Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-04-28

: bewlldcring knowledge Of disease and
anatomy
There ~ not infrcquent injustice don,
| to children in allowing them to read un-
1 suitable books under the impression that
1 they Will not DO injured by reading what
Y they dl not comprehend. IN time u
Y household distress. Illness. ana trial
which kept TIE women Of the family al
suffering bodsidCs, | knew a fond and not
\ unthinkIng mother allow bright girl Of
y eleven TO read any novel she found in her
/ grandfathcrs library, in order that she
\ might not be lonely or frightened At the
I sad condition WI those who We're i'll. III
All, shc rctd forty sensational books, ana
/ was AS happy and Cuutcntcd as XII
/ ten Nh ast1ni-hcd rcmonStrance
4 brought thu yct more astonishing reply:
4 "Dh, Shc could MOI he harmed by them.
she would not understand the evil, ana
/ thu adventures are Just like fairy talrs
/ I'd her mind" At fourteen | found the
7 girl. ~till III short dresses the most con-
sistrnt tiirt ana woman OF the world tina
| have encountered in a long life. and the
most thoroughly artificial character in
I an her relations with home or the world
! thdt | have ever seen. Her conclusions
/ were drawn wholly from The books she
h1l read necessarily since she had
formed TIN. taste in those brief weeks -
> socJ-s,wins, ana She never reasoned from
real or true bases.
surely those brief years. intended BY
Gnd u ~ W. pure ana bright L. the dawn
Of summer day. are too Sucredly beau
tiful Tor u 10 leave any effort unem-
pluNci 70 keep them from the dust and
stain Of our hard highroads. | would
not keep them in dreImldnd, but in close
touch with God ana nature, as far as
may be-, ana out Of the atmosphere made
impure hy THE struggle ana the passion
ut the world.
The individuality Of chiliren's minds Is
most strongly developed in the minds Of
those WHO are much in the nursery ana
out-uf-duOrs Country bred children are
lar more original and Self-deVelopinS
than those who are much in city streets
ana under urban influences, ana We not
only dwarf hut in a certain sense disturb
the development OF individual thought by
ever laughing at their, TO US, drOll or a.
surd conclusions. or treating them a. rid
tedious. OFTEN the ludicrous aspect OF the
thought comes from our own world
blinded view of things. which has made
the first clear seeing of their innocent
eyes 20 below the surface to fundamental
truth. II they are wrong. there Is ten
der respectful way OF meeting the mind
struggling To grasp LIES problems
which can show the error without wound
ing the embryo thinker.
Many i mother loses the confidence OF
a child. ready 70 tell nor everything and
contide all ms wonderful discoveries, by
merry laugh and a thuughtlcSs repeu-
tinn Of his funny conclusions. DO near
what this child says" has closed many
little heart upon itself He Will run no
further risk of being laughed at.
NOE can We too carefully respect
chill'S property. No faithful nurse OF
huuScmuid should ever De allowed tO|
sweep small treasures out Of sight. re-
THY. That disorder ana dirt should bt
forbidden III unwhplcsomC Or selfish accu-
mutations goes without saying, but let
the little uWGtr enter into the discussion
pf the value MA his possessions, and the
mother provide suitable places for t..eir
deposit. The most careless hoy Will learn
order by patient teaching that what l.
worth having is worth taking care Of;
ana reasonable. rIinstakinS cAamlnd-
tiun, in his company, of the real value
will lead To the voluntary disCarding of
hat is hollt less results.
patient, brave man. passing by the
slow pathway of consumption through
rough stone. weighing perhaps
pound. which. when small lad, he had
carried in a tired hand, to keep i'll FOND
remembrance of an adventurous walk. y
dozen times il had been rescued from tho
orderly hands .of nurse ana housemaid-
that dirty old stunc'-but it stood
among the treasures of his manhood, a.
Ways dear 70 memory. There were bit
Of silver ana delicate porcelain in his
room which he would readily have con-
scented To lose first. None Of us can cs-
innate the intrinsic value Of Il child IS
possessions, ana We have no right To
ruthessly disturb them.
l remember well the sorrow of a boy
because dirty hit OF Irvine had been alb
stractcd from his pocket. lie always
carried it in emulation Of Miss Edge
wOrth'S impeccdble hero in Waste Not, |
Want Not. who did such wonders by the
ready production Of bit Of string when |
il was needed. This special bit Of dingy |
cord kept him mentally en- rapport with |
his famous model Of good behavior. |
And as to sUrrcptitiously taking away |
an old Battered doll ana replacing il by |
i Respondent new one, there are no |
words vehement enough to dcnounCc this |
outrage to maternal love. The mother |
capable OF this cruel exchange has much |
to learn.
Md to maginative children. who have
q little world within i world. in which |
they live for hours Of the purcSt delight. |
innocent as the life of the birds. nothing |
should Dc more tenderly guarded against |
than the mattcr-of-fact discnchanimenti |
of some uncomprchensive .grown-up."
who discovers the bliSsful kingdom which |
they have created for themselves. The |
happy hunting grounds created by little
lads of ten in the neighboring corn-iield |
where great adventures take place. are |
dear when men grow 50 strong that they 4
are valiant hunters " big game; let nv ,
one say that the wigwams Of their fancy |
are only stacks Of corn! Rather with pa
per money let the contents of the game
bag be bought with care; no mixing VI \
with yellow hiCkory-leaves. |
which mean "a very different kind OF !
fur For two whole years two happy
boys made my bedroom their tPeiing-
place. IN