New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-07-10
-urNEVER we are espeoi-
w ally apprehensive lest a
W child develop a certain I'M

~ infancy. But sometimes II
...ns necessary to develop tne
.,,;, in infancy. TO make sure 'ns'
:. Jo.s not crop out later IN me-
+ is perhaps on the theory that
.y.rv dog has his day; if not sooner
.h.r later. For example. 1t wou!'
Gem that about the only way %
nr.v.nt a person from becoming
" old miser is by giving HIM a
chance to be young mlSer' =.
Tn. collecting instinct appears N
en-. child at about seven or eigh'
Years of age, and shows itself III
ur,b,rless ways. The saving OF
buttons and pins may give way TO
~. collecting of scashells. The
lttle girl saves scraps of ribbon and
,a.. ouit. as much because her IN
.,;rct 20 collect is developing as
b.,arse the ribbons and laces ap-
o.aI 10 her sense of beauty.
Az first there is not much con-
,c;ousness In the process. The lit
Il. boy will gather in pebbles and
hits OF colored glass without much
determination. II is just the primal
instinct to appropriate whatever ap-
Meals at the moment. And the lit
lie bows pocket is notorious for the
variety OF its contents, not merely
because he has a great variety OF
interests and must be prepared tor
q great variety of emergencies. In
large part his pockets contents re-
Aect the scenes of his most recent
.xperiences; the pocket contains
SAMPLES of what has come within
Nhe boys reach.
For a while this unconscious I'M
nulse 10 pocket what is touched
and 70 touch what is seen may be
a source Of great annoyance TO the
other inhabitants Of the house. 1t
nav help you at times TO locate the
missing tape-measure or the key to
q door: but it is a nuisance just the
same. However. there soon comes
q time when this instinct to gather
evnands into a conscious purpose
10 make collection.
II we have patiently and wisely
allowed the child to pass through
the shapeless appropriation OF moth
ing in particular, we shall ind 1t
easier to make use Of the later stage
10 good purpose. For with the de-
sire 10 make collections comes an
opportunity TO cultivate system and
orderliness that is hardly exceeded
by anything found in the home or
the school.
To make collection means to
have fairly definite idea of species
and genera and orders. 1t it's
transfers that make up the collec-
ton, they can be sorted by colors
and sizes and car lines; they can be
arranged in chronological order, or
in alphabetical order; they can be
bundled by tens and by hundreds
nor by dozen and gross.
Nj we are collecting coupons"
that come with soap or with cereals.
we have similar opportunities TO
sort and classify and arrange.
Later. when we come 10 collect
postage stamps, the opportunities
for classification are just as great,
although they are apparently re-
stricted by the traditional conven-
tons OF the game.
And the mother will be interested
10 note that all of this gathering
and classifying implies place for
everything and everything in its
place-a much more forceful impli-
cation here than ever came from
precept or example or moral stories
about the child that missed the
chance 10 20 to picnic because the
cap could not be found.
Gathering streetcar transfers and
coupons is an inexpensive pastime
and IS generally not noticed by
parents. When noticed it is likely
10 seem trivial and wasteful oil
precious time that might be put TO
better use, and is accordingly ap,
to receive Encouragement.
When il comes to cigarette pic
lures, parents will question the
l good taste Of the pictures; when il
<omes 70 picture postals and post
age stamps, they will hesitate at
the expense. Nevertheless, we shall
Ind Il worth while 10 encourage, il
only passively, this impulse to make
a collection and 70 develop it in
tensively. Let the child gather ac-
eoTding &c his interests, according
20 the best taste OF the surround
ings, according 70 the material that
IS most promising.
In the country there is the OPP
portunity 20 collect leaves OF all
the kinds Of trees or shrubs; or 70