The Alaska daily empire., 1923-08-11
By'0RA A. CLEMENT.

Bettys mother had just gotten the little four-year-old settled down for her afternoon nap.
 And now I will not much more than get this room put to rights be- fore she wakes mp again" she laugh ingly remarked to her college friend, now 4 primary teacher. who was spending few days with her.
 ''Why not leave the playthings where they are and let Betty pick them up when she wakes?n the friend asked
 Sometimes I do, but she always wants to make play of 1t and it really takes more time to keep her at 1t than 1t does to do it myself"
 Her visitor said nothing for few minutes and when she spoke again it was without reference to Betty What did you do with those cum ming chicks you took out of the in cubator this morning?" she asked
 "Oh. I divided them up among three or four hens who are simply wild to be mothering something. Now the little ones are cuddled up snug and warm under real feathers. and they have no idea in the world that they are, by rights and inher- itance. poor, machine-hatched little orphans"
 Why did you put them with the hens so soon? Would it not have been safer to have cared for them yourself until they were a week or so old, and strong enough to run with the older chickens?"
 Betty's mother laughed That shows that you do not know chick ens tried that plan the first year I used an incubator and 1 learned something. It is only for few days that a foster mother can be intro duced to incubator chicks. If they are put with her during the first few days of their lives they will adopt her and follow her obediently till half-grown, like chickens matched under a hen, but after a week alone they seem to get used to being or phans and they will not follow a hen no matter how much she coaxes and clucks and-scolds. Isn't it odd?"
 She had the playthings all ill order and settled herself with her mending in her lap.
 Instinct" said the teacher Mature puts an urge into the little chick that makes 1t seek mother at the time 1t needs her most And if you are to be successful as poultry wo- man you must work with Nature you cant oppose her"
 She drew a thread thoughtfully and then went on: Tt is odd, and it is still more interesting to watch the same thing in children. Did you ever think what powerful urge there must be in the little child to keep him trying to walk in spite of the discouraging falls he gets?
 "All through Betty's childhood and youth she will be led by instincts and desires through which Nature strives to produce and develop perfect wo manhood. And in handling children as in poultry raising, it saves us much pain and trouble if we work with Nature
 Just now Betty is passing through what students of child life call the initiative age She initiates every thing she sees you do"
 The mother smiled knowingly. She loved the baby's little make be- leves.
 "She plays set table, and sews, sweeps, kneads bread and makes beds as you do. If you work with Nature now you will save yourself and Betty a great deal of grief in the years to come" You are thinking of the play. things on the floor" exclaimed tne hostess.
 "Yes. While Betty wants to do just as you do, train her in habits of or derliness and cleanliness. The imi- tative age will not last long. After that, about the time she goes to school. there will come a period when your little girl will be lawless, care less and selfish. inclined to put her will and judgment against yours in everything If she has become order ly and neat from habit before that time comes it will be a great con-