, 1902-05-29
Change Your Character.
BY ELLA WHEELER WILCOX.

SlDlt ibl plN ~ClhluttNl' piSpbSl-
ton or personality to be entirely
changed" She says:
"Of course | believe ones whole
future. or the future life of one.
may be modified on charged. but
| also believe that the charac-
teristics born and bred into one
cannot be entirely changed"
Professor Elmer Gates of Wash
ington has proven scientifically
that wholly undevelope6 cells in
the brain can be brought to per.
lection by continued effort.
Animals with no idea of color
can be trained TO distinguish diff
ferent c%olors. and human brains
can with the same persistent eff
forts be made to undergo "A COM
piete transformation from vicious
ness and l%aziness to morality and
industry.
If the hurryingthoughtles world
would only puuse long enough to
consider what such "A discovery
means to civilization. we might in
another generation or two do away
with our awful prisons. which are
little less than schools for crime.
and substitute great scientific in
stitution under government con-
troll. where characters could be
created for those boru without
them.
| have Il letter from a prisoner
who tells me he was for six years
deprived of communication with
any one save associate criminals
and keepers and was allowed no
reading matter during that time.
Whateverthis mans natural dis
position, such IA blind and stupid
method of punishment could only
result in making him still more
criminal since all crime is the
result of an undeveioped nature
undeveloped in its best brain cells.
Had he been given good, cheer
full. wholesome books to read al
lowed to converse with moral peo-
pie nm hour each day-given the
care of n plant and an animal and
talked toconcerning its dependence
upon him. and taught to think of
it as something of his owu-surely
Justice would have lost nothing
and the mans better nature would
have gained something.
We never remain stationary.
We are always improving or ret
regarding going up or down in
the moral and the intellectual
scale.
hat possible chance have most
Of our criminals i'll prison to be.
come better men?
Some future day our methods of
treating these un%fortunates will
he regarded with as much horror
and wonder as We feel IN looking
back at the day of the Spanish
iuquisitiun.
Every thought, desire and emo
ton Of our hearts is leaving its
impress on our brain cells, our
features, our bodies.
The child born with u happy,
loving, trusting disposition may
be transformed into a fretful. cid,
suspicious adult by being reared
among people who talk Of the
dark side of life. WHO repel or
al demonstrations OF aifec-
ton. and who are always distrust-
ing their fellow men.
Exactly opposite results IAN be
obtained by talking and teaching
the JOY Of life 10 the Respondent
child, showing and expecting af-
fection and Installing divine trust
IN it's receptive mind.
Life gives us all more or less
rude blows. But the sooner We
think of ourselves as Fate's punch
ing bags, and gayiy swing back
into our places. uudIminished and
unafraid. the better for US.
The man who thinks himself
chosen by Fate for a peculiarly
hard destiny is an egoist. ms well
MS a pessimist. and he will find his
life growing harder and harder.
for bard, bitter thoughts make "a
hard. bitter DESTINY