserve and stateliness GUS
tomary in the household of hundred
years ago had something to do with the
bOoPcSt anu dhcStloi ia WHiCn ddieii di
said to have held their parents. II there
was not then the confidence and famil-
iarity OF today, there was, at any rate, a
mutual etiquette which prevented such in
cidents as the one mentioned above. The
child subjected to treatment of this kind,
If sensitive, will never again confide in
the person who has thus betrayed its Sc
cret; IL of a less thoughtful nature, ii
will lose delicacy with regard to per-
sonal revelations, and other peoples con-
fidence, and grow up tattler and a cad
this book would be good one
for almost any parent to read and con-
slider. tBoston: Small. Maynard & Co.
s125.)