Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-07
OUR CHILDREN
BIZ ANGELO PATRL.
Winning the Prize.

PUSSY, the teacher says you are not
doing very well in your lessons. What's
the matter?"
Il don't know. She says I'm lazy,
but I'm not"
NOW listen, Pussy. You have to
work. You don't want to be left back.
Tell you what I'll do. You get hum
dred per cent each day this week in
spelling and arithmetic, not exactly q
hundred YOU know. as near as you
can get to a hundred, ninety eight,
maybe ninety-nine, and hundred, you
get high marks every day and III
take you to the city to see the show"
ooh, good. I'm crazy to see that show.
mother. I'll surely get q hundred"
And she did.
Every afternoon she reported a per-
feet mark, or nearly SO, and even
showed papers to prove 1t. There
now. You see?s You can do fine work
when you want to. I'll take you TO
the show tomorrow" But she did not
take her to the show. There was a
sad reason.
Saturday mornings mail brought a
letter to mother. It was from the
teacher and 1t read something like this
DEAR Madame: Unless your daugh-
ter Amelia does better work than she
has done this past week she will have
to work with the lower grade during
some of her free time in order to hold
her place in her grade. II she shows
no improvement next week over this
one She will not be promoted this term.
She received a failing mark in every
subject of her grade this week"
pussy, how could you tell me such
lie? Why did you? Tell me-"
Because, mother, wanted to 80 TO
the show"
Rewards will not help a failing child.
Children do not fail because Of a lack
of desire to do well. All children
would do well if they could. Some
fundamental weakness causes their
difficulty and until that is discovered
and removed there Is little hope OF
Sometimes this trouble is caused by
poor health. Healthy children are
usually good children, provided their
home lives and their school aSSocia-
tions are what they ought to be. Look
first to the material well being OF the
failing child. Set that right as far as
possible. If the failure Is serious con-
suit a specialist.
Character faults are often based
upon physical failings. A child who
is undernourished is weak throughout.
A temptation is harder to resist when
the blood supply is not up to standard.
All of us, grown-upS and children
alike, need every ounce OF power we
can muster to fight of temptation.
Clear thinking demands healthy me-
dunn for its operations.
The example of those about them is
hiehly important Industry, endurance,
persistence, witnessed in the home day
by day have their influence on the
character of the child Spiritual health
coupled with physical health in the
home Is reflected in the children. The
attitudes of those with whom the chill
dren are associated, upon whom they
must depend, are all-powerful in de-
termining the attitudes and the stand
ards they acquire.
Rewards viii stimulate the child who
can exert himself. They cannot gen.
crate power. Power Is generated by
healthy food, fresh air, sleep, play and
work under the best possible conditions
Power Is inspired by purpose, will, the
deep desire to be and to do what is
right. The whole matter is based upon
health; health of body, health OF mind
Let a reward come as surprise after
work accomplished. It sits better ano
it Is less likely to stimulate the child
to wrong actions.
(Copyright, 1879