The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1920-01-22
The Child Mother
Continued from last week.

was made 10 champion the cause OF
the defenceless and helpless unborn
babe who not by its own choice
comes into, or is denied IFS rightful
inheritance Of good health and a
sound mind. discover now that n
most important chapter has been
omitted which bears directly on the
welfare Of the child. Were the
mothers and grandmothers all over
the state Of Knetucky conscious OF
the great wrong Of which I shall
speak, this chapter would not ap-
pear until the end Of the book" as
IL should appropriately tell Of the
care Of the child in the very last
years Of IFS childhood (the age OF
twelve) instead Of having TO dwell
upon the wrong Of premature
motherhood. And-save the mark
The law Of Kentucky permits the
child Of twelve 60 marry with its
mothers consent. We cannot help
being Of the opinion that had the
grandmother's consent been required
the present bill TO make the require
ment fourteen" for the girl would
have been unnecessary as il is fair
10 assume that the grandmothers
have by this time reached the age
OF mature Judgment.
And so as I write in anticipation
OF the pre- dolescent age OF twelve
years I am confronted with the as
founding news that The child may
soon become a mother.
What one Of you, my readers,
would consent. had you the choice,
10 become the offspring Of a child
OF thirteen summers?
What are some Of the facts con-
corning this child-mother?
Thru many centuries and tens Of
centuries back 10, times nnrecorded
the human race has been undergo
ing change and development, both
physical and psychic, and habitat
and climate determining which of
these predominated and in harmony
with these changes was a variation
in the age Of maturity. The higher
the mental development. the greater
the tendency TO prolong the age to
maturity.
The relationship of the age Of ma
turity TO the physical development
is well illustrated by the pedigree Of
the horse which can be traced 10
that Of little animal the size Of a
rabbit.
At present, the full maturity Of
the girl has not been attained until
the age of eighteen when the in
crease Of stature, weight and the
perfect functioning Of all the organs
is acquired. This means that the
body is as nearly in a state Of So
called equilibrium As at any age and
is prepared not only TO protect itself
against disease and violence, but
can resist temptation more success
fully and can assert its indepen-
dence in thot and action in compe--
tition with the mature man Or
woman.
Such is a picture OF the average
fully mature girl Of eighteen or boy
OF twenty one-the end Of the period
Of most rapid development-begin-
ming at twelve in girls and at four
teen in boys.
During this critical period the
body, mind and soul OF the boy or
girl are undergoing such rapid de-
vclopmental changes that the whole
is in a state Of extremely deli
cate poise or uncertain equilibrium
requiring but a slight variation in
environment 10 upset the whole
wonderful structure so that il may
fall in ruins.
The dangers, even in infancy, are
not so great as in the adolescent for
in case Of the latter we have the
soul TO guard and intellect to save;
for by the restraint Of our varied
physical appetites and by the obser-
walton Of the fundamental laws of
health and right living we can make
il possible for a child TO be we'll
born.
The infant is subject only TO the
danger Of few diseases and physi-
cal injury and, given a normal child
a, birth, the chances are abundant
for its rapid growth provided only
that intelligence is exercised In car
ing for and feeding IL.
Also, while the child Of from eight
10 twelve is comparatively free from
disease and temptation the growing
youth Of twelve or fourteen has n
much greater predisposition TO dis
ease and in addition is subject TO the
pitfalls which may be the cause of
stunning or near-destruction OF the
moral and intellectual growth. Fur
Their. the healthy unfolding NJ anv of