The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-05-09

and all experiences go toward charac
ter building.
Let us go back to childhood. Whel
our little ones have reached the ag
admitting them to public school life
| the danger begins from the outside
There are on record incidents of ap
| paliing unchasteness, even among the
very young; fortunately these are not
very frequent, but when a mixed pop
! ulation is in question as here with US
| the danger of moral contamination is
| greatly increased and extra vigilance
| must be exercised by all concerned
The fragrance of innocence is growing
less all too rapidly, especially in the
large cities; but IN truth, this pure
spirit can be preserved, while the child
is being instructed step by step in mat
tiers that will guard it from dangerous
pitfalls, and protect it from corrupt
ing influences.
The question arises at once, how ear
ly should a child be taught about
things of nfe? It seems reasonable TO
say-just as soon as it asks pertinent
questions, which varies as to years
with different children. Such ques-
tions show thought and find US often
woefully unprepared to answer. Then
a most pernicious subterfuge is resort
ed to-we hush it up with 90 don IT."
and "must nots." There never was
anything more barbarous than this
habit of continually refusing an an
swer, ana we certainly would not be
guilty thereof if we took a moment to
reflect. These questioning eyes of lit
tie beings fresh from pure spirit,
a continual interrogation point, and as
though they still had faint recollec-
tion of recent experiences. They wear
a troubled expression at times, espe-
cially if some things disturb the moth
er IS equanimity-the bond being so in
extricably interwoven-but We think
it is all physical, and express thoughts
in their presence, that we have no
reason to be proud of thinking the
child too young to understand.
This seems a serious mistake when
we realize the potency of thought. The
child may not interpret the exact mean /
ing of what was said, but the impress
sion is left, and will add just so much |
to the general acumen. We even read |
of incidents when the presence of an
animal has prevented crime or mis-
demeanor- much less should we
permit an puIe " 1iiiA iOaS
ment in the presence of our own flesh |
and blood. The double standard of |
things causes the greatest wonder
among children, showing that they are
true and we are in the wrong. A child !
nevers shows surprise at anything true
and good, and when it asks, Why do
you do thus and so, mama, when so
and so is here, and some other way
when somebody else comes,' then 1T IS
time, not to punish the little mlschlef
maker, but to hold mental and moral
with ourselves, for the
.hild will be close and severe critic
When a child is really naughty, va
.ious means must be resorted to, as
,very mother and teacher will know,
tut even a little child can readily De
made to see how the action of lone
,art effects the whole, thus making
t tractable and guarding it against
elfshness, the root of all evil.
There are innumerable instances that
viii serve the purpose, but take toy,
or instance, that has got out of gear
trough some one part refusing to
york. The analogy is complete, and
he child VIII have learned the lesson