River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-02-19
Mrs. John A. Logan on Young
People.
copyrighted by w. r. Hearst.)

sidered a "croaker" in any sense of
the word, but cannot refrain from
calling attention to the evidences
daily witnessed of the almost crimi-
nal carelessness of parents of the
present day in the matter of con-
slant vigilance in the care of their
children. Girls and boys, especial
ly wealthy and well-to-do families,
are allowed to grow up with almost
total disregard of parental author
ity.
They come and go at their own
sweet will, without even so much
as consulting the wishes of either
their mothers, fathers or guardians.
In all too many cases they have
been banished to the nursery until
they were old enough to go to
school. Even then there is very
little attention given to the investi-
cation of the schools to which they
are sent.
Not infrequently they fall into
equally indifferent hands in these
institutions, many of whom have
as their principal object money-get-
ting rather than the drudgery of
educating and training of their
pupils, particularly in that class Of
boarding schools that advertise ex-
tensively for pupils whom they
promise to surround with all the
care and comforts of Christian
homes" but who practically leave
the pupils to their own devices,
without giving any more attention
than they can avoid, to the diet,
manners, morals or mental training
of those entrusted TO their care.
The boys usually indulge in
cigarettes and escapades that fall
little short of criminality. The
girls in more than one case keeping
pretty close to the boys in apin2
their indu1gences, often adopting
the small vices" of their male
companions.
Bicycling, golf, football, tennis,
suppers at restaurants, vaudeville
performances occupy much more
of their time and thoughts than the
Curriculum they are supposed to be
mastering.
To one brought up under the
stricter observances of the rules of
propriety and womanly modesty,
purity of mind and heart under the
old regime, the rooms of many of
the young men and girls, in their
homes and the boarding schools of
to-day, furnish material for refec-
ton and alarm at the moral de-
generacy of the present generation.
Pictures of actors and actresses
in all the roles outside of the legiti-
mate drama; all the instruments
necessary for the various games
and amusements now in vogue
adjoining the walls and the places
of their instalment, displacing in
the young ladies rooms all of the
old time accessories of work table,
writing desk, musical instruments,
artists materials and easels, and
and other feminine requirements.
Too many young men allowing
their minds to be filled with the
knowledge of sports instead of that
of the useful and practical, so nee
essary for success and the attain
ment of high place in the world.
Often the 1audable ambition of
the achievement of the highest
prizes giving away to that OF the
less noble of the championship as
sprinter, rover, golf, baseball
player, football kicker, cricketer,
or some game that happens to be
the fad of the day.
While young girls and matrons
are equally eager to be the cham
pion golf, tennis or basket ball
players; and we have heard of foot
ball clubs of women. These am
billions supplart the more attrac-
tive accomplishments of music,
painting and other triumphs in the
refinement of life. We know of in
stances where the violent exercise
to secure the championship has re-
suited in the most serious invalidism
for young women and disastrously
to the offspring of matrons.
Sports that tend to the develop
ment of the race and especially to
that of the men OF any people, if in
dulged in for that purpose, with an
observance of proper moderation,
are all right.
We know that any criticism along
these lines is quite offensive, but
the disposition of Americans to go
to extremes in all things is so evil