The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-03-04
? All personals or personal items 3 or bits of social news will be gladly , received by telephone No. 4ss.
LAST DAY OF MOTHERS CONGRESS
 IN WAsHINGTo1

IN WASAlM0I0Ns
 The last two days of the Mothers Con- gress have been "too full for utterance. of things to see and to hear and to say. That Is to say. the delegate rom the Mothers Union has had no time to write a line. Yesterday there was a morning, an afternoon and an evening session, and . reception by Mrs. Roosevelt.
 sThe Child" has been the subject De- fore this convention.
 pr. Davis of the Indiana University. who, though still a young man, has spent many years in the study of the child, has given three wonderfully helpful and fn- spring addresses on the three periods Of development. His first address was on .aThe Three Determining Factors in the Life of the Child" The next on ''The Growth of Personality" the last on ''The Period of Spiritual Awakening" I wish the Mothers Union of Montgomery could hear these three addresses at once, to- gether with Dr. Daviss delightful delivs cry of them. but the Quarterly Reports of the Congress. to which the Union sub scribes, will have them, all later on. There were several fine and interesting addresses on ''Child Saving Work"
 Mir. David willard, young man, not more than 30, should say. if so old. principal of the Tombs Prison School. told us of probation work among young criminals.
 MT. willard is devoting hls life and means to this work. He has taken q home where he can receive the boys af- ter their release, until they can find work. Mir. Willard brings one into very close sympathy with the undevelcped human nature of these poor boys, some of them born with hereditary criminal tendencies, some of them stunted in men, tal and moral growth at the critical pe- riods of life. with no power of inhibition. This reminds me that Dr. Davis said in regard to punishment that our highest Ideal of punishment should be to develop This power of inhibition, to put the child In possession of himself
 After his address. Dr. Davis was open to any questioning from the audience, and questions came thick and fast.
 Your delegate, as the grandmother of nvc, asked the very simple question. but one that many mothers and grandmoth- CTS, too. would like to have answered-if he believed in exacting obedience from little child. Sometimes mothers should shut their eyes," he said.
 ''of course; but in a case of persistent Nisobedience?
 ''That should not be overlooked" he said.
 .swell. what would be your punish bent?'
 "A deprivation of something desired. thus giving opportunity for reflection"
 The answer was altogether satisfactory. A remarkable feature of this Congress Is that all the men who have spoken are young men, and most of the women are comparatively young women.
 Mss Remington of Buffalo told us what wonders could be accomplished by an earnest, faithful woman who had gone down in the slums of the city, to live her life among the very poor, losing her life that she might find 1t again fin other lives made brighter by her presence
 Mrs. Mary Boomer Page has given two admirable addresses on the ''kindergar- ten" one on the Educational Value of Play" and one on ''Discipline:" and Miss Mary Garrett of Philadelphia has inter- ested us in an exhibition of Deaf Chil- dren who have been SO far educated through lip language as to be able to at- tend public schools. These addresses, with those I have mentioned in former papers, with reports of State organizers sEi delegates, with election of officers, which takes place triennually, with the report of the Committee on Resolutions. cover the work of the Congress.
 Socially, we have had a beautiful time. Yesterday at 8, Mrs. Roosevelt held a reception for, all the visiting mothers and delegates. You would like to hear of it: The delegation met at the Lafayette Theatre, opposite the White Houses and walked from there, by ones, or twos. or thrses. as they liked, to the White House. The hour had not struck, and 1t was five minutes after they had entered the East room before Mrs. Roosevelt entered.
 She entered by a side door, accompanied by the master of ceremonies in uniform lnd with dangling sword Some ex- htable ladies of the class that speaks without thinking. exclaimed, soto voce, Els it the Prince?
 And 30 we filed past Mrs. Roosevelt, pne by one. giving our names to the mas ter of ceremonies, who passed them on. hot always intact. to Mrs. Roosevelt, and she departed from her usual custom, I hear. to shake hands with us-perhaps 1t 2 only on the great reception days when the world is invited that she refrains- Ind each had an opportunity for a few words of conversation. Then we walked about a little while. looking at the pic- lures and the furniture and each other, and then We csme away.
 forgot to say in its proper place that