The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-11-15

One of my neighbors was telling
me the other day about the trouble
she has in teaching her small daugh-
ter to curb fiery temper.
Mabel cannot play with other chill
them when things do not go to suit
her. Especially with a little girl
across the street from US does she
quarrel fiercely because the child has
a temper that equals Mabers own.
Yesterday they had a worse quarrel
than usual and when Mabel came
home with her eyes still flashing and
told me about it 1 insisted that she
must go right back and kiss Nellie
and tell her she was sorry. She con-
sidered the matter for a moment and
then exclaimed: You go and kiss her
for me, mother. l shall bite her If I
co. Now, what would you do with
a child like that? Break that temper
! must"'
What did you do?" I asked
We'll, you konw, l really was afraid
she might bite Nellie If 1 let her go
alone. but 1 felt that she had to go
and make up with the child for her
own sake, so I took her by the hand
and led her over to Nellie's home and
stood by until they finally settled the
matter between them. But I have that
to do every day and all the time, for
/ have never seen a child with so hot
a temper as Mabel has. and I feel
that she must be taught to get the
better of ii now or she will be in
trouble about it all her life. 1 wonder
IL 1 shall succeed"
I am sure that mother will succeed
because she realizes that eternal vigil
lance is the price OF success. In con-
be dealt with kindly but firmly, and
the child must be made to apologize
every time he has offended another
by giving way to a fit of anger.
1t is only the uncontrolled temper that
is to be deplored. A good, hot temper
is, in my view, a fine asset in life. The
person who is so tame as never to re-
sent a wrong generally lacks ''spunk
enough to say boo to a goose" to quote
a saying 1 can remember my grand
mother often made use Of
In fact / cannot help but think there
is apt to be something sneaking about
the person who has no temper. The
Uriah Heeps of life never openly re-
taliate for injuries they receive, never
show resentment for insults, but it Is
impossible to conceive of any human
being so craven as not to feel resentment
sometimes. And IL a person does not
frankly and openly turn upon his
enemy, then be sure he will secretly
avenge himself for wrong put upon him
when and where he can. Between the
two-the child who has the fierce temper
and the child who tamely submits to the
impositions of its playmates-I have
more hope for the former. There is
better human material IN the fierce
tempered individual.
One of our mothers is having the
temper problem to solve with her small
son, the same little Milton of whose
escapades I have often told you be-
fore now. This wise little mother re-
Allies that she must teach her boy self
control; he must learn to curb his
temper, she thinks not get rid of It!
That is the mistake We mothers too
often make in dealing with this per-
plexity; we treat a quick temper as IL
It were a noxious weed to be pulled out
by the roots instead of guiding 1t and
training II up over the trellis to shelter
US from the assaults of the world.
Little Milton has just started to school,
and. like all shall boys. he is having his
troubles with the ''other fellows" In