The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-03
The Wom1am's Page Of The Tiimes-Dispatch
The Changing Of an Ideal

Isn't II strange how TO ideals Of the
whole world have been changing In
this generation that we live In, par
ticulariy the ideals and ideas concern
Ing the rearing of children and their
mannersT 1t is the wall of ono woman
who has crossed my path that when
She was little girl the children al
ways ate all the specked apples and
rose when their elders entered the
room. and 'hat nowadays things are
tho other way round. You see, she has
been eating specked apples and sitting
ih uncomfortable chairs all OF her life
because now everything is for the chill
dren. and st is the grown people to the
background. At least, so sh. says but
IDEAS have changed very rapidly
about children. Your mother said. Yes,
ma'aTn, no, SIR" and did as sho was
told and sat for n solid hour on q little
Etool By somebody's knee to sew her
sean:. Her seam" consisted in hem
ming yard OF come sort Of cloth very
neatly, and then gathering the top of
Il very neatly. Indeed, they got tired
o. II. Haven't you heard TOO many Of
them tell how they gathered with tho
b!ggest sort OF stitches. only TO have
grandmother pull it ell out?
And they got OF their horses and
rode away when their mothers were
telling them IL might at any minute
storm Just as the sons and daughters
OF to- day do. even II they did sit in the
uncomfortable chairs when there was
company. Children. to be good chill
dren. must be wholesome children; that
is what the whole world of kindergart-
ners and children-lovers is saying and
they must grow up learning to laugh
and loving to read and play, or, after
they are older. the playtime and the
laughttne VIII be n tale that Is told, and
not life that is lived for them. Some
times when they are noisy and entirely
too rompy when guests are trying to
make themselves heard over the crowd,
you do, deep down In your heart sigh
for them to stay dull and unintercsting
until they are twelve. and then sud-
denly blossom into genuses.
Long time ago the model child was
contained in the verse:
Gentle Jane was good as gold
She always did az she was told:
She never spoke when her mouth was
full.
Or caught blue-bottles their legs TO
pull,
Or split plum Jam her n.cO new
frock
Or put white mice !n tho eigh,-day
clock.
Or vivisected her last new doll,
OR fostered passion for alcohol:
And when she Erew up che Was given
in marriage
To hrst-class earl who keeps his car
riaBe.
Well, the ideal has changed. You are
glad that IL has changed. Books
full Of prim little girls and tiresome
little boys that never studied their les
sons IN the dining room and made such
racket that the rest OF the family
couidn; play a game Of auction in the
library FOR the sound OF II ALL but
only spoke when they We're spoken TO.
II Is u fine theory and nne for the
nerve, but not In the least interesting,
these prhn Girls and boys. /, is q far
cry fvorn the little girl sitting on her
stool sewing her fine seam IN the dim
and distant yesterday 10 the girl OF
to-day that plays and plays and plays
until she is so tired that She goes home
70 rest, Perhaps you'd just rather
they didn't spill the jam.
BRENT WITT.