The San Francisco call., 1909-12-26

them study while they are quite young
is something that is being done less
now than ii was a while ago. We are
told by doctors who have made a spe-
cialty Of the subject and are thor
oughly conversant with the facts that
the child who goes early into school
sacrifices his health and his pleasure
and gains nothing in return. OF the
two children who began school, one at
years of age and the other at s, the
latter will know quite as much at 10
years as the former, and at IL years
will probably know more, as his health
will be more robust and his mind in a
fresher condition.
Sitting still for two or three hours
a day is really painful and exhaust
ing proceeding for child of or g..
The effort to curb a natural inclina-
tion to be up and moving about is bad
for the child's nerves and may re-
suit in some serious illness later on.
His vitality is being lowered instead
OF being built up, as it should be at
this time.
The air in the best of schoolrooms
is not like that out of doors and in
some cases 1t is positively injurious
Then. sitting and bending over a desk
is apt TO make the pliable young
shoulders round, and a train of evils
follows in the wake of this condition.
So that on the whole, unless the cir
cumstances are exactly right, it is far
better to let the boy and girl~run wild
out of doors and build UP a strong
constitution than for them to get
any early start at school for the
mere purpose of graduating at con-
ventional age. To finish their pre-
liminary course of study at 20 years
may be really better for their educa-
ton than to finish it at 16 years.
child G
abnormal; there is probably something
wrong with his health; it is some lack
of vigor and vitality that makes him
sit poring over a book instead of being
out with the other boys, taking his
part in their games. He should not
be encouraged in his inclinations, but
every effort should be made to inter
est him in something that will take
him out of doors, and after while he
will probably get back to more nat
ural and healthful condition and will
prefer play to his books.
The infant Macaulay could read at
the age of years. and the attain
ments of other men of genius have
sometimes been quoted as reason
why early studies should be encour-
aged, but IL is unquestionably true
that the world could better spare a
few of its learned men than to have
the whole physical tone of it's popula-
ton lowered by studies begun at too
early an age.
1t will be remembered that Roose-
welt was delicate as child, but he
early realized that without health his
struggles for achievement in the world
would be unequal and dubious. He
therefore took the out of doors
"roughing it, cure for a number of
years and developed a physique which
has withstood a tremendous amount Of
wear and tear through a good many
years and which has carried him to
success where less amount of vitality
would have meant failure.
1t is quite apparent in the face of
all the evidence that a child's health
is the principal thing, and that to make
haste very slowly at first is safer and
in the end really more rapid than the
other method
A child that is perfectly healthy is
likely to be self-reliant and independ-
ent in character, and this is especially
true II 1t is not fused over or in
dulged too much or on the other hand,
If it Is not curbed and thwarted a
great deal. Whenever possible 1t is
better to control the child by a gov
eminent of which 1t is unconscious