Imperial Valley press., 1913-12-19
Lady Cook Pleads
Truth to Children
BY Lady Cook. nee Tennessee Claflin

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New York, Dec. 19.-Parents may
be assured that the welfare of their
children and the future of the race
lie to a large extent in their hands
Their actions and habits and beliefs
will govern those to come. If they
fail, so will the others. If they do
their duty wisely, the children will
follow their example. Parents not
only mould their own children but
their children's children to many gen.
erations. 1t therefore is the first duty
of parents to strive diligently, ear
nestly and heartfully to devise the
best methods of instructing their chill
dren in the care of their bodies and
the proper and God given uses of its
functions. Naturally, one system of
instruction would not do for all chill
dren, for some children mature more
quickly than others. The teacher of
spelling or algebra has to grade the
children so that the children more ad-
vanced or quicker to grasp will not
be retarded by those who are slower
to learn. So should the teacher of
eugenics exercise discretion in in
structing the child. After the age of
10 or IL the full detail of the wonders
of our conception and growth should
be taught.
If all parents followed this method
it would do more to stamp out evils
among children of tender years and
the opportunities for older children
taking advantage of younger ones
than any other one thing. Let child
be mystified and it will be curious.
Adopt an attitude of mystery and re-
fusal to explain and the child will
gain from other children as ignorant
of the truth as itself the knowledge
which the parent wrongly withholds.
Ignorance of eugenic truths, I am
happy to say, does not always result
in loss of virtue. In fact, it is an
astounding fact that there is as much
virtue in the world as there is, con-
sidering the eugenic ignorance of the
majority of the children and youths.
But bringing child up to maturity
without loss of virtueis not all of a
parents duty. The parent is far from
blameless if the son or daughter after
makes the mistake so fire.
quent in the life of the young mar
ried couple-mistake that are due
solely to ignorance Of the most inn
portant matters and mistakes which
result in so much misery
and so many broken marriage ties.
The human passions have been
found to be terrible forces, like steam
or fire, and instead of studying them
in order to regulate them in accord
ance with their own true laws and
their adaptation to the worlds we'll
being they have been merely feared.
fought down and suppressed. There
can be no argument sensibly made
against full and complete instructions
for young people about to be married.
When one enters into a business as
an employe or partner he first
makes a study of that business. And
who are going into life partnership
in the business of life and souls who
know the details of the business. 1t
is either that their parents do not re-
alize what this ignorance may cost.
or that the parents are too prudish-
too replete with that false mock mod
esty which is nothing short of GRIM
inal. By all means the couple should
be taught the use and regulations of
the functions of the body, and the in
struction should be as complete and
full as the instruction accorded the
student who is to become a nurse or
a doctor or a clerk or a lawyer.