The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-11-29


 Widow" of the editorial staff of Town work in her department of this period ical.
 Like the proverbial widow in social life, her observations are lively and engaging, with flashes of wit and here and there philosophical reflection which makes her work extremely clever. "Reveres of a Widow and White City Chips were stories published in book form; but her best work has been upon current topics of the day
 When the appointment of Dr. Crum as collector of the port of Charleston creat- ed such an agitation among aristocratic circles of old Charleston, The Widow" was sent south by the editorial manage ment of Town Topics to look into the race problem from the southern stand point and to write her observations, free from any personal prejudice. You may trust the widow to get close to the heart of anything-whether it be a man or a problem. This she did in very short time and her honest. sensible, clever comments which first formed a series of letters, are now published in attractive book form under the title Of "The Widow in the South" While all are written in a kindly spirit of critical comment, plac- ing blame where she thinks 1t belongs, yet in no instance does ''the widow write with captious pen and hence the real worth and cleverness of her work. Of the Presidents appointment she writes: ITO Dr. Crum personally no one objects. He Is respected as a man of color and of mediocre education He Is not, by any means. the best man for the place, even though color were not an objection. In fact a white man of no greater abil- ity would not be considered for mo- ment.
 These things make the action of the President seem all the more an indignity to the Charlestonians. They feel that he never would have done so could he have viewed the situation from the southern standpoint. or had he realized how much harm it will do how much of a setback it will give the uch-discussed color ques- ton They speak frequently of the Pres ident when he was here, going out of his way to shake hands with a line of colored servants that was drawn up at the back of a house where he had been entertained They ask would a guest of a northern house be doing the correct thing to shake hands with the servants in departine? Some good friend should talk white peo- pie to him. instead of colored people. White people can bolt and never forgive.
 "Colored people will follow on anyway, and are much better at doing what they are told to do Tragedies should be averted, not invited"
 Again 'the widow remarks very per- tinently: II agree with these southern CTS. They should be let alone It would be in better taste if the north-what was that schoolboy game? Shinny ?-shinnied on it's own side"
 
 'Fireside Child-Study." by Patterson Du
 Bois. Published by Dodd Mead S Go. Child-study Is more or less of a cult at the present time and many there be who spend large part of their time in a vain endeavor to solve the problems of child-life. While this is unquestionably effort we'll directed. much of it lacks the practicability which makes it of genuine value. After serious study of Hall and Scully and Warner and working up of syllabi and questionnaises, one is apt to think more of the club than of the child Child-study Is often farcical, but it need not be. In the little volume entitled "Fireside Child-Study" Mir. Du Bois has touched in a concise and very pointed way upon the practical concepts of child study which makes it suggestive and helpful to the reader. A subtitle tells us it Is "the art of being fair and kind"
 
 amused, much do we read these days of the rights" of children. But an ini- tial chapter on Aptitude" proves very conclusively that the most profitable child-study' is first "adult-study',; in other words. self-training. The author says: "The attitude of sympathetic and appreciative child-study arises out of desire to help the child toward his own development, and turns away from that hinder a h,rr sion.
 Tt is not the attitude of correction, reproof, negative, oversight and interfer- ence but that of development unobtru- sive guidance, recognition of possibilities, encouragement and confidence in honor. It is an attitude that gladly differetiates high spirits from evil motives. shyness from sloth and misapprehension from dis obedience. The shortest road perhaps is to look for the good points in your chill dren. being determined to find at least one that you have never seen, or at any rate valued before. And then give 1t credit and use it as leverage"
 Under the chapter Spoiled hy Indulg- ence' the author gives two unique points of view. He says first "To spoil is, orig inally, to Hay, to strip hence to plum der, to pilage. to rob. The spoiled child, then, Is a child plundered. pillaged, rob- bed of his rightful possessions. A more subtle, much less apprehended or understood form of indulgence, and there fore a far more dangerous form of it. Is that in which the parent spells the child by fndulging himself He may be in- dulging his temper, his prejudices, his laziness, his wilfulness-anything which results in his being unfair in his judg- ment of the child's case"
 Illustrations always give force and de- Influences to the argument or point at issue. and consequently the apt illustra- tions given under the heading "The Court of Inquiry" are of special and specific value One Is of special interest as show ing the custom which two often prevails among parents of punishing first and con- ducting the trial afterwards It is the old case of "three-year-old."
 The minister's little three year-old had beautiful head of golden curls and thick bangs that hung over his waxv forehead down to his eyebrows. This lovely head was real gold to the proud mother and quite as much so to the fath- er whose bald head set a high estimate on fine crop of hair. One day the child was left in darkened room to take his midday nap, as usual. Tn due time his mother moved quietly into the boys room {; the, little fellow, seeing her shadowy form, called out: Here. mamma, Here's some hair! at the same time holding up l handful of yellow locks The shocked mother Instantly saw that a pair of scis- sors had been left on the bed and the boy had diligently applied them quite close to his cranium.
 The mother held no hreside court, but