New-York tribune., 1920-09-08
Books u<ywoda BY b,ouc

although promising, was smothered In
Onions.
"Some time ago." writes B. F. Taylor
(Mrs. Norman Taylor), ~ took issue
with Mr. Haywood Broun on his ideas
Of bringing up children, which was
not received with any tremor of recog-
milton. Again, l shall make an at
tempt to say that think he is entire
ly wrong in his plea for Rousseau
esqueness and spontaneous mediocrity,
rather than some semblance Of train
ing. The idea that ones highest duty
TO ones children is to give them a
chance to grow up as they like in un-
trained primcval freshness is not
wholly desirable for the race. AL
though we have given up most Of our
cultural inheritance in the effort to
pull the best specimens of the race
down to the grand general level of
mediocrity, the glorihcation of de-
mocracy has not quite killed all aove
in the race for personalities trained in
dignity of manner and of mind, in
preference to flip, spontaneous medi-
ocrity. And how are we to get train
ing in dignity Of mind and body ex-
cept through long years of imposing
them on plastic minds, of deliberately
forcing the young to receive the ac-
curlulated customs of civilization
rather than allow each one to start
afresh on the path? If there is any
one thing this country needs to learn
it is just this. Are we not q byword
for lack of manners because We de-
llberately prefer to let our children
enjoy themselves rather than teach
1hem oehavlor! How many times
does one meet hyphenatcd Americans
who on occasion show their good breed
ing most attractively only to find their
| children brought up in this country
perfect roughnecks! And yet we con-
tlnue to pat ourselves on the back and
glory IN our spontaneity and call down
any one who has the temerity to take a
stand for training and self-control
forced on the young"
We noted in Fannie Hurst's motion
! picture "Humoresque," the other day,
a scene in which the mother is can
toned as exclaiming "My baby cried
for violin. He's going to be a great
musician" This system of deduction
worried US not little, because H. Sd
cries for the talcum powder and the
scissors. To be sure, good BARRIERS do
very we'll these days, but the rest in
the house are not willing to accept the
forecast. They think that H. Sd, too,
ought to be a great musician because.
after no more than a bar or so has
oeen played on the Victrola, he can
identify Ladies on Horses" "The
Room, Boom" and "'Nother Kind of
Boom, Boom" They take a certain
delight that he thus manifests an in
terest in "The Ride of the Valkyries. ~
The Funeral March of a Marionette"
and "Sigfrieds Funeral March," and
ignore the fact that he seems equally
enthusiastic about The Man Laughs. -
/ which is q comedy selection profes-
! slonally known as The Insect Powder
! Agent"
You chase the bug around the room
until he's all exhausted and opens his
mouth about foot wide and then YOU
pour a shovelful of the powder down
his neck and throw him on the floor
and stamp on him and the bug is dead"
AS q matter Of fact n "a COW 41,
the records just as we'll by looking at
them as by listening. AS he is still
years below the reading age and many
OF the records are of the same size and
color this is puzzling stunt. We're
afraid that it indicates a close snd re-
| tentive memory. It may be that II. Sd