Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-04-28
PHASES OF CHILD-LIFE.
Too Frequent Disregard by Parents of
Individual Characteristics

| 1t is very noticeable to elder women
that though little ones play the old
| plays and wear the garments If i'm
fancy and childhood. there are f"W
who retain the single mindedness and
| simplicity proper to their years. There
Is an uncanny precocity Of understand
| ing of worldly ways. a distressing
| obedience to convention. a loss Of
| spontaneity and originality in thu
childhood Of our day. which is a thing
| To gricVe over.
With the burden If our years upon
us. with the struggle we have all to
make to keep in touch with truth and
| sincerity in our elder world. 1t IL d
| thing to bring tears to our eyes to find
! that at ten or twelve years of age
childhood's dreams and illusions are
gone forever. We do nor regard the
cost to them of being constantly in
contact With people engaged in talk
ing of the passing world and its
affairs; hearing the lives of men and
women analysed and discussed; listen
| ing to the news Of the day. with its
sad histories Of war and sin and
misery and absorbing the whole do
tails Of our insinccre social life
Looking from the nursery-window. a
bright little girl saw visitor leaving
her carriage eagerly She ran to her
mother. Mamma. shall toll Mary to
excuse you? That tir"snmr Mrs. Jones
IS Just coming in" The mother looked
up in astonishmcnt. and said in quick
'cbul,e: "Ccrtainly not: what do you
moan by speaking in that way Of Mrs
JoneS?" Tears of disappointment and
painful surprise came 10 the childs
eyes; she had been eager to save her
mother from annoyance. Il heard Won
tell papa that she bored YOU To death
ana stayed 50 long that it gave YOU \
headache. You said she was so stupid
ana tircsOme."
There was no bridge Of explanation
possible between the wcIl-rcmembercd
conversation, in which Mrs. Jones had
pccn clearly proved to be everything
That was trying in the way of a visitor.
and the readiness with which the
mother went down to meet her while
the mortified child. with incrcdulous
ears, heard her say: How very kind
Of you. Mrs. Jones"
One fair page of faith and unduubt-
ing belief had been irrcvocably blottcd.
and il was quite plain to the wonder
ing little brain that her fauItIcss
mother thought it quite right to say
one thing today ana contradict it to-
morrow; to mean one thing and act
another.
At whatever effort to ourselves, no
duty can be palmer to our children
than to shield them while they are
among their elders from hearing that
which is beyond their comprehension.
or such things as shall unveil evil, or
confuse their ideas Of truth. There are
Very strong reasons, capable of demon
Stration, that it is not only unwise
but wrong. to allow children IL be in
the room with older people who are
forgetful Of them, while freely enter
tanning and amusing each other with
the ordinary conversation of the world
and its doinSs. many a time discuss
ing even matters Of faith and doctrine.
conduct and duty. Of which the intent.
intelligent child gathers the greater
part Of the meaning.
Though 50 many decades have passed
since that distant day. ! can myself re-
call my mothers look Of distress over the
laSt-iloWlng sentences spoken by care
less woman, who, having asked to have
me called held me to her side with 4
kindly OBTAINING arm, while she ratified
on. Today distinctly remember her
words, which We're descriptive of a ter
riblc operation recently performed upon a
lady lad often seen. As quickly as pos
sibe ! was released and sent to the nur-
sery, hut | had acquired a Mortified and