The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-09

and talk over ali its little affairs. at
table, but it is not necessary or
wise to encourage it to monopoiize the
conversation when there are grown
people present. If the grown peoples
company at meals is considered a favor
to be won by good behavior. the chiid's
table manners are likely 30 improve IN
order that the reward may be won
But the main reason for not bringing
young children TO the table. and not al
lowing them to partake of the ordinary
bill of fare. when they are brought
there. IS one Of hygiene The usual re
suit of the American system is that
the child gets at least small part of
everything that is served to the par
ents. as soon as It has teeth to chew
,the food. The temptation Of giving il
y bit Of celery. or a piece Of cake, or
a spoonful Of pudding, in order to see
what il Will do is as irresistible 10 the
average parent or Eraudparent as the
impulse 10 tease for the coveted dainty
is to the child. It is not good for any
one to eat plain food with a continual
craving for richer viands within sight
and smelling distance, and that IS pre-
cisely what the child must do on the
other hand, if the meals OF the children
are served in the nursery, or in the
dining-room before the rest of the
household come to the table, they may
have their special dishes. served in
dainty ways. and to heir healthy ape
tiles plain fare viii be all that is de
Iici0us and 50 tsfying. If children were
not allowed TO taste, under any cir
cumstances- any food which might not
form part of their daily diet they
would be relieved from a temptation
which Is upsetting to the digestion and
more or less weakening 10 the viii. Il
is not good for the young creature to
be continually struggling with tempJa-
ton of one kind or another Any adult
knows how quickly WOTTy and fret in
terfere with the general health, in
ways definite or indefinite The child
Is frequently forbidden to eat anything.
but plain and unattractive food, with
out the amount OF sugar needed by
young and growing human animals
The parent falls into the error Of sup
BGSAi4 t4ASAt DENtNtAs7S lAy' AE1N 'SN-tNAS VI
cake causes illness, sugar must be for
hidden The result is an unnatural
craving for sweets. which Is net the
fault Of the young sinner. who IS al
most perforce moved to crafty 1t by
indulgence in forbidden things. Il the
child whose mother weeps over his ten
dency to steal cake and tease for can
dy were allowed plenty of plain and
harmless sweets in his daily fare. and
never given frUit-cake, rich pastry, or
anything but the simplest candy. his
appetite would probably be in its nor
mai condition. and admonit1On and con-
science would have some chance to
work Animals, other than man, seldom
are gluttons. and seldom touch food too
rich for them. because they are fed
properly. The child, on the contrary.
is allowed to eat a miscellaneous vari-
ETY. OF things, some OF them good for
him. and others very bad: and, because
ne shows an instructive desire to make
up the lack of sweets in plain bread and
butter, oatmeal, and meat, by eating
| candy and sugar, his desire is treated
! as something abnormal and harmful
| Instead Of the natural thing, which it
is