The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-05-04
DUTIES OF YOUNG M1THE

country has been recently giving his
views on the causes of nervousness in
children, which are full Of interest tc
mothers, and should he of great value.
to them in the care and training Of their
little ones. According to this authority
the responsibility for having the rising
generation strong enough to bear the bur.
dcns of coming GEARS rests entirely with
parents.
The bodies of children may be so de-
ycloped as to be made capable of resist
ing amy future strain which may in real
son be placed upon them, or their nervous
system may be so stimulated and disar
ranged as to utterly unfit them for the
practical work OF life before they are
ready to enter upon it.
Any marked loss of appetite in Il chill!
is the sureSt indication that there is
something wrong somewhere.
There are other important strains OH
the nervous system of the little ones
which play all important part in their
lives. Late hours, irregularity in being
put to bed are among the most potent
factors for i'll. Children need all the
sleep they can get, and nothing SHOULD
be permitted to interfere with their regu-
lar hours Of slumber.
Threatening, with Il view to terrifying
Il child into good behavior, is another
evil. Ono would hardly think mother
capable Of such cruelty, yet there are
ignorant, untausht mothers who use
this weapon, and then Scold their chill
dren for being towards. 1t is entirely
possible to train Il child to perfect obcdi
ence without playing upon his timidity.
The progress from the simple living
of half century ago to that more COM
pick mode of the present has increased
the Obligations of motherhood. among
other things. The more dangers there
are which threaten, the greater the
need of watchfulneSs: the more highly
strung and sensitive the child, the more
to ward off everything liable to disturb
nerves so finely attuned that the slight
est jar may cause a lasting shock.
1t is often said that tn" first year Of
an infants life is such Il purely vcge-
tatlvc period that any moderately de
cent person may supervise the uninter
estinG hit Of humanity past the staring
gent mother, fitted by education for
higher uses, may take charge Of it when
the tiattering efforts at imitation Of
groWn-up associates give warming that
more artistic models than the nurses of
it's infancy should be supplied.
But this is usually Il great mistake.
1t would always be so were it not that
OF the family who is of the same kind
as the mother. and has Il tender in
tcrcst Still. unless it is absolutely I'M
avoldablc. the mother shr,ld not give
up the supervision of her little one, even
to such i; nurse as this. So much de-
Ponds upon the mother herself. Tn"
human infant, to inc sure, is usually
first, by this wall of its inert senses
from the world it enters. But this d.
vision wall is soon ovcrthroWn, sooner
III some cases than others. especially
where careful prenatal training has adj
vanccd development.
In one case Il baby girl showed Sens:-
tlveneS> to light a very few hours after
birth, and exhibited pleasure in certain
colOrS at three days. This claim was
laughed to scorn by the physician, un-
tn the proofs were made so plain that
she was forced to admit that it was a
just one.
There is good deal Of arguing among
EDUCATORS gong on ut present regarding
the methods OF treating Young children.
and in it all there is Il danger that some
of the o!d-faShioncl maternal duties may
be overlooked
1T is evidently natures intention to
give the child into the mothers. own
hands and she is no true mother who
refuses to accept the responsibility, but
tHluStS IL upon some one else She who
goes away. except under the lireSt need
and leaves her little one without her own
protection, is 4 deScrtcr Of the basest
sort. and deserves only blame and re-
proach.-BoSton Herald.
OLD AND NEW EVENING GAMES.
Have YOU tried the a,lvertisement-Dict
ure competition for an evening entertain-
ment. All sorts of adyer, iSenentS arc
cut from the backs of MAGAZINES. th,
names taken off, and the pictures pinned
about the room where the guests Viii be
received. Everyone has pencil and a
slip Of paper with numbers. and against
tn" numbers must write the name of
the advertiser or what is advertised on
each numbered pictured. On the same
order is the game where pictures of fam
GUS people are passed around without any
names. and on their slips the guests write
who they guess or know each numbered
picture to represent, says Iarper's Ba-
Ear.
There are other simple ways of giving
amusement. An auction where everyone
is requested to bring something done up
in paper. which shall he 4 secret to
every one else present, Is very good fun.
y good auctiOneer auctions the different
packages off for beans, and, when dis
closed, the contents are sure to cause
fun.
a smelling contest, where a number of
different bottles and packagcs-somc
with spices, some with vegetables. etc
are passed before every ones face, and
one guess allowed, whoever guessing the