New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-03-13
NERvOUSNEssOF CHILDREN
A DISCUSSION OF THE SUBJECT AT THE
MOTHERS CLUB
WHY a PRECIOUS CHILD OFTEN GROWS TO BE
A STUPID MAN OR wOMAN-MANy
EVILS OF ovERsTUpY
EVILS OF ovERsTUpY

The New-York City Mothers Club held its month
y meeting yesterday at 2:3O p m in the Berkeley
Lyceum. West Forty-fourth-st tbe president Mrs
Harris. in the chair
After the reading of the minutes of the previous
meeting by the recording secretary Mrs Bates.
the president read letter from the Protection
Committee Of the Womens Educa tonal and In
dustrfal Union of Buffalo. asking the assistance
OF the members of the club in effort being made
TO influence legislation the better protection of
women letter from Mrs. William Tod Heimuth,
president of the State Federation of Women 3
Clubs asked the aid of the Mothers Club in pro-
curing the passage of the bill for establishing q
State industrial school for training young girls in
the various trades for which they are fitted The
club appointed d committee to take necessary ac-
ton. consisting of Mrs. Birdie Stein Sternberger
chairman; Mrs. Winsow and Mrs. Lille Devereux
Blake Mrs Charles Fry. Mrs. Silas A Condit
Mrs. Edward a. futile and Mrs Emile D. Martin
were appointed delegates the National Congress
OF Mothers, TO be held in Des Moines Iowa in
May
The subject for discussion was How to Counter
act the Nervous Influence of City Life upon Chill
dren' Mrs. Lowell T. Field was chairman The
rev Henry e Cobb and DR. P S. Boynton were
the speakers OF the Afternoon. Mr.. Cobb referred
10 the tense atmosphere of the city, whose bust
ness hurried anxious faces from rho
pressure of more self-assumed duties and larger
commercial interests than they could handle and
whose children showed IN face and movement the
same nervous strain.
The only effective way TO counteract this a+r,os
phere is to move of the city" he said Chill
uFeh &c 10 dancing school, to parties up in
'1e evening" snare In the nerve stimulating,
eXhausting life of their parents. How can the re-
suit be other than evil? 1 is often asked why
precocousiy bright children so often grow fnto
stupid men and women. It is because the brain
Iores are stretched to their utmost tension until
they lose the power to contract and like violin
strings drawn too tightly and too long they fail
at length to vibrate with any cearness of tone
Let the physical develop into strength before Law
ing burdens upon the childish brain so delicate in
structure"
Mr. Cobb said that the tasks in school were m
wisely heavy. The effort is made to compress into
eight months what should extend over twelve
months Of the year. II the child in good pnysi-
cal eonditlon reasonable amount of study would
not weary him. If constantly tired by mis- tasks
ne mas TOO many or is not strong. and should be
sent into the open air rather than into the school
room In conclusion Mr.. Cobb said:
s me nervous life of mothers as we'll as OF
comg5te Feacs unon the children You have your
m91tS Until you have no leisure for yourself or
h. mere are times when you might do more good
meeting a nome than by going to committee
mospnere, let US try TO make a little place of rest
worry the children with unnecessary restrictions
nor irrit9te them by undue severity in small mat
slant Irritation Control by genteness not Violence
M in tbe means something of the evil arising from
city may be counteracted
DR.. Boynton read an interesting paper dealing
largely with the brain formation and the medical
aspects Of the subject. He emphasized the danger
OF crowding tasks upon the immature brain
TOO much is expected Of children" he said
Inc unwisdom Of requiring the ordinary studies
OF the school Of to-day from child may be under
stood when realize that a man does NOT rascb
mental maturity until he is thirty-fve years old"
Some other points made that no child
under twelve years should have home studies that
up 10 ten years OF age very requires ten
hours sleep and 10 the age of twelve at least
nine hours He said also that it is well to weigh
cIlluIen oIten IN order to know II they gain
ing weight in normal degree