Evening star., 1902-02-28
The Mental Condition.

DR.. Davis spoke first of the difference to
be found in a child's mental condition at
different hours in the day. In the morning
he was glad and happy. At noon nothing
pleased him. After lunch and a nap he
was again happy, but at or 5 o'clock he
was again unbearably cross This f1uctua-
tion he laid to fatigue and said 1t was the
result Of blood change. One should be pa
tient with such a child. Its irritation was
caused by physical changes which the
child could not control He said that there
We're great constructive changes going on
in the child up to the tenth year. For In
stance, he said, the child OF eight fatigues
| more easily than the child of five to six,
because from eight to ten the structural
change of muscles and blood was greater,
and the sensitiveness to fatigue corre-
SpOndingly increased In his opinion no
child should be put at systematic study or
work of any kind before the tenth year.
The speaker referred to the oft-repeated
statement that school work had greatly in
creased the per cent of defective ewes He
asserted that this was scarcely true The
naturally defective eye only had it's suscep-
tibility accentuated by the course of study
lie said that the per cent of defective eyes
increased rapidly up to ten years, and then
decrease! just rapidly.
He said that from ten to fifteen years Of
age the child was changing structurally,
and at the latter age had climbed the
plateau to adult ltfe-a time of storm and
stress time of readjustment, when the
whole horizon changed-a very critical pc
riod.
AT this age, Dr. Davis said, there is often
displayed peculiar lasSitude and the child
is called lazy. The antidOte for this sup
posed laZiness by the uninformed was to
give the child some work or more exercise.
In the opinion of the renowned DIR. Christie
pher, the speaker said. this Is a grave mis-
take. The child's labOrs should be reduced
and it should have complete rest.
DR.. Davis sketched the career of the child
varying changes in graphic manner, Illus
trating his address by large charts and en-
tertaining his audience to the end He said
the gospel Of his address he had once seen
on box car, where 1t had been written
by a tramp. "Soap-soup-and sleep" was
the box car legend. This applied to the
child would be its salvation" SO his gos-
pei stood: MISREPRESENTATION.
DR.. Davis speaks tonight on The Period
of Spiritual Awakening"
This evenings meeting will close the pub
lie sessions of the congress. Saturday will
be devoted to business. and if the weather
permits, trip to Mount Vernon.
Parental Function Of State.
Last evenings session of the mothers
congress had an audience that packed the
| big church to the doors, and for brilliant
and stylish gowned women was the equal
| Of any audience that has gathered in
| Washington this winter. The Invocation
L
| The principal address Of the evening was
by Mr.. John w. Douglass. agent Of the
board OF childrens guardians Of the city,
| the subject being 1.-The Parental Function
| of the State in the Care Of Neglected and
| Delinquent Children" was Of great interest
to the big audience.
| '"The century just closed has made won
derful advances In the arts and sciences
| and all forms Of material and intellectual
progress" said Mr.. Douglass. keeping
| step with the forward march, better laws
| for the wise government of society have
been evolved and an inteliigently directed
| spirit of charity has been fostered. 1t is
becoming recognized that charity Is q
science, and as such is engaging the best
| thoughts of the best minds. Our colleges
and higher institutions Of learning are es-
tablishing chairs for the systematic study
of the problems involved; summer schools
| are furnishing experience: magazines have
been founded for the especial discussion Oh
the questions growing out of the admins
ences OF various kinds give prominence to
it's consideration.
1T was not SO very long ago that the in.
sane were manacled and thrust into musty
dungeons. 1t is within the memory OF
many that adult paupers Of both sexes
| were gathered indiscriminately with the
imbeciles, the blind and destitute children
under one roof in our almshOuses. where
they were simply clothed, fed and warmed
And how very recently has 1t been the
common practice to send boys and girls OF
tender years to our jails and Workh0usef
for minor. infractions Of the law. But thu
public conscience has been awakened and
lQuicksned. ~ i u nom generally cen