New-York tribune., 1906-04-30
4 BOOK FOR PARENTS.
Mrs. Birney GiUes Some Good i'd
rice on Bringing Up Children.

The grandest. farthest reaching work that
mothers and fathers can do is to grow up with
their children, and there is nothing else in the
world that they do which will yield them
such satisfaction, such happiness.
There are parents who spend many unhappy.
anxious hours worrying about their sons when
they should be studying them.
The training of boy as future father and
citizen should begin in the nursery and should
be continued from that time on until he COM
petes his education
The application Of the principle Of justice.
simple justice is in the daily lives of children a
powerful factor in character building"
One might go quoting forever and then not
exhaust the quotabe passages contained in
Childhood" by Mrs. Theodore w. Birney.
founder Of the National Congress of Mothers.
with an introduction by DR.. G. Stanley Hall
Frederick A. Stokes Company. New York;.
DR. Hall in his brief but cordial introduction,
says he counts it a pleasure and an honor to
have an opportunity of commencing the book
heartily TO both fathers and mothers
Among the topics over which Mrs Birney
ranges are fear and anxiety and grief; the child
away from home; the education of girls as future
wives and mothers and of boys as future fathers
and citizens; a plea for the allowance; reading
lor chlldren; Christmas shopping with the chill
dren. With refreshing penetration she puts her
nnger on sources Of friction between parents
ana their children which so small they com
monty escape observation Thus she notes that
while most parents are willing TO sacrifice them
selves in large ways for their children. they are
often guilty of little selfshnesses which quite
obscure TO a child's limited vision the greater
things done for him. And she instances the de-
light Of the child who is allowed to sit on the
end seat of open car. and the selfish thought
lessness of many a mother who will deposit her
little boy on the seat between herself and
other very stout woman, in spite of the tearful,
pleading little face, and then proceed to gossip
over his head with her neighbor. In speaking
of the educa ton of bows she remarks that
hTl Fotb And how and
diverting between the ages of one and six,
their interest seems to diminish from that time
until they ready to go to college to
enter the business world.
Mothers of young families should give up the
idea Of belonging 10 social organizations and
engaging in outside work, she thinks. "A moth
ers' club without any rules may be permissi-
Bile, something for recreation chiefly w ere
nothing is required of members and attendance
is optional but the host of outside interests in
which many women take so animated a part is
not according to Mrs. Birney, for the young
mother who needs large fund Of reserve force
and all her mental and physical resources for
her children.
When 1t comes to the selection Of a summer
vacation for a family with children in it, moth
ing to the authors mind quite comes up to
camping out She tells & pretty story Of a
mother who unable to take her four children
away for a trip, got weary of the unending
task of housekeeping and camped out
beautiful little stream the outskirts Of the
village where they lived. Their simple equip
ment consisted OF few hammOcks, four cots,
some bedding three four chairs, a table, a
few necessary pieces Of furniture manufactured
by the boys from packing boxes; oil stove
few dishes and cooking utensils They had good
drinking water from q nearby spring, and a re-
tired spot In the pretty stream, with the aid
Of an old piece Of awning and a sheet, made
excellent bathroom The upshot of this expert
ment was that the children did much of the
work of the camp finding each day delightful
picnic; the mother had perfect bodily rest and
more time for reading than she had had for
years, and after two months of gypsying they
all returned 10 their home set up in physical
strength for the year and convinced that they
had had the jolliest vacation Of their lives
Mrs. Brney's little book is full of Just such
wholesome suggestions and happy touches as