San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-29

the mercenary spirit which prevented
parents from developing the genius
which they knew existed in their chill
dren; but because they were their
children they were either too selfish
or they had not the faith to believe
that their own flesh and blood could
produce an artist Of marked ability.
There are very few children born
into this world who do not come with
q prediction in favor of some one
certain thing. Once, my sister
Florence, in discussing genius in a let
ter to me, wrote the following para.
graph. which seems TO me 10 be the
best exposition Of the subject / ever
have read:
"Of course the distinction is a fine
one, but as I understand il, genius is
born in one. A genius is a person
born with remarkable aptitude with
natural endowment embodying the
possession of high mental powers and
faculties. Talent is more the will 10
do a thing, combined with mental CT.
pacity, eminent ability, skill and
cleverness."
Sapt uItuk uCuiuS-
Granting that this be the case, then
genius is sufficiently apparent, even
in very small children, that fathers
and mothers, watching with the eye ot
love and discernment, should be able
to detect the earmarks.
1t has been my painful experience
to have had under my immediate OBJ
servation the loss to the world of a
very great cartoonist, a boy of amsz.
ing talent, bounded from his home
thrown upon the world. his life lost in
an accident which could not have oc.
cured to him had he been kept AT
home, his ability recognized, his cdu-
cation worked out in the direction OF
the development of God-given en-
dowmcnt.
/ knew one girl whose parents could
have accomplished her musical educa'
ton. to lose to the world the deepest
highest. melloweSt contralto voice |
ever heard. L could continue for 9
sickening number of instances.
II parents want 10. develop genius
properly. they must take it during thC
impersonal years from birth TO ado
lescence.
1t must be captured and started IL
the groove in which it is to run
while the minds of children are oc
cupied with the beauty of the world
its mystery and its wonders.
After the urge of sex is upon then
and the necessity for. equippping them
selves to earn money with which Il
meet life faces them, youtlNll pre-
elections are forgotten or pushe'
aside: demands of immediate import
are upon them. there is no time Il
wait for opportunity to develop genius
that would advance them along thu
lines they are best endowed by birth
to follow.
What Ono Parent Has Done.
There are times when genius is lost
to the world for a period Of ten 81
fifteen years. during which the dc
mands Of life and nature absorb it.
possessor. and then il flames up agar
and comes at last to noteworthy 81,
mination. The genius of this worl'
that reaches the perfect flower o.
fruition is the genius that is recog
nizcd in childhood. and that is deliber.
ately. Intentionally and lovingly fos-
tered.
can point out no concrete exampl,
that will better illustrate what
mean in this direction than that oi
Hilda Conklin. little girl not yet ter
years Of age, the daughter If womar
who is a professor of literature II
Smith College.
When the mother OF this child dis
covered the spark of genius that sci