The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-11

W
into his bed. she kissed him again and
again and called him pet names. He was
so sleepy that he could not kiss her in
return; but he murmured drowsiy, as IL
TO comfort her for his seeming indif-
ference, my-heart-is-listeninx
1t IL not likely that this laddies finer
feelings would require much cultivation,
but on the other hand might need prun-
Ing. later. while his small brother was
so deeply averse to anything approaching
emotion that cultivation was necessary to
develop even normal feelings in his soul.
On the other hand, the author laugh
ingly admits that sometimes the cultiva-
ton and pruning are turned about, and
the parent learns valuable lessons from
the child
"A little boy of who was just begin
ning TO get about after a severe illness,
was sitting on couch. looking over his
piaythings, when his mother entered
after an hours absence among the ada
cent markets.
oh. my darlngr she exclaimed.
throwing her arms around him In pas
s'onate EN- brace. I am so happy to see
you getting Well agalnr
The child Strengthened himself with
dignity. Don't you know. mamma he
said with some 'sternness, that people
must have air In them or else they can't
breathe? Now, you will squeeze all the
." "u' 81 NE u you mug me so tight.
Besides. T's busy now"
The mother. We are told. felt as II the
chiid had the right view OF the case She
also felt we'll assured that he was not go
ing TO die at once. For several days she
laughed until tho tears came whenever
she thought o. the reproof he had given
her for superhuous embrace.
" N "
The social discipline OF the hoy. the
aP tha txx
evenings, his library his games and ath-
letics. the Importance OF keeping him
busy. his politics--these are all moment
Gus topics. The one thing which seems
above all others to characterize Mrs.
Clark's treatment Of them IL common
sense Why, by the way. was Il ever
called common sense. when 1t really IL
one OF the rarest and most precious Of
qualities7 Or is II that In the DAYS of
our forefathers sense was common. while
II y only In our own times that It has
become 30 exceptionai2
Last summer the prize article in that
section of the cosmopolitan's contest
which referred to the care and training
OF children was entitled '"rhe Confessions
or Father" and 1t also was distin-
guished for being an unusually sensible
and practical paper. The father In aues-
tlon admitted that he had TO immediate
himself--that IL to say. his leisure and his
tnstes-for the purpose Of bringing up his
children. but he thought that, on the
whole. the kind OF immolation he prac-
tced was q profitable game for a parent
to play. 1t not only produced good results
with the rising generation. but he himself,
after he once got used to the idea. extract
ed more fun from the "immolation" in
volved In being the playfeliow, companion
and teacher to children. than did his neigh
bors from pursuing their own fanc!es In
tho way OF occupations while turning their
offsprings over to hired guardians.
Mrs. Clark does not talk about immola-
ton. but she has profound belief that
the parent is the child's pest teacher and
sums up the whole subject as follows:
Emerson has said somewhere something
like this: that we send our boy 10 the
schoolmaster, but that II r. tho shop win
dows along the way which educate him
This r. only another way of saying that
whatever interests the boy most In his
daily environment gives the strongest bent
TO his character. Why not make yourself
the most interesting part OF his environ
ment, and thus be yourself the moliing
influence OF his life?
'If the boy Is reading book. read II
with him. II may not be very much ~ a
book. but DO not hastily belittle his opln-
ion Of II. Go gently about the work OF cor
recting his IDEAS III he loves a bicycle or
a canoe, try TO enjoy II with him. You
can often get more time than you think
You sometimes wish you knew what he
talks about when ne Is on with his COM
panions. I. you go with him yourself you
VIII have chance to find out II You
have strong political convictions you can
easily inoculste your boy with them dur
ing your long rides and walks together. No
cut-and dried rules win ever make HIM the
sort OF man you want him TO become. bat
your own personality and the ineessant
application Of your own ideals Will do the
work. II anything can.
Parents may surround their children
with all the scientific apparatus and all the
art treasures to be had; they may hire
the most highly recommended tutors and
sovernesses for them: but they should
not imagine that they have reached the
root OF the matter, even then. The child
needs first and foremost HIS parents COM
panionshIp Just "a personal influence is far
more potent In all educational and ethical
work than money or anything which money
can buy. Your boy needs you, Yourself,
you are the one who can sympathire hes,
with him, who can take him as he should
he taken, who can cherish IN him tnat
dignity and self-rcspsct which must form
the basis Of character. No substitute whom
Won may hire. even at the most exorbitant
nrtee. can begin 60 do for him what you
yourself can. II you are what you ought
TO be-