*
Secret Ambitions of Parents for
Their Children.
HOPE AIDS IN DEVELOPMENT
\ ' -
It Is Well to Realize That Backward
ness or Precocity Does Not De
termine a Child’s Pos
sibilities
By SIDONIE M. GRUENBERG.
CLICK, almost three years old,
was very busy scribbling forest
and cloud effects on the back of
a circular letter; and she was
Quite oblivious to the presence aud con
versation of her mother and a visitor.
"Can she write yet?” asked the visi
tor. “Oh, no,” beamed the mother,
“we do not wish to hurry her. But
she does love to play with pencils and
paper, aud 1 think she is going to be
an author.” The visitor smiled indul
• gently. But this is what she thought:
“She is just as likely to become a
cheap clerk or a fourth-rate stenog
rapher.” Which is quite true; only
there is no use discouraging parents
too early in the game.
Parents naturally harbor secret am
bitions as to the future of the children;
we know that, because they sometimes
let the secret out. And it is quite nat
ural that they should, because they
transfer to their children the hopes of
their own childhood, the hopes that
never cystallized into reality. We can
therefore understand why the scrib
blings of Alice should suggest fine
writing to the mother, or why Tommy’s
tinkering with the decrepit alarm clock
should remind the father of that other
Thomas, the great inventor.
Not only is it easy to understand
why parents do such things—which
must appear rather stupid or conceit
ed to the parents of other children—
hut it is very desirable that they
should continue to do more aud more
of the same. For entertaining hopes
about children is about the surest
way of guiding our plans and bring
ing unity into our treatment of the de
veloping personality. The hopes can
certainly do no harm—unless they
blind us. But there is the real danger.
For if we have nothing to go by ex
cept our hopes, we are just as likely
to be moved or paralyzed by our fears.
It is natural for parents to translate
the random activities of their children
Patrick Henry Alternated Hunting
With Extreme Laziness.
into possibilities for achievement. But
it is just as natural to translate the
annoying or unconventional activities
into gnawing fear.
Charles Darwin tells us in his auto
biography of being rebuked by the
schoolmaster for wasting his time on
such subjects as chemistry. We should
explain this by saying that the school
master had no appreciation of a sub
ject of which lie was totally ignorant.
But he tells us further that he was
greatly mortified when his father once
said to him: "You care for nothing
but shooting dogs and rat catching, and
you will be a disgrace to yourself and
all your family.” Now Darwin’s fath
er was not an ignorant man, and he
was not unsympathetic; but liis imagi
nation was not equal to interpreting
the child’s interests and activities in
terms other than those of loafing,
shooting and rat catching.
But if the experience of Darwin
should lead anyone to predict a groat
scientific career for the son of similar
proclivities, he must be wurned. Tfie
youth of Patrick Henry was charac
terized by alternating spasms of run
ning wild and hunting in the woods
and spells of extreme laziness. "No
persuasion could bring him either to
read or to work,” his biographer
writes, "and every omen foretold a
life at best of mediocrity, if not of in
significance.” Which only supports the
old suspicion that you must not put
too much trust in omens.
Again and again we find cases of
children who filled their parents with
despair and their teachers with dls
gust, only to emerge later into men
and women of distinction and high so
cial value. The timid youth, backward
in school and slow to give any sign
of internal fires, develops into a leader
in thought or in action. This should
not make us translate timidity and
backwardness into signs of leadership.
Henry Ward Beecher was so bashful
and reticent as a boy that he gave the
impression, according to his sister, of
“stolid stupidity.” In addition to this
he was a poor writer and speller, and
had a “thick utterance.” No one would
have guessed that this ten-year-old boy
was to become ti brilliant orator, es
pecially since the other children of the
family memorized their lessons readily
and recited them with grace and ele
gance, in marked contrast to the con
fused and stammering Henry.
John Adams gave no sign of abil
ities beyond the ordinary until well
along in years, and but for the cir
cumstances of the Civil War Ulysses
S. Grant would have remained an ob
scure, uninteresting and “unsuccessful”
drifter. On the other hand, many a
precocious child seems to stop short in
its development long before there is
the maturity or the opportunity to
begin to accomplish things of impor
tance. We are not to suppose that
Henry Ward Beecher Was Bashful and
Reticent.
every brilliant child will necessarily
become a mediocre adult, nor that ev
ery backward child is to develop into
i a genius.
The fact is that the “abilities" of a
child are in a state of constant change.
At no time may we say of the child
that it lias exhibited a final manifesta
tion of its possibilities or of its limi
tations. The “inattentive” Isaac New
ton, the “dullard” Robert Fulton, the
“indolent” James Russell Lowell, the
“weakminded” David Hume and hun
dreds of others make us challenge our
methods of estimating the powers and
characters of children. These, more
than the disappointments we feel in
the failure of children to develop Into
a realization of our great expectations,
make us question our standards and
systems and signs.
In view of the common failure to
anticipate the ultimate achievements
of children, it would seem much wiser
to draw all the possible encouragement
and stimulus from the positive mani
festations, to watch constantly for the
best, tiian to fear and despair for the
weaknesses.
India’s Jewels.
Though India exports $5,500,000
worth of Jewels annually, she is still
supreme in the world as the jewel
storehouse for all nations. Diamonds,
rubies, sapphires, tourmaline, gar
net and many kinds of rare chalce
dony are mined throughout her many
provinces. Rubies are principally
mined in Upper Burma.
One ruby of 75 carats, taken out a
few years ago, was valued at $100,000,
sapphires are mined in Kashmir, but
the mines, after having been worked
for over 000 years, are now said to be
giving out, though the yellow, white,
blue, and green varieties are exten
sively found in the ruby-bearing grav
els in Burma. Garnets form a valu
able trade in Krishnagar, while large
quantities of turquoise come from Sik
kim and Tibet, those from the latter
country being harder and of darker
and more liquid luster, and having
greater value.
Women Can’t Take a Joke.
Tommy was listening to his “high
brow” sister discourse on the political
issues of the day to callers at their
home, and, as was his wont, attentive
ly awaited an opportunity to twit her
as a matter of pure mischief.
“Though 1 am In sympathy with the
feminist movement,” his sister was
telling the callers, “yet, like father,
at heart I am a Democrat and”—
“Oh-h-h, sis,” Tommy interrupted,
“how changeable you are. You told
us yesterday that you are an aristo
crat. How fickle!”
What could the poor girl do? Noth
ing more than pull Tommy’s ears when
the callers had gone, which elicited
the remonstrance:
“Women what can't take a Joke ain’t
got no business in politics.”
Unintentional Palindrome.
The “New Palindrome” in the issue
of May 4. writes a subscriber, reminds
me of a quite unpremeditated one that
I once saw.
I was waiting in a buggy in front of
a bakery in Yreka, Cal., and my atten
tion was attracted to the odd fact that,
w'ith the exception of one letter—B—
the glass of the two doors bore the
same inscription. That stray letter
puzzled me. “Yreka” with a final “B”
was quite inexplicable.
In the same white letters on the
windows appeured “Yreka Bakery.”
As I looked from one group to another
it suddenly dawned upon me that the
extra letter was on the open door. I
was reading that one backward 1—
Youth’s Companion.
Keeping Baby Quiet.
One mother used a clever device to
keep her ever-restless youngster from
crawling away all the time. She got a
large soft gray blanket and cut out
gay designs from the nursery books,
which she sewed on the blanket. The
pictures were made of linen, from one
of those linen children’s books Bold In
all the shops. The bright pictures at
tracted the child’s attention, and he
would sit for hours looking -at them
and picking at them. A baby fence
around the rug completed the outfit
Third Man Needed.
Brewer was fond of quizzing his
friend Johnson. So one day, while out
walking together, he began his usual
practice by remarking: “I say, John
son, I believe if I had you tied to a
piece of string and paraded you round
the town, I should make money out of
you.” “Yes,” remarked Johnson, "but
you would have to have a man to shout
at which end of the string the menkey
was tied to.”
Sure Scheme.
Young Wife—I am determined to
learn at what hour my husband comes
home at night. Yet, do what I will, I
cannot keen awake, and he is always
careful not to make a particle of noise.
Is there any drug which produces
wakefulness?
Old Wife—No need to buy drugs.
Sprinkle the floor with tacks.—Home
Sentinel.
4
HAPPENING y/j/fe
OTIESMI
Tons of Paper Left in New York Subway Daily
NKW TOIIK.—Until recently the destination of the newspapers left in the
subway and elevated trains was supposed variously to have been ‘'Davy
Jones’ locker” or the place where bndlittle boys go to. But an announcement
made i>y t. r. snouts, president or trie
Interborough Rapid Transit company,
knocks all those theories in ttie head.
To show that efficiency is not con
fined to Germany, Mr. Shouts explains
lhat discarded newspapers picked up
by rite train guards are converted into
real money and used to defray the ex
pense of keeping the trains and sta
tions tidy. So. if anybody wishes to
client the common carrier of New York
city, he may carry out Uis newspaper ,
with him and throw it into the street—
thus aiding the city by pitying :i fine for mussing up the city's thoroughfares.
During the last six months, says the announcement from l.j Broadway,
the passengers in the subway left more than 000 tons of newspapers behind
them when they left tlie trains, an average of five tons a day. These papers,
sold at the prevailing rate for waste paper, net the Interborough about $8,000
■—not a large sum when it comes to financing a subway system, but one
which can help to pay the TOO porters needed to keep the stations clean. These
figures do not include the papers from the elevated lines.
While the Interborough is able to get a return from tlie piles of news
papers which are left in the trains there is no revenue to be derived from the
mountains of dirt which also are carried into the stations on the feet of the
passengers. Between the first of January and the first of July 728.000.000
human feet each carried into the stations their contribution to 1,500 tons of
dirt—almost enough to build an island for a garbage plant—which were re
moved from the stations.
Clancy Prevented Theft of Queensboro Bridge
NEW YORK.—Persons who have been accustomed to waking un every morn
ing and finding the Queensboro bridge in its usual place will he pleased to
hear that an attempt to steal that $20.00(1,OOfl structure piece by piece lias been
j i u.'ii hi i'h. .1 usi as in otner nays, me
man who had reached the summit of
high finance was described as one who
would sell the Brooklyn bridge if he
could find a purchaser, so henceforth
tlie superlative criminal will doubtless
be "described as lie who would steal fin
Quoenshoro bridge—if Clancy were not
on the job.
Clancy is n policeman. He is an
eagle-eyed policeman. “Curiosity” is
his middle name. He is attached to
Hunters Point police station. His
“beat" the other day was the tjueensboro bridge. About four o'clock in the
afternoon Clancy saw four men in an automobile drive on the bridge and stop
near a big copper feed cable for electricity belonging to tlie city. The men,
all in overalls, got out their tools and began to work with the cable.
Clancy stood at a distance and looked. He also did a little thinking.
“Faith," said he to himself, “a line time o’ day for men to be a-working.”
The more Clancy thought about this situation the more he was convinced
that it was an extraordinary tiling for persons seemingly employed by the city
to be doing any work on a Saturday afternoon.
“Something must have happened,” he muttered, as he cogitated this
strange situation and meandered slowly in the direction of the laborers.
Hut the laborers saw him coming. Three of them jumped Inta the auto
mobile and escaped, while the fourth attempted unsuccessfully to outrun the
wily policeman.
When Clancy went buck to the place where the men had been working he
found that tlie big cable had been cut in two places. It's worth a foot.
“Faith.” said Clancy, “that is the very worst thing 1 ever heard of—trying
to steal the bridge from under my feet."
Chicagoan Makes Costly Experiment in Honesty
CHICAGO.—Time was when A. \V. Kaney was a trusting, confiding person who
believed that in every human heart there is a pay-streak of honesty. Mr.
Kaney lost his wallet. In it were papers and some $125. So he inserted an
advertisement in tlie newspapers, as
follows: I ^ hi 1
‘•A TEST OF HUMAN NATURE—
The writer of this believes in the basic
honesty of humanity. Sometime Tues
day night he lost a billfold containing
about $125. He does not need the
money, does not want it, but desires
above all things to have it returned to
stop tlie jeers of scoffing friends who
do not hold ids opinion. If the linder
will return the purse to room 328 i
Hotel hherman, he will not only save
iny peace of mind but will be rewarded beyond every expectation.”
A few nights later, Mr. Kaney was dressing in his room at. the Sherman
preparatory to going out. There came a rap on the door. Opening it. Mr.
Kaney found there a blond youth of cherubic countenance and confiding mien.
“He asketj me,” said Mr. Kaney, “if I would give him a description of the
billfold and its contents, which I did minutely, lie said: ‘I've found your wal
let. It’s at home. At first I was going to keep it. but after seeing your ad iu
the paper I just couldn’t. And, God knows, I need it, too. But I am going to
give it bnck to you.’
“‘Fine! Fine!’I shouted, patting him on the back. ‘That's fine. Not only
have you proved yourself an honest youth, but you have restored me some
thing more than the mere money—my belief in the basic honesty of mankind.
And you have also enabled me to give the laugh to a lot of my Doubting
Thomas friends. For that, I am going to give you $.r>0.’
The youth with a lump in his throat thanked his benefactor and departed,
saying he would go home, get the purse and return with it.
Overjoyed at the proof of his convictions, Mr. Kaney went over to his
dresser to finish dressing.
“And I couldn’t find my scarf pin, a diamond ring and a watch,” ruefully
confided Mr. Kaney later.
The youth with the cherubic countenance and the confiding mien has not
showed up. Neither has the purse.
Millions Will Be Spent on Defense at Norfolk
NORFOLK. VA.—Many millions of dollars will be spent on coast defenses nt
this point to protect the entrance to Chesapeake bay as a result of legisla
tion passed by the present congress, in addition tile navy yard iiere will lie
fi'u Ptwjr]
jTniS /
luege J
euiurgeu so wall u wm uc lime u« umiu
the greatest warship. This city will
show a substantial increase In popula
tion as a result of preparedness ac
tivity.
At Cape Henry and Fort Monroe
> many new giant rifles and great mor
> tars will be cunningly placed behind
concrete, steel and sand in such a way
that no warship cau reach them. Guns
and mortars at Cape Henry alone will
„ cost $1,500,000. The emplacements
uuu lilt' pumi, lnciuiuug u wu.iri mi
landing supplies, a connecting railway, an electric system and the submarine
defenses other than materials, will cost nearly three millions more; while quar
ters for officers, barracks for men, a machine shop and its equipment will alto
gether run over a million and a half.
A million dollars will be spent ultimately in the improvement of a tract
acquired a few years ago as an annex to the yard, equipping it with water,
light, power and rail systems, giving It a wet basin and a sea wall which, when
finished, will provide the yard with eight miles of waterfront. Norfolk will also
have a thousand-foot dry dock.
.POSTSCRIPTS
Work has been begun in Egypt upon
a project for draining and reclaiming
1,000,000 acres of land, one of the
greatest and costliest tasks of the
kind ever attempted.
The world's largest artificial harbor,
166 acres In area and 28 feet deep, Is
planned for Rotterdam.
Adjustable pontoons, intended to
make any small boat unsinkable, have
been patented in England by an Aus
i trnllan.
The French wine harvest of 1915
amounted to 18,100.790 hectoliters,
compared with 56,194,109 hectoliters io
1914.
A new hand operated pump for the
use of glaziers applies putty to both
sides of a sash partition at once, there
by saving nearly one-half the labor in
mounting glass.
A Washington Inventor has patent
ed a machine for numbe ing photo
graphic plates and films by the trau&
mission of light through transparent
figures arranged on opaque strips.
GUNS THAT ARE BATTERING THE GERMANS
jV V, „ . ...
This is one of the heavy British guns in action on the west front, where such cannon have smashed the i.ietmio
trenches for many miles.
AUSTRIAN TROOPS IN THE TYROL ALPS 4
r ..■“*“*’* .... •• ... ....
lliis remarkable photograph just received, shows the Austrian troops on the peaks ot' the great range of mountains
where the Italians and Austrian troops are engaged. It is reported that in many places the ice and snow are beginning
to melt and great holes are encountered everywhere. Blocks of snow and ice are sliding down the mountains, imped
ing the progress of the Alpine fighters of both countries.
HUGHES’ SUCCESSOR ON SUPREME BENCH
John Hessin Clarke of Cleveland, <>.. nominated by President Wilson to bt
associate justice of the United States Supreme court, lias been federal judgt
for the northern district of Ohio since 1014.
SEACOAST TRENCHES IN FLANDERS
_ •n
Photograph shows the remarkable construction of German trendies on the
sands of a beach on the extreme seacoast of Flanders. Bomnproof shelters
have also been built out of timber work, and sand and sand bags.
t ,
MINE USED AS A BUOY
. —.— _ I
This German mine, intercepted <>n
the Tigris river, is being used as 11
buoy by the British.
Unique Document.
lu the “American Magazine” Prof.
Charles Downer Hazen tells some
ludicrous incidents of the Frnnco
Prussinn war, describing a document
that Is a modern curiosity:
“Cohesion was lacking, as were num
bers,” be suys. "Many generals were
sent to command troops with which
they were entirely unacquainted.
“Not only soldiers, but sometimes
generals went astray, unable to find
tlieir places. ‘Have arrived at Bel
fort,’ telegraphed General Hiehel on
July 21, ‘can’t find my brigade; can't
find tlie general of the division. What
slinll 1 do? Don’t know where iuy
regiments are.’ This document is prob- ‘
ably unique in military records. Aa
j “Iher general hunted for his artillery
, staff; another for a cavalry carpi
j, which did not exist.”
Whiskers and Corsets.
Patience—I see that the first baby
| born in Lorraine, O., will receive from
merchants of the town gifts including
a theater pass for life and corsets or
barber service for life, as the case urny
be.
; Patrice—It would be awlul if the
| baby should cling to the corsets and
j decide to let the whiskers grow.
In These Days.
Wife—You say you saw Miss Pick
ering walking on the avenue. What
did she have on?
Husband—I can't recall.
Wife—Well, she must have had on
something.
Husband—Quite possiWc. my dear; 1
probably overlooked it.—Life.
Simple Remedy.
“Look at the last lightning-chang«
Chinese emperor. I tell you, it is hare
for a dictator to decide on a poliej
that will make him stick in his pluce
these times.”
“Why doesn’t one who wants tc
Btick try a little piece of fly paper?”
The Kind.
“Elks have big horns, haven’t they,
pa?”
“Yes, son, and while they are In Bal
timore you can bet there will be horns
*£ plenty.”
BITS OF INFORMATION
The world’s supply of black opals Is
practically exhausted, in the opinion
of a London gem expert.
A woman is the inventor of a suit
case that can be folded flat and car
ried under one arm when empty.
Platinum deposits rich enough for
their operation to be profitable have
been discovered in Germany.
Pressing a lever projects n slide
down the tines of a new cold meat
fork Jo remove its contents neatly.^
France is stimulating attention to
gardening.
Sheep dogs are free from tax in the
United Kingdom.
Nigeria has been added to the lands
in which valuable deposits of coal have
been discovered in recent years.
Hurvey Iloffmau of Everett, Mass., A
fined $5 the other day for violating
auto laws, paid in buffalo nickels.
J. O. Donovan of Concord, N. H..
studies law in Boston and has traveled
daily between the two cities for three
years, about 75,000 taller
