,,the ,,unfolding ,,life ,a ,study of ,development with ,reference to ,religious ,training by ,,antoinette ,,abernethy ,,lamoreaux ,with ,introduction by ,marion ,lawrance #aijg ,,to ,my ,precious ,father and ,mother1 in whose daily ministry ,i have seen the beauty and learned the meaning of ,christian ,nurture1 this book is affectionately dedicated4 ,,contents ,,chapter ,i ,,fundamental ,,principles ,,of ,,development ,,ii ,,early ,,childhood ,,iii ,,early ,,childhood--,continued ,,iv ,,early ,,childhood--,concluded ,v ,,childhood--,,six ,,to ,,twelve ,,vi ,,the ,,junior ,,age--,,nine ,,to ,,twelve ,,vii ,,adolescence ,,viii ,,middle ,,and ,,late ,,adolescence ,,introduction ,having read with much care the proof sheets of this book1 ,i am prepared to say three things about it1 and it gives me pleasure to say them here4 #a4 ,,the ,,book ,,is ,,well ,,named4 ,,the ,,unfolding ,,life4 ,turn which way we will1 we see life unfolding all about us1 and yet how faintly are its mysteries understood6 ,and is it not the one thing above all others1 which teachers1 mothers1 fathers and all of us1 need to understand8 ,it is well that our attention has been called to this most vital of all themes by a book1 whose very name compels attention to its content1 and whose content is but its name in fuller treatment4 #b4 ,,the ,,book ,,is ,,well ,,written4 ,such books as this should be read slowly and pondered well2 but this book by its fascination will tempt one to read too rapidly4 ,its line of argument is logical2 its diction is as pure as the bubbling stream2 its truths are evident and compelling4 ,it presents the purest psychology stripped of all mystifying technicalities1 and clothed in language which even a child can understand4 ,the reason for this is plain4 ,it is the ,beaten ,oil drawn from the rich and ripe experience of one of the best students of childhood and teachers of children in our land4 #c4 ,,the ,,book ,,is ,,well ,,timed4 ,teachers are seeking now as never before to understand the soil in which the living seed of ,god's ,word is to be cast4 ,nothing can be more important than this4 ,the author deals largely with the every day problems of the average home and ,sunday ,school1 thus rendering the highest service to the great army of ordinary teachers and mothers4 ,while this book will be hailed with joy by all such1 it will nevertheless command a place by the side of the highest grade books on the subject4 ,there never was a time when any book on any subject was more greatly needed than this book is needed now4 ,it would be a boon indeed to every home1 and to every ,sunday ,school as well1 if all teachers1 mothers1 yes1 and fathers too1 would read and re-read ,,the ,,unfolding ,,life4 ,,marion ,,lawrance4 ,chicago1 ,march1 #aijh4 ,,foreword ,the greatest thing in the world is a human life4 ,the greatest work in the world is the helpful touch upon that life4 ,here and there an artist in soul culture is found at the task1 but the many are unskilled and the product of the labor is far from a manhood perfect in ,christ4 ,in dealing with things1 the vessel marred in the making can be set aside or fashioned anew1 but a life is for eternity4 ,the faulty work can not be undone4 ,the mistake can never be wholly rectified1 for life never yields up what is given it4 ,the look1 the word1 the invisible atmosphere of the home and church1 the sights and sounds of all the busy days enter the super-sensitive and retentive soul of the child and are woven into life tissue4 ,character has no other from which to fashion itself4 ,therefore its final beauty and worth will be determined in large measure by the quality of the material which entered in4 ,it is with earnest desire to help some parent or teacher in the divine work of soul nurture1 that this volume is offered4 ,there is no attempt to add to knowledge in ,child ,study or ,psychology1 but rather to interpret certain of their fundamental facts and principles with reference to ,religious ,training4 ,,chapter ,i ,,fundamental ,,principles ,,of ,,development4 ,row upon row they stretched1 fifteen acres of regal chrysanthemums1 roses pink1 yellow1 white and red1 fragile lilies of the valley1 carnations and vivid orchids1 no two alike1 yet all expressions of plant life4 ,skilled gardeners from ,england and ,germany were busy with these exquisite flower children1 watering1 pruning and training upon slender cords1 that every bud might come to perfect unfolding4 ,the laws of the plant world and the law of each individual flower were well known to them4 ,they knew that all required sunshine and soil1 warmth and moisture1 but in varying amount4 ,the chrysanthemums grew in the sunlight1 while only a few days before cutting could the lilies of the valley be released from their darkened beds4 ,all needed cultivation but not in the same way4 ,some were massed1 while yonder were thousands of carnations1 and every one sole monarch of its own little garden plot4 ,painstakingly and completely1 day after day1 the needs of each frail life were met1 until the flowers grown in this greatest of ,canadian greenhouses have become renowned far across the border for their unsurpassed beauty1 coloring and size4 ,the quiet walk between the glorious masses of bloom that ,october afternoon brought a vision of a greater ,child garden1 with an infinite variety of human plants to be tended1 every one with its own individuality1 needs1 possibilities and a divine purpose for it cherished in the heart of the ,heavenly ,gardener4 ,the work of nurture ,he has given to parents and teachers1 longing unspeakably that it shall be so wise and tender that ,his plan for every life may be realized4 ,but as the earnest soul takes up the task1 it seems so bewildering4 ,three little ones in the home1 and every one different6 ,ten boys in the ,sunday ,school class and no two alike6 ,where does nurture begin8 ,how is it carried on8 ,though the differences in human lives are countless1 there are certain great likenesses4 ,all have life1 needs1 possibilities2 they all grow and develop in the same general way4 ,from these common likenesses have been formulated a few principles which are as helpful to a child gardener as a knowledge of the laws of plant life to one who nurtures roses and carnations4 ,their understanding is not dependent upon physical parenthood4 ,god will interpret the meaning to any one whom ,he calls into fellowship with ,himself in the matchless work of soul culture4 ,i4 ,the ,first ,principle deals with the nature of life--,what is it8 ,some answer must be given in order to arrive at an aim1 a method1 and an inspiration for work4 ,if a child is only a beautiful figure upon which to display dainty garments1 the mother has a plain pathway marked out for her4 ,if a boy is a capacity to be filled1 or a machine to grind out facts or dollars1 the teacher's course of action is clear4 ,god's conception of life is surely greater than these1 yet ,he never gave a definition4 ,jesus said it is more than meat1 that it is worth more than all the world1 that it does not consist in abundance of things1 that it is eternal1 but ,he nowhere tells us what it is1 for ,he can not4 ,it is a part of ,god4 ,he can only make us understand it in any wise by giving its characteristics and values4 ,perhaps these may come to us more clearly through considering first what life is not4 #a4 ,life is not merely plastic clay to be moulded1 or a block of marble to be hewn according to the will of the sculptor4 ,this poetic conception emphasizes rightly the tremendous power of environment and personality in shaping character1 but it is really a dangerous half truth4 ,if the child were a block of marble1 he would be no different from the dead1 inert lump that lies in the studio awaiting the will of the sculptor4 ,they would both be things4 ,but a child has life1 and the difference between life and thing lies in an inner power or activity which life possesses and uses when and as it will4 ,this activity has to be reckoned with4 ,sun and rain and earth can not make a plant grow if it does not use its own mysterious inner force upon them4 ,no sort of influence can affect a life1 if the life does not respond to it4 ,this response will be either receiving or rejecting the influences that come1 working with or against them4 ,assuredly this is a condition very different from plastic clay4 ,two great tasks1 therefore1 are included in the work of nurture3 the first1 to see that all that comes to plastic life from the outside is what it ought to be2 the second1 to somehow arouse the power within to vigorous effort upon the best things4 #b4 ,life is not a pure white page1 even in its beginning4 ,there is here also a half truth1 and an error4 ,life is unstained by guilt in its early years4 ,it comes innocent from the hand of ,god1 but fingers long since vanished have traced lines that mar the perfect whiteness4 ,there are tendencies away from ,god as well as toward ,him1 and these are not the result of environment4 ,environment will cultivate tendencies but can not implant them4 ,favoring conditions will make an apple tree produce magnificent apples1 but they will never implant in it any tendency to bear roses or produce thorns4 ,failure to recognize the fact of two sets of tendencies in the life will lead to a fatal mistake in nurture4 ,christ will be presented only as an ,example and not as a ,savior also1 thus setting before a life its pattern and leaving it impotent to reach it4 #c4 ,a life in its beginning is not a little man4 ,the element of truth in this conception is perhaps less than in either of these preceding4 ,it is indeed true that child life is that out of which man life is to come1 but the difference is more vital than that of inches or strength4 ,the bulb shelters a lily life1 but the difference is greater than size4 ,the chrysalis will bring forth the butterfly1 but the two are not identical4 ,childhood will unfold into manhood1 but each has its own characteristics and needs1 differing in largest degree4 ,the physiologist tells us that it would be hard to find many important points beyond the most fundamental laws in which the infant and the adult exactly resemble each other4 7,oppenheim47 ,in bodily proportions1 in actual composition of bones1 muscles1 blood and nerves1 in size and development of the organs1 the differences are wide4 ,the psychologist proves that there is equal variance in mental conditions4 ,the man has a sense of responsibility to his neighbor and to ,god1 unknown to child life4 ,he thinks and reasons and judges as the child mind can not4 ,his whole outlook upon life is opposite from that of the child4 ,we recognize this difference in caring for the body1 and the babe is fed on milk and the boy on meat4 ,but the difference must be recognized as equally important in caring for the soul4 ,just as meat is meat1 whether minced or uncut1 and therefore unsuited for a tiny life1 so doctrine is doctrine1 whether stated in words of one syllable or four1 and equally unsuited to a beginning life4 ,paul refers to those who need milk and not solid food1 spiritually1 because they are without experience of the word of righteousness1 clearly indicating a difference in the kind of instruction1 not the amount4 ,the subject matter must be adapted to the life1 not merely the number of syllables1 the method of teaching1 as well as the length of the lesson4 ,without this careful adaptation of food and method1 the developing life will be under-nourished1 and the most vigorous maturity be impossible4 ,but these negative statements only safeguard against mistakes by telling us what to avoid4 ,a real working basis must be found in a positive principle4 ,the study of an unfolding life at any time in its development always reveals two supreme facts1 possibilities peculiar to that period1 and self activity4 ,the ,first ,principle of development combines these two facts and gives us our nearest approach to a definition4 ,life is a bundle of possibilities and self activity4 ,the block of marble has possibilities1 so has molten metal and a tube of paint2 but life has possibilities plus inner power4 ,the three imperative ,oughts for the parent or teacher are herein suggested4 ,first1 he ought to be able to recognize each possibility as it appears4 ,second1 he ought to know how best to deal with it4 ,third1 he ought to know how to stimulate the activity to greatest endeavor4 ,,ii4 ,the ,second ,principle states the relation of nurture to the unfolding of these possibilities4 ,the direction and degree of development are largely determined by nurture4 ,every possibility in a life1 unless it die out1 must develop either upward or downward1 toward the best or worst4 ,this development1 whether in a plant or a boy1 depends on what is given the life to work with and the use that is made of it1 or1 stated in more dignified terms--the development is a result of influences that come to a life and the response made to them by activity4 ,the sort of influences and the sort of response given will determine the sort of development4 ,when some one is consciously endeavoring to make both outer influences and the inner working of the life the best possible1 it is called nurture4 ,the responsibility that grows out of this thought of nurture is almost crushing1 yet its opportunity is sublime4 ,to make a boy strong for his life work1 because the right word was spoken at the critical moment1 the encouragement given just when his purpose was faltering1 to help a girl reach glorious young womanhood because the inspiration came as she stood at the parting of the ways--surely this1 in a very real sense1 is working with ,god4 ,the story of almost every life of marked power1 reveals a human touch at the cross roads4 ,is this one meaning in the ,master's words1 ,inasmuch as ye did it1 or ,inasmuch as ye did it not8 ,i would have been on the foreign mission field seven years ago1 said a splendid young man1 had not my ,sunday ,school teacher laughed at me when ,i told him my new born desire4 ,i expect to go now1 but what of those seven years8 ,if the home and the church should begin at once to obey ,god's command to nurture the children ,in the chastening and admonition of the ,lord1 with all that means1 the next generation would see the kingdoms of this world given to ,christ and the advent of the ,king4 ,,iii4 ,the ,third ,principle defines the work of nurture4 ,nurture must care for both nourishment and activity4 #a4 ,the ,watch ,care over ,nourishment4 ,nourishment is the general term for all that upon which the life feeds4 ,it is given both consciously and unconsciously and is absorbed in like manner1 but in its effect upon the life1 the unconscious nourishment has greater power4 7#a7 ,unconscious ,nourishment4 7a7 ,the first factor in unconscious nourishment is personality4 ,just as truly as the physical life is nourished by life1 so is the mental and the spiritual4 ,standards of living1 ideas1 a sense of values1 opinions1 do not come from text-books but fathers and mothers4 ,the lesson from the printed page may fail to gain entrance1 but the lesson from the teacher's life1 never4 ,this explains the success of many a humble mother and the failure of many an intellectual teacher4 ,it is at the very heart of all work for another4 ,its first message is a personal one4 ,it tells the worker that his life is more compelling than his voice2 that the ,word must again become flesh to give it authority4 ,it tells him further that if he is to be the bread of life to growing souls1 his own pasturage must not be things1 but in reality1 the living ,christ4 ,the other message applies to his work4 ,while every life that touches his will always carry away something from the contact1 the most helpful human life can never suffice for another's nourishment4 ,each soul needs the complete ,christ for itself4 ,the amazing thing among parents and teachers is their unconcern over ,his absence from the lives of the children4 ,years pass1 and precept1 lesson and admonition are given1 while ,christ1 the ,life1 is not definitely and personally offered4 ,according to their pasture so were they filled4 ,is not this the explanation of so many meagre lives8 7b7 ,the second factor of unconscious nourishment is environment with its subtle atmosphere4 ,the importance of environment is found in this great law1 that life tends to become like that which is around it4 ,so strong is the tendency that the only escape from conformity lies in real struggle4 ,this a little child rarely puts forth1 and an adult not always1 for it is far easier to follow the line of least resistance and be like other people4 ,growing out of this power of environment comes the problem of all philanthropic and religious work--how to overcome the influence of harmful surroundings4 ,the need is obvious when the surroundings are vicious1 yet the home does not need to be in the slums to injure a growing life4 ,it only needs to be ,christless4 ,this may seem a very radical statement1 but it is nevertheless true4 ,arresting the highest development is as truly an injury as giving to life wrong direction4 ,has not a plant been positively injured when its most beautiful possibilities are unrealized because of unfavoring conditions8 ,is not a body1 undersized and stunted because of lack of fresh air and food1 as truly deformed as though the back were bent8 ,has not that soul received the most cruel of all injuries1 when its divinest possibilities can never be attained either because of spiritual starvation or misdirection8 ,the ,church and the ,sunday ,school attempt to furnish a counteracting environment1 but it is infrequent and brief4 ,the only power which can render this temporary1 religious environment mote effective in influencing character than a harmful1 permanent one1 is the ,divine4 ,a church building or a ,sunday ,school session of itself1 can accomplish little1 placed over against a home4 ,methods of grading and forms of worship are impotent in themselves4 ,it is only a living ,christ1 actually vitalizing the lesson and the sermon and the plan of work ,who makes them efficacious4 ,if this be so1 then the teacher who goes to the home itself to press the claims of a personal ,savior on the father and mother1 has after all reached the heart of the problem of environment4 7c7 ,the third factor of unconscious nourishment is the ,superhuman ,power4 ,this thought has been suggested in connection with personality and environment1 but it demands separate emphasis4 ,it is not an easy thing in the stress of the visible to remember the greater power of the ,invisible4 ,the most earnest ,christian worker is sometimes overwhelmed by discouragement or1 again1 unduly confident because of the perfection of system and method1 forgetting that ,god knows no obstacle1 and that ,he alone can put life into a plan of work4 ,but though ,god uses men and methods1 ,he does not always so approach a life ,he deals directly with a soul through the influence of the ,holy ,spirit1 and life receives its most holy nurture in those sacred hours4 ,therefore1 the highest service permitted a ,sunday ,school teacher is to pray effectually for the brooding ,spirit to rest upon the pupils in his class4 ,the mother can do nothing which shall mean so much for the precious life in her arms as learning1 herself1 the secret of prevailing prayer1 for1 ,if we ask anything according to ,his ,will1 ,he heareth us2 and if we know that ,he heareth us1 whatsoever we ask1 we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of ,him4 ,therefore1 ,o ,lord1 ,teach us to pray4 7#b7 ,conscious ,nourishment4 ,this is definite instruction so given to a life that it is appropriated4 ,a large part of attempted instruction is never taken in4 ,i have told you over and over again1 says the despairing mother1 but telling does not always involve receiving4 ,placing nourishing food before the boy does not necessarily mean stronger muscle and purer blood4 ,he must eat and digest it4 ,teaching1 to be nourishment1 requires first1 careful adaptation of the subject matter1 then presentation in such a way that the mind will voluntarily reach out1 lay hold upon and assimilate it4 ,god again gives the key to real teaching in the word engraft4 ,its process in the physical and mental world is identical4 ,first1 the delicate adjustment1 then a vital union1 and lastly1 new life resulting4 #b4 ,the ,watch ,care over ,activity4 ,we have considered nurture in its work of supplying the best nourishment to growing souls1 and now its care for activity must be noted4 ,since the subject will be discussed more fully in a succeeding chapter1 only the necessity for the nurture will be considered here4 ,this necessity appears in the four-fold result of activity4 7#a7 ,new ,experiences4 ,this is the first result to the child from ceaseless movement of hands and feet and eager eyes4 ,in early life he is not conscious of seeking the new experience1 he only wants to be in motion4 ,in later life1 energy is definitely put forth for some desired end4 ,but whatever the motive1 experiences helpful or harmful1 according to the sort of activity1 result1 and they enter character at par value4 7#b7 ,growth or ,increase in ,size4 ,activity is necessary before anything given to the body or the soul can become a part of life4 ,food must be acted upon by the digestive1 circulatory and assimilative organs to make it bone and muscle and nerve4 ,the mind must think upon the fact in order to add it to the store of knowledge4 ,the heavenly vision must be obeyed before ,christian experience is enlarged by it4 ,but there is another aspect of this same thought4 ,just as truly as activity must precede assimilation1 so truly does assimilation follow activity4 ,it may be stated more simply in this way4 ,nothing can become a part of the life until it has been acted upon2 when it has been acted upon it can not be taken out of the life4 ,when digestion is finished and the food is bone and muscle1 it can not be withdrawn4 ,when the idea has been thought in or acted upon1 it has by that process become a part of the life1 and though it may fade from memory its influence is abiding4 7#c7 ,development or ,increase of ,power and ,skill4 ,every muscle exercised gains greater freedom4 ,every knotty problem mastered means increased mental ability4 ,every victory means greater power in resisting temptation4 ,whatever the action1 whether good or bad1 helpful or harmful1 greater skill and power in that direction follows it4 ,this other very important fact needs to be clear1 that no amount of energy put forth for another will mean development for him4 ,he must exercise his own arm for strength and solve his own problem4 ,development only comes through the effort of each individual for himself2 hence the best teacher is the one who can rouse the pupil to the greatest endeavor4 7#d7 ,habit ,formation4 ,it is impossible to act1 physically1 mentally or spiritually1 without making it easier to repeat the action1 and soon ease passes to tendency1 then tendency to compulsion1 and life is in the grip of a habit4 ,this is the inevitable outcome of activity1 until nine-tenths of life is lived in the mould of habit4 ,if it be true that habit is ten times second nature1 the importance of directing activity toward the formation of right habits needs no discussion4 ,,iv4 ,the ,fourth ,principle of unfolding life deals with its crises4 ,the crucial points in development are those times when new possibilities begin to unfold4 ,the life comes from ,god complete in its possibilities1 but at the beginning all is in germ4 ,as life progresses1 development of these possibilities proceeds1 but it is not uniform4 ,the body acquires ability to control the larger muscles before it can adjust the finer and more complex ones1 as instanced in the child's ability to walk before he can thread a needle4 ,the mind is able to imagine before it can reason clearly4 ,the feelings center on self before they reach out to the world around4 ,as every new possibility begins to develop1 two serious facts must be remembered3 7#a7 ,direction must be given in the beginning before tendencies are fixed4 ,a beginning is always a time of easy adjustment and flexibility4 ,business corporations can readily alter a course of action before a policy has been established4 ,the nurseryman can easily secure the straight trunk of the mature tree in the yielding sapling4 ,the law is just as true when it touches human life4 ,the trend of any possibility is determined largely in the beginning of its unfolding4 ,after that time has gone by1 conditions are practically fixed1 and he that is unjust will be unjust still1 and he that is holy will be holy still4 7#b7 ,future strength and vigor are largely determined in the beginning of development4 ,it is well nigh impossible to overcome the effect of early neglect4 ,if the culture of the growing stalk is passed over1 the corn in the ear can not be full4 ,if the bodily needs of the boy are unmet1 he can not reach his full development as a man4 ,if his budding intellectual life1 his awakening feeling life1 or the delicate unfolding of his spiritual life is neglected1 a complete1 rounded out maturity is impossible4 ,a starved childhood is always the prophecy of a stunted manhood1 while life nourished in its beginning foretells vigorous maturity4 ,v4 ,the very important question now arises1 ,how may these crucial times be recognized8 ,the answer is given in the ,fifth ,principle4 ,a new interest always accompanies an awakening possibility4 ,the increasing love of a story discloses a growing imagination4 ,the passionate hero worship of a boy's heart reveals the fact of a budding ideal4 ,the interest in clubs and desire for companionship tell of awakening social feelings4 ,life is always the exponent of its own need to one who cares to know1 and it further reveals what should be given it1 and how4 ,,vi4 ,the ,sixth ,principle has already been touched upon in the preceding discussion1 but it needs the emphasis of special statement1 because of its importance4 ,development is from within1 out1 through what is absorbed1 not from without1 in1 through external application without absorption4 ,if development were a matter of external application1 the post would grow and the stone and the stick1 because they have earth and air and moisture around them4 ,if it came from without1 in1 the most admonished child would be the best1 the most talked to pupil the wisest1 but the reverse is usually true4 ,that which adheres simply to the surface of rock and child is veneer1 which the testing circumstance will rub off4 ,only that which is assimilated is of any value to the life4 ,these are the great principles revealed in the development of life from infancy to maturity4 ,the factor of human contact appears in every one4 ,the question1 ,what is my touch upon this unfolding life8 can not be evaded4 ,the stonecutter takes the marble and hews out the rough block2 the sculptor finds its hidden soul4 ,the artisan takes the canvas and the common sign appears2 the artist makes it immortal4 ,but ,god gives life to parents and teachers to fashion4 ,will hands clumsy and unskilled1 miss the perfect beauty1 or the touch of master workmanship bring forth a likeness to the ,christ8 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,early ,,childhood ,the first period of life1 ,early ,childhood1 includes the years from birth to about six or1 in ,sunday ,school phraseology1 the ,cradle ,roll1 from birth to three1 and the ,beginners1 from three to six4 ,it is a temptation to note at length the marvelous achievements of a little life in its earliest years1 as it comes1 ,out from the shore of the great unknown1 ,blind and wailing and alone1 ,into the light of day4 99 99 99 99 994 ,from the unknown sea that reels and rolls1 ,specked with the barks of little souls1 ,barks that were launched on the other side1 ,and slipped from ,heaven on an ebbing tide4 ,the wealth of material1 however1 clustering around each period of developing life is so great that selection must be made4 ,therefore only those facts illuminating the chosen theme of religious nurture will be considered4 ,the baby's world is a big1 blooming1 buzzing confusion1 according to ,james1 but gradually1 cosmos emerges from chaos4 ,the senses1 clouded at first1 become clear and active4 ,adjustment and voluntary control of the larger muscles are secured4 ,the art of walking is mastered1 and the great feat of learning a language practically unaided1 is well under way4 ,the awakening mind learns to know certain objects and simplest relationships within a very limited sphere1 and through ceaseless activity1 new experiences are constantly coming in to the soul4 ,guided by instinct and impulse1 responding to any wind that blows1 sensitive and retentive as the plate of a camera1 ,just a-yearning ,to be learning ,anything at all1 can any religious nurture be given to this tiny little bundle of possibilities8 ,manifestly1 it will not be through precept and admonition1 for they are meaningless1 yet never will life be more open to the influences of impression and atmosphere than at this time4 ,the child can not understand their import as they come1 but he will feel them4 ,he does not understand love1 but he feels it4 ,he can not comprehend personality1 but his restless little body grows quiet in the tender arms of a strong father4 ,he responds to the fretfulness or gentleness of the mother1 the noisy confusion or peace of the home4 ,these multitudinous impressions become his life1 though he can not grasp their meaning4 ,just as surely does he drink in impressions which have the ,divine element4 ,what they speak to him only ,god knows1 but some message is theirs4 ,the picture of the ,good ,shepherd1 of ,jesus ,blessing ,little ,children1 of the ,madonna and ,child1 perform their silent ministry to his soul4 ,he is peculiarly sensitive to the reverence and worship in lofty music4 ,in the evening tide of a ,sabbath day1 a father was seated at the piano1 while the two older children stood near1 and a wee one of two and a half years listened from his mother's arms4 ,the songs used in ,sunday ,school were sung one after the other1 and then came the baby voice1 ,papa1 sing about ,dod4 ,do you mean1 ',holy1 ,holy1 ,holy is the ,lord'8 he asked4 ,yes1 was the answer1 and in the hush of the twilight1 the worship of the children blended with the worship of the angels1 and who shall say they did not all behold the ,father's face8 ,the nurture of these years is as silent as that of the dewdrop upon the blade of grass1 but it is as real4 ,god's voice is the still1 small voice that ever speaks in quietness4 ,the stillness of the moment at the mother's knee1 the prayer repeated in the reverent1 low tone of the mother's voice1 the earnest prayer for him offered in his presence1 the ,christ-like living in the home1 all carry their holy influence to his soul4 ,he feels ,god1 without knowing ,him4 ,but there shall come a day when the ,voice that has gently called him will be recognized1 and he will say1 ,speak1 ,lord1 for thy servant heareth4 ,but general nurture must be supplemented by the definite nurture of each growing possibility4 ,though the principles underlying this careful watch care and training are stated in connection with ,early ,childhood1 they are applicable to every succeeding period where the same power is developing4 ,,physical ,,activity ,the most marked characteristic of the entire period of early childhood is physical activity1 manifesting itself largely in restlessness4 ,the nervous force which later will be used in complex mental processes1 now seeks expression through hands and feet and tireless body4 ,in early infancy activity is entirely purposeless and unwilled1 merely the instinctive movement of every part of the body4 ,gradually1 however1 through the contact with different objects brought about by his restlessness1 the baby learns to reach out for what he wants1 and purpose in the activity begins to appear4 ,later1 play affords an outlet for the constant flow of this pent-up power1 and the child lives over again those activities of the busy life around which appeal to him4 ,from the previous discussion of activity1 we know that the child is bringing about far-reaching results1 all unconscious to himself1 through this never ceasing restlessness of every waking moment4 ,he is growing1 through the kneading process of constant movement2 he is developing freer use of his muscles2 he is building new experiences into character1 and he is forming habits of life4 ,how then may this great force be nurtured so that greatest results shall follow8 ,the law of activity must first be understood4 ,it has been very succinctly stated1 ,activity must act1 explode or cease to generate4 ,if it cease to generate entirely it means death1 for every organ of the body is using it4 ,if it lessen in amount1 it means lowered vitality1 and indicates illness or abnormal conditions in some way4 ,the over-strained mother who says to a little one of this age1 ,i wish you could keep still for five minutes1 does not realize what she is expressing4 ,it has been demonstrated in scientific tests1 that the perfectly normal child under six can keep absolutely still but few consecutive seconds1 therefore the desire could only be fulfilled through some disturbed physical condition which would lessen the amount of life itself4 ,any diminution is everywhere felt1 for the same activity which impels hands and feet1 impels also the hungry senses1 the eager curiosity and every part of a growing mental life4 ,fortunately for the child1 ,god's finger is on the dynamo of his life1 and as long as ,he wills the activity can not cease to generate4 ,there are but two alternatives left1 an action or an explosion1 for activity can no more be confined than steam in an engine4 ,if the explosion has occurred1 it has resulted from successful repression4 ,the stopper1 ,don't1 has been inserted in the last opening through which the nervous force could expend itself1 and after a moment of dangerous calm1 the inevitable occurs1 and the happiness and peace of the entire home is for the time destroyed4 ,the result is just as sure as that of confining an expanding gas1 while its disaster is wrought in the mental and moral as well as the physical realms4 ,fortunately again for the well-being of the child1 it is difficult to secure the last outlet1 so fertile is his busy brain4 ,but without the explosion1 the results that come to a child from a policy of repression are very serious4 ,briefly stated1 they are first1 irritability and nervousness4 ,the refinement of cruelty is dealt to a little child1 compelled by superior force to act contrary to ,god's law for him and ,keep quiet4 ,activity which should normally be expended1 when confined1 reacts upon the cells of the body so that soon there are physical reasons beyond the child's control for his nervousness and crossness4 ,second1 ,friction1 in which defiance and stubbornness appear4 ,the severest test which could be imposed upon adults would be a constant and apparently arbitrary thwarting of their desires4 ,is it to be wondered at that a little1 unreasoning life which hears don't by the scores of times from morning till night1 grows rebellious1 vindictive and obstinate8 ,third1 ,unhappiness and a sense of alienation4 ,sympathy between two persons is impossible when they are at cross purposes1 and happiness which is ,god's gift to childhood can never be realized when souls are out of touch4 ,further1 discouragement and consequent loss of incentive to effort must inevitably overwhelm a little life that never does anything right4 ,fourth1 weakened will and character4 ,this is the most serious result of all4 ,one of the great principles already stated makes it clear that development can come only through the activity of the individual himself4 ,if the child is constantly withheld from doing by the word don't1 he can not reach the fullest development of character4 ,furthermore1 character is not built negatively but positively4 ,a building can never be erected by merely keeping out of it all unworthy material4 ,there must be an actual putting together of brick and mortar1 and the great truth is evident that whenever a place is filled by the good1 the bad is in that very act kept out1 whether in buildings or character4 ,the motive back of many a don't is worthy1 and often there may be no alternative but to instantly check an action1 but for the effect on character building there is a more excellent way than repression4 ,it lies in the expression suggested in the law of activity1 but expression under direction4 ,some parents realize the necessity of allowing the child's activity to be expended1 but fail to see the other side of the matter1 namely1 that while activity means development1 the sort of development that follows will depend on the character of the activity4 ,it is important that a boy's energy be given an outlet1 but it is more important whether it make of him a gentleman or a hoodlum4 ,the guidance or neglect of the activity will determine which it is to be4 ,too frequent emphasis can not be put upon the fact that every outgoing activity traces a little deeper some pathway that tends toward a habit4 ,the mistake is often made of thinking that habits can be formed only by taking thought4 ,it is true that some of the finest habits of life are built into character with painstaking effort1 but untidiness and selfishness and irreverence and all their kin reach fullest unfolding in the thoughtless outflow of activity1 when no one is attending4 ,but activity1 untrammeled1 means more than wrong habits4 ,it means lawlessness and undisciplined character4 ,the child who has learned no higher authority for his acts than his own erratic whims1 has laid good foundation for future disregard of the laws of man and ,god4 ,the converse of all that has been said concerning both repression and neglect of activity characterizes its wise direction4 ,when the child1 ignorant and unskilled1 hears a voice saying1 ,this is the way1 walk ye in it1 his willing response means activity going out in right channels or the formation of right habits4 ,it means a dual joy for him1 the joy of activity itself and also the joy from the approval and sympathy of the parent or teacher4 ,under encouragement he puts forth greater effort1 which means constant development of greater power4 ,yet more than all1 it means that he is learning the greatest lesson of early life1 obedience4 ,obedience is only activity under law4 ,it begins with submission to the will of the parent1 but when at last it is a response of the whole life to the will of ,god and rendered of voluntary and loving choice1 it has reached its highest unfolding4 ,this is the goal toward which all nurture of activity must be directed1 else no life is safe after it goes out from the restraints of the home4 ,in the heart of the parent who is a seer1 the mere closing of the door or putting away of the toy in response to a request is not the thing most desired1 for that is external and true obedience is internal4 ,the father1 possessing insight1 wants the heart as well as the hand of the boy to close the door or put away the toy4 ,without this1 no victory is gained4 ,the act itself is the least of all4 ,sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire4 444 ,then said ,i1 ,lo1 ,i come4 444 ,i delight to do ,thy will1 ,o my ,god2 yea1 ,thy law is within my heart4 ,this attitude of voluntary heart acquiescence to the will of another is never the product of compelling power1 else ,god would force ,his children to obey1 since obedience is the thing ,he most desires4 ,force can sway the hand but not the heart4 ,paul1 whose tireless activity spent itself out under the direction of his ,master1 discloses the great secret when he says1 ,the love of ,christ constraineth us4 ,the eternal ,father says to ,his child1 ,i have loved thee with an everlasting love2 therefore with loving kindness have ,i drawn thee4 ,it is by love1 by words of approval1 by patient encouragement and help1 and also by experiencing the consequences of each act1 whether joyous or painful1 that the child is led to follow the one who points out the path for his activity4 ,soon he faces the words1 right1 and wrong1 and though knowing only at first that right is the thing permitted1 and wrong1 the thing denied1 he feels the difference in the results of each4 ,then he learns that the pathway of the thing called right1 is not an arbitrary one laid down by mother or teacher1 but the pathway traced by ,god ,himself1 wherein we all must walk1 parent and child1 teacher and pupil alike4 ,when with dimmest understanding but loving heart1 he first sets faltering foot in that path1 because he catches glimpse of its shining light1 that shineth more and more unto the perfect day1 the one who has nurtured him will hear ,god's voice speaking to his soul1 ,well done1 good and faithful servant4 ,,hungry ,,senses ,hungry senses1 directed in their quest by a hungrier mind1 mark the second great characteristic of early childhood4 ,these are the channels through which the world around comes into the life of the child4 ,the sights and sounds of the physical realm1 when carried beyond the portals of the senses1 under the marvelous transmutation of ,god's touch1 become ideas4 ,the process1 in so far as its secret has been revealed1 will not be discussed at this point1 but rather the relation of these impressions to character4 ,in early years the senses are undiscriminating as far as the real worth of an impression is concerned4 ,the vulgar picture will be admired as quickly as the beautiful one1 if its colors are attractive4 ,the impure word is caught as readily as the pure4 ,there is no standard of values2 even taste is not yet formed1 and eyes and ears hungrily reach out for anything to satisfy their voracious appetite4 ,each sensation which is reported to the mind through the senses and intricate nervous system1 supplies an idea1 embodying itself4 ,it is with these that all the thinking of the child is done1 these rouse his feelings and prompt his actions and1 finally1 mean character4 ,manifestly1 then1 his life can be no better than the things he sees and hears1 handles and tastes1 for he lives in a world of sensations and not of ideas4 ,this was the thought of the mother who said1 ,i never wash my little children's faces at night1 and put them to bed all sweet and clean on the outside1 that ,i don't think that ,i would give all the world if ,i could somehow get inside and wash that too4 ,but the inner cleansing from the influence of sight and sound no hand can perform4 ,god forgives sin1 but even ,his touch does not remove the impression of the picture or the word which memory has put away4 ,the only hope of beautiful character lies in bringing to the unfolding life helpful influences which shall be stronger in their power than the vitiating4 ,when some definite counteracting impression is needed1 it is in the sacred confidences of the twilight hour1 and at the confessional of a mother's knee1 that it can be most effectively given4 ,aside from the moral import of the impressions1 there is a vital relationship between the senses and the quality of the intellectual life4 ,since knowledge can come to the child only through his senses1 the amount of knowledge1 as well as its sort1 depends upon the story the senses tell4 ,if they be dull1 the knowledge is meagre and life has little with which to build4 ,if they be defective1 the impression is either falsely reported or not at all4 ,tests have revealed the amazing fact that over fifty per cent of children have imperfect sight and hearing4 ,this means that the first idea given through eye or ear may be wrong2 consequently each subsequent idea growing out of it is wrong1 at least in part1 and ultimately1 false conceptions and mistaken courses of action appear1 all traceable directly to the ear that did not hear accurately and the eye that told a false tale4 ,there is also a direct connection between defective senses and conduct4 ,naturally1 the boy who can't see the blackboard1 pays no attention to the work placed upon it1 and the child partially deaf1 disregards the words of the teacher4 ,the overwhelming number of personally observed cases of difficult discipline1 disclosed the unvarying fact of defect1 either in the senses or the body itself4 ,therefore a teacher or parent should be very sure that the bad boy problem is not physical rather than moral1 lest cruel injustice be done4 ,while the dull senses call for limitless patience1 that life be not pitifully narrow1 and the defective senses call for wise and remedial attention1 the normal1 keen1 wide-awake senses exact the most from the conscientious parent or teacher4 ,eternal vigilance is the price of beautiful building material for the character in such an unfolding life4 ,each day adds to the store put away in the brain1 to reappear later4 ,we must soon be careful what we do before the baby1 says the mother who half grasps the connection between impressions and character building1 not realizing that the work is already far under way1 that foundations are in4 ,nurture of the senses must begin with the first dim reaching out for impressions1 that only the best may enter1 that right tastes may be formed1 and self control in this fiercest battle-field of life be learned4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,the ,,period ,,of ,,early ,,childhood--,continued4 ,as we come to consider the soul of the child1 using this term not in its religious sense1 but to include all of life but the physical1 we understand that in reality it is indivisible4 ,there are no separate parts or faculties possessing unique powers such as reasoning1 remembering1 feeling or willing4 ,the whole soul remembers1 feels and wills4 ,however1 for the sake of clearness and convenience1 when it is reasoning1 we are accustomed to speak of soul power in that direction as reason1 or imagining as imagination or willing as will4 ,we must understand1 also1 that the soul of the child is as complete in its possibilities as the soul of the adult1 only they are undeveloped4 ,as life and environment grow more complex1 new needs arise and these new needs awaken soul power in a new direction4 ,the expression ,i didn't know he had it in him1 is frequently heard1 as some one has shown unexpected ability under sudden pressure of circumstances4 ,every brain has millions of undeveloped cells1 scientists affirm1 signifying that every life is infinitely poorer than it might be4 ,the need is something to arouse its latent power4 ,,curiosity ,the little child is at first in a world of total mystery4 ,sights1 sounds1 sensations from contact come to him and all are unintelligible4 ,as they are carried to his brain1 somewhere1 somehow1 they awaken a desire to know their meaning1 and as the tiny fingers are extended toward objects the soul is reaching also4 ,this soul reaching is curiosity1 one of ,god's most gracious and wonderful provisions for the life1 but so often its significance is misunderstood4 ,if there were no curiosity1 there would never be any eager attempt to explore the field of knowledge4 ,the disciplined spirit of inquiry that makes for the world's progress1 is only a fuller development of the untutored and disastrous effort of the child to find out about things4 ,we forget that before there can be a flower there must be a bud4 ,before there can be a scientist who shall pick the rock to pieces to learn its secret1 there must be a child who picks a doll to pieces to see what is inside4 ,the pathos of childhood is its bowed head and mute lips under the blow and the stinging word1 because judgment is passed1 not on motives1 as the parent demands for himself1 but on the external appearance of the act4 ,we look into our ,heavenly ,father's face1 out of the wreckage and mistakes of a day1 and say1 ,i meant to do it aright1 but ,i am so ignorant1 and we are comforted that ,he looks at the heart and understands4 ,can we be less pitifully tender toward ,his little ones8 ,there are three marked manifestations of curiosity during this period of childhood4 7#a7 ,questions4 ,in the wordless years of earliest life1 mysteries around the child can receive only partial solution4 ,but the day comes when language gives him a key whereby to unlock the doors1 and he begins to ask1 ,what is it1 then ,why1 and ,where1 and ,how4 ,this questioning period commences about the age of three1 and is in strong evidence for some time4 ,the answers involve for the most part nouns and verbs1 not adjectives nor adverbs1 signifying that the child is not yet ready for abstract qualities and characteristics4 ,simple facts only are sought at first4 ,questions concern the names of things1 activities connected with them1 causes and ends and the age-long mystery of origins4 ,passing by reluctantly any further discussion of this most fascinating subject of children's questions1 four great facts bearing upon nurture must be noted4 #a4 ,repression of the sincere questioning of a child tends to weaken his effort to acquire knowledge4 #b4 ,questions reveal a need felt by the child1 and are a guide to the kind of instruction he is ready to receive4 #c4 ,a question not only reveals a need1 but is also an assurance that the instruction given will be received1 for what the mind wants to learn1 it will learn4 #d4 ,a sincere question demands a sincere answer4 ,this statement would seem superfluous1 if its need were not apparent in questions dealing with the origin of life4 ,god gives to the mother1 first1 the sacred privilege of investing these most holy mysteries with purity and sanctity1 and through this confidence drawing the life of the child into closer fellowship with her own4 ,if the opportunity be cast away through the evasive or untruthful answer1 the facts may come with a taint upon them which can never be wholly removed4 7#b7 ,mischief4 7#c7 ,destructiveness4 ,a word must suffice upon these other manifestations of curiosity4 ,when truly understood1 they reveal only an eager mind trying to obtain new experiences to add to knowledge4 ,it is not total depravity that leads a child to pull the articles from the workbasket1 or tear the book1 or demolish the toy4 ,he merely wants to see the object under as great a variety of conditions as possible1 to find out all he can about it4 ,it is identical with the spirit of the scientist who essays new combinations to see what the results may be1 only in its inception it is crude and unskilled4 ,assuredly1 instead of dealing harshly with an instinct which in later years may make the whole world richer1 it would be wiser to give it legitimate outlet4 ,toys and blocks which admit of being taken apart and readjusted may begin the training of an ,edison or a ,stephenson4 ,,interests ,just as in the realm of the physical1 appetite for one sort of food may be greater than for another1 even in hunger1 so a varying appetite appears in connection with the soul hunger of curiosity4 ,it is strongest in the direction of that in which the life is naturally interested at any given time4 ,the interests of early childhood are primarily in things which exhibit or suggest activity and in simplest relationships1 found in the little world bounded by home1 neighborhood1 ,kindergarten and ,sunday ,school4 ,nature makes strong appeal1 not on the aesthetic side of tint and shadow1 but through the charm of her multiform movements and family life akin to the child's4 ,the bird's nest fascinates because there is connected with it the story of the building and the hungry little brood it sheltered4 ,tales of animals1 fairies and real folk1 busy in simple and familiar occupations hold him entranced1 and he will watch with rapt attention the performance of most common tasks4 ,it is noteworthy that his interest in all this is not so much in the end to be accomplished1 as in the activity itself4 ,even in his play1 the preparations are often more delightful and satisfying than the game which follows4 ,all this has a deep meaning for one who is trying to help the little life in its unfolding4 #a4 ,wise education takes the tide at the flood1 says ,james4 ,these interests reveal the fact that in this period1 instruction should deal with things1 not with statements of ideas1 apart from things1 or1 in other words1 with the concrete1 not the abstract4 #b4 ,the greater the knowledge of things gained while interest attaches to them1 the greater the resources for clear1 broad thinking as life matures4 #c4 ,when instruction is in line with interests1 attention and consequent learning are assured4 #d4 ,the child's religious interests will be identical in character with the other interests of this period4 ,he will not be interested in the ,being or attributes of ,god1 but ,god in ,his great activities as ,creator and ,wonder-,worker1 and in ,his relation as ,father4 ,jesus will make appeal1 not in ,his discourses1 but in ,his acts of helpfulness and power1 and ,his love4 ,the great law of teaching is here involved1 that interest in and knowledge of the unknown can come only through interest in and knowledge of something which is like it4 ,paul says in ,romans1 ,for the invisible things of ,him since the world began are clearly seen1 being perceived through the things that are made1 even ,his everlasting power and divinity4 ,therefore the first definite religious instruction which the child receives1 must be upon spiritual truths illustrated in his own known world of interests4 ,,imitation ,the result of the efforts of curiosity1 senses and activity is a constantly increasing store of ideas in the child's mind1 relating to these things in which he is interested4 ,as these ideas enter his mind1 applying this term to the intellectual function of the soul1 he immediately wants to act upon them1 according to a law inborn that an idea always tends to go out into action1 unless it is held back4 ,adults have fixed habits of expressing ideas that come to them1 but not so the child4 ,an interesting activity is always a suggestion to him to reproduce it exactly1 if possible4 ,this difference between habit and suggestion in action is illustrated in the case of a long-suffering kitten in the hands of a resourceful child4 ,the sight will arouse in another child an irresistible impulse to try the same experiment1 while it always leads his mother to attempt a rescue4 ,this tendency to exact reproduction of activity is the instinct of imitation1 and is a marked characteristic of childhood4 ,as these words are written1 a glance through the window discloses surveyors at work with tape and red chalk4 ,following in their wake is a five year old with diminutive string and piece of red crayon1 laying out distances and taking measurements1 in exact copy of his predecessors1 a genuine pocket edition of the original4 ,while such elaborate exactness characterizes imitation in this period of childhood alone1 the impulse to conform is never entirely lost4 ,the desire grows more complex and general as the years go on1 and from reproduction of definite acts1 the life tries to emulate the spirit and achievements of its hero1 and later to be in some harmony1 at least1 with public opinion4 ,brave1 indeed1 is the soul that dares to be a nonconformist in regard to the standards they have established4 ,the results of imitation are profoundly important in character building4 #a4 ,when a child re-enacts what he sees1 he comes to a better understanding of its meaning4 ,this is one purpose of the imitation of common activities in ,kindergarten games4 #b4 ,the idea which is acted upon becomes an inseparable part of the life4 #c4 ,habit is the outcome of repeated imitation4 #d4 ,life grows like what it imitates4 ,with these facts in view1 the application to the work of nurture is too obvious for discussion4 ,,imagination ,the child is not content alone to imitate activities4 ,he likes to transform objects and make over familiar situations4 ,this he does through that power of his soul called imagination4 ,the imagination of this period is fancy-full1 crude1 and unbridled by reason or will4 ,the child lives in a world of make believe4 ,he sees whole menageries in the back yard1 and performs exploits worthy of a ,david or ,samson4 ,he gives soul to inanimate objects1 and endows them with feelings like his own4 ,he plays with companions of his own creation1 and peoples the dark with weird forms4 ,things are changed at will to suit his whims1 the stick becoming the untamed steed and the rocking chair the storm-tossed boat4 ,the magic of his alchemy may extend to himself1 and make him for days another person1 or even an animal4 ,this world of make believe is as real to him as the world which is seen through his eyes1 and often he can not distinguish between the two4 ,many a little heart has quivered over the punishment inflicted for lying1 when willful misrepresentation was not in his thoughts4 ,however1 harsh treatment of a vivid imagination may result in real deception later on1 for the child can not help seeing things1 too wonderful to be enjoyed alone1 and then1 perforce1 there must be deliberate planning to escape the punishment4 ,this harshness also begins to raise an invisible barrier between the child and parent4 ,it was felt by a little maiden of rare fancy1 who said in a whisper at the conclusion of one of these marvellous tales1 ,but don't tell ,mamma4 ,the impassable wall between many a mother and daughter in later years1 once consisted of but a scattered stone here and there4 ,passing by the play life of the child where the imagination has fullest scope1 the question arises as to the meaning of this power in character building4 ,one purpose stands paramount over every other4 ,it is the ideal making factory of the life4 ,from transforming sticks and chairs1 the soul will one day pass to transforming memories and thoughts1 putting away the unattractive features and investing the attractive with even more charm1 through dreams of what might be4 ,from constructing houses out of blocks1 the soul will begin to construct ideals out of its experiences and visions1 according to a pattern shown on some mount4 ,as childhood recedes and manhood beckons1 the soul unveils this ideal1 fashioned in its secret workshop out of all that appeared most desirable1 and with strange1 magnetic power1 it begins to draw the life after it4 ,worthy or unworthy1 the years to come will see some part1 at least1 of the ideal1 a reality4 ,the character of the imagination1 therefore1 becomes a matter of supreme concern to nurture4 ,it will be healthy or diseased morally1 according to the quality of the material supplied for its use4 ,the two great sources of this material are every day experiences and the story4 ,the meaning of these experiences to the child's life has already been emphasized in various connections1 and repetition is unnecessary1 but the story holds a unique place in point of influence4 ,since it comes with deepest significance to the child in the next period of development1 when imagination is less mixed with fancy1 its discussion will be reserved for that time4 ,,memory ,the child has an unfortunate experience with a hot stove and tender fingers bear the cruel scar4 ,must some one always watch him1 year after year1 to save him from a succession of burns8 ,he is taken to school by his mother2 must she forever accompany him to insure his safe arrival8 ,is there no way of understanding a present experience except by passing through it8 ,life would be an unsatisfactory thing indeed1 if this were true1 but the soul has the power of retaining past experiences in order that they may throw light upon the present4 ,the business man does not deliberately do again that which was disastrous before1 for he remembers the past misfortune4 ,the child will not tomorrow press his little burned hand against the heated iron1 for he recalls the pain of yesterday4 ,this gracious gift of ,god to life1 we call memory4 ,without it1 there could be no understanding1 no reasoning1 no imagination1 no knowledge1 no growth4 ,the physical side of memory is most interesting4 ,on the covering of the brain1 each in its own place1 the images or impression brought in by the senses and the activity are registered4 ,so sensitive and susceptible are the brain cells during childhood1 that these impressions are received as clay receives the touch of the sculptor's finger1 and under right conditions1 they are ineffaceable4 ,when the soul acts upon these images1 they live again1 and we say1 ,we remember4 ,two important questions are suggested by these facts4 ,first1 what kind of impressions should we attempt to store in the memory during childhood8 ,second1 how may these impressions be made permanent8 ,to the first question1 the child himself makes answer through what he most easily retains and through his needs4 ,since he is interested and curious in regard to things1 since he spends all his physical activity upon them1 since he desires them and thinks about them1 we would expect that things1 together with experiences and ideas associated with them1 would naturally fill his memory4 ,any observer of childhood knows that this is true4 ,the memory of a little child is overwhelmingly for the concrete1 the impressions through the senses and from what he does being far more easily retained than ideas alone4 ,a child will recall the story of the ,good ,samaritan more readily than the isolated verse1 ,thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself4 ,the reward or punishment of an act makes a more lasting impression than the dissertation upon it4 ,since the concrete must be the starting point of thinking1 it must come to his soul at some time1 and1 judged by every condition1 this is ,god's time for it4 ,the child's needs are also a guide in this matter4 ,the soul is growing in every direction1 intellectually1 emotionally1 and spiritually if properly nurtured1 and memory holds the constantly increasing food for its growth4 ,is it to be treated as a stockroom1 where packages unavailable for the present are to be laid away until needed1 or as a store-house supplied with nourishing food for the present8 ,if memory is a stockroom1 then it should be filled with definitions1 statements1 terms1 facts1 anything which may be needed sometime4 ,this can be done1 for the brain will retain the sound of the words1 but meantime1 what shall the child feed on8 ,what shall he use8 ,the soul can feed on or make use of only that which is at least partially understood4 ,this means largely the concrete1 for abstract statements can be understood only through the experience or reason1 and the child has meagre resources in either direction4 ,only when a thought embodies what he has experienced1 can he grasp and use it4 ,is it not the work of nurture to see that memory is provided with that out of which it can supply every need of the developing life today8 ,that1 ,faith is the assurance of things hoped for1 the evidence of things not seen1 may mean much to his mature heart1 but what if the child should be frightened tomorrow and need to have his budding faith strengthened from memory8 ,would not the story of ,god's care over the baby ,moses1 ,jesus' care for the disciples in the blackness of the storm1 with the words1 ,he careth for you1 if these were stored in memory1 quiet more quickly the beating heart1 and more surely increase his faith8 ,true nurture will not starve life in the present to hoard for the future4 ,memory now requires all its store for immediate use4 ,later1 after growth is well under way in every direction1 memory not only can supply present needs1 but it will also demand a surplus for future use4 ,the second question1 relating to the permanency of these impressions1 is answered in meeting the following conditions3 #a4 ,a healthy1 non-fatigued brain when the impression is made4 #b4 ,close attention4 #c4 ,a clear1 easily understood and forceful presentation of the thing to be remembered4 #d4 ,the use of as many senses as possible4 ,when an impression has been given through eye and ear and touch1 for example1 it is more definite in the mind than when it has come only through the sense of hearing4 #e4 ,a natural association of the new impression with others well known and interesting to the child4 #f4 ,immediate and frequent recall4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,the ,,period ,,of ,,early ,,childhood--,concluded ,,the ,,feelings ,a child receives a coveted toy and his face is aglow with delight4 ,he is sharply reproved and anger or grief appears4 ,another child comes to play with him1 and he may assert that all his guest desires is mine1 and tears1 and even blows ensue before amicable adjustment can be made4 ,and so through the hours of a kaleidoscopic day1 the emotional pendulum keeps swinging from love to anger1 from pride to humility1 from selfishness to sporadic and angelic bits of generosity4 ,what is the significance of it all in the life of the child8 ,before considering this vital question1 shall we note some characteristics of the feelings in ,early ,childhood8 ,they center about self1 and instinctive feelings1 such as hunger and thirst1 pain and pleasure1 fear1 pride and anger1 are strongest4 ,love is present in its first stages1 not the self sacrificing sort1 but love given in response to love and attention4 ,the child's feelings are easily aroused1 fleeting1 and usually more or less superficial4 ,abstractions1 such as beauty1 duty1 responsibility1 and relationships in general have but slight effect upon his soul1 and the lack of feeling in these directions is commonly expressed by saying that the higher feelings are not yet developed4 ,the child's feelings in response to religious truth can not1 therefore1 be those of the adult4 ,he will feel love for ,god as he feels it for his mother1 because of ,his love1 provision and care for him4 ,god's power and the mystery that envelops ,him will awaken a response of awe and wonder in his soul1 and absolute confidence that ,he can do anything4 ,but this same power and majesty1 carelessly presented1 may call out fear1 not the godly sort that is afraid of grieving ,him by sin1 but the physical fear that casts out love4 ,he does not have the sense of moral obligation to ,god1 for that again goes into the abstraction of thought4 ,his religious life begins in feeling1 pure and simple1 and his creed is in ,i ,john1 ,we love ,him because ,he first loved us4 ,most interesting lines of discussion open out from the subject1 but they are not pertinent to the chosen theme of this book4 ,the only legitimate question is1 ,what is the work of nurture in connection with the feelings8 ,before this can be answered1 the purpose of the feelings in character building must be clear4 ,then we shall know what nurture must do4 ,no feeling has a right to exist for itself4 ,there is a task for it to perform1 namely1 to lead the soul to action4 ,if unhindered it will always do this4 ,the careful analysis of any action will reveal a motive power in some feeling1 ranging from the lowest desires for self gratification to the sublime heights of love that denies self for the ,master's sake4 ,knowledge alone does not suffice for action4 ,a man may be familiar with the claims of ,jesus and even acknowledge them1 but until he feels a great need of ,him1 he will not become a ,christian4 ,the sermon may compel the admiration of the mind1 but unless it move the heart no man will practice it4 ,jesus summed up his commands in ,love1 not ,know1 for ,he knew that loving meant ,god-like living4 ,it is significant that the fruitage of the ,spirit appears in the feelings of love1 joy1 peace1 before it can be manifest in the acts of long-suffering1 kindness1 goodness1 faithfulness1 meekness1 self control4 ,this indissoluble relation between feeling and action gives deep meaning to the words of ,dr4 ,w4,h4 ,payne1 ,at least the half1 and perhaps the better half of education consists in the formation of right feelings4 ,the work of nurture in connection with the feelings is now apparent4 ,it must endeavor to develop right feelings in order to secure right actions and consequent strong character4 ,this development is secured through repeatedly arousing the feelings1 and giving them expression in action until they are habitual4 #a4 ,how may the ,feelings be ,aroused8 ,passing by all the physiological and psychological processes involved1 and using the term1 feeling1 as it is popularly understood1 the law that governs its appearance may be stated thus3 ,a feeling is occasioned by the touch of an impression upon the soul4 ,with older people1 these impressions may come from without or from a thought within1 but with little children they come almost entirely from without4 ,the sort of feeling aroused will evidently depend upon the sort of impression that comes1 as well as the condition of the soul that receives it4 ,this difference in conditions1 or difference in lives as we ordinarily say1 explains why the ,sunday ,school lesson has such varied effects in the same class1 or even upon the same child at different times4 ,keeping in mind the law that some impression must precede a feeling1 true nurture asks1 ,in what way can these impressions best be given1 that desired feelings may be aroused8 #a4 ,they are not given through command4 ,common sense would recognize the absurdity of attempting to awaken anger by saying to a group of happy children1 ,be angry4 ,but why is the absurdity not equally apparent in saying1 ,be loving1 ,be sorry1 ,be reverent8 ,yet this is a method on which countless teachers and parents place their dependence4 ,suppose1 for instance1 reverence be the feeling desired2 a thought of ,god's greatness and power and holiness must be given4 ,if1 to the sensitive soul of the child1 the teacher bring the story of ,sinai1 or the story of ,majestic ,power as it is set forth in the #ajdth ,psalm1 or the glory of the ,heavenly throne with the adoring multitudes1 following with the words1 softly sung1 ,holy1 ,holy1 ,holy1 ,lord ,god of ,hosts1 ,heaven and earth are full of ,thee1 ,heaven and earth are praising ,thee1 ,oh ,lord1 most high4 the result will be true reverence4 #b4 ,suggestion is a most effective way of conveying these impressions4 ,instead of saying to the child1 ,this is the thought you should have1 and this is what you should feel1 and this is what you ought to do1 he is allowed to draw meanings and have feelings of his own1 for then they are genuinely a part of his soul1 not something foisted upon him4 ,but even though the application is not made1 nurture will consciously present impressions intended to suggest certain feelings4 ,the ,sunday ,school lesson1 the missionary story1 the visit to the poor family1 the song carefully selected1 all fall in this class4 ,special mention should be made of the great effect upon the child in making attractive in another1 the feeling desired for him4 ,a single incident will illustrate this3 ,a frightened little candidate for the ,beginners' ,class and his stern mother stood one ,sunday morning before the ,primary superintendent4 ,he's got to stay in here by himself today1 she said2 ,i won't have such nonsense4 ,look at him1 with his first trousers on6 ,i'm ashamed of him6 ,the superintendent did look and saw the new trousers1 and in them the trembling little body1 and a soul speechless with terror at facing for the first time1 alone1 the unknown experience of a great world1 even though it was enclosed in four walls4 ,there was no trace of relenting in the mother's face1 and any plea for pity was useless4 ,but the new trousers gave a possible key to the situation4 ,why1 so he has new trousers on6 the superintendent said4 ,i want to see them1 and very thoroughly and enthusiastically they were inspected4 ,i didn't know that he was so nearly a man that he could wear trousers instead of dresses4 ,i am sure he will stay alone today because men do and are not at all afraid4 ,she waited4 ,gradually the little head lifted as the thought of bravery began to make its appeal4 ,he put his hand into the hand of the superintendent1 and without hesitation started on the perilous journey across the room to the ,beginners' section1 where no punishment could have driven him a few moments earlier1 and proud and heroic sat by himself through the hour4 ,such is the power of suggestion4 ,two points1 however1 must be carefully guarded in deliberate effort to arouse a feeling4 #a4 ,care must be exercised not to over stimulate feeling1 as an excess beyond that which can be expended in action has an after weakening and reactionary effect4 ,this has its illustration in certain methods of evangelistic work with children1 where results are measured by their hysterical condition when the meeting concludes4 ,contrast with this the gentleness which breathes through the story of the ,master's touch1 as ,he took them in ,his arms and blessed them1 laying ,his hands upon them1 when ,he had said1 ,suffer the little children to come unto ,me4 #b4 ,it is as injurious to a child to attempt to force a feeling before its normal time1 as to a bud1 to pry open its petals to hasten ,god's processes4 ,even the ,divine ,child grew4 ,that is not first which is spiritual1 but that which is natural1 then that which is spiritual1 is ,god's law of unfolding life4 ,but these consciously presented impressions form only a small part of the sources of suggestion to the child4 ,the countless sights and circumstances of his everyday life all have a voice for him1 and a feeling follows their message4 ,every mother who has suffered mortification over the unaccountable behavior of her child toward a guest1 knows the sometimes untoward as well as helpful working of suggestion from personality4 ,atmosphere has the same power4 ,i don't know what there is in your home1 said a visitor to her hostess2 ,i can't define it1 but it makes me want to be good4 ,music may be suggestive1 aside from what it actually says4 ,it would seem as if no sane superintendent would prepare for prayer by a two step song1 or follow the lesson on1 ,the ,washing of the ,disciples' ,feet1 by1 ,columbia1 the ,gem of the ,ocean1 but it was done4 ,it would seem as though no primary teacher could be so insensible to suggestion from objects1 as to try to teach worship in giving by taking the offering through a hole in the tail of a jointed tin rooster1 but that self-same rooster is no myth4 ,the subject expands into endless ramifications4 ,true nurture essays the difficult task of analyzing the impressions that come from suggestion--guarding against the harmful1 and multiplying the helpful4 #c4 ,impressions may be given and feelings aroused through doing the act which would naturally result from the feeling4 ,this is the reason why a reverential attitude helps to arouse real reverence1 and a smiling face and cheery tone actually bring cheerfulness in a case of the blues4 ,little children are so imitative that they quickly copy the outward manifestations of a feeling1 and the inner state tends to follow4 ,this is further a reason for leading them into acts of loving service1 that love and kindred gracious feelings may gain strength through the reflex influence of the action upon the soul4 ,one word should be spoken on the negative side4 ,since each recurrence of a feeling strengthens its power1 nurture will seek to avoid the conditions which would arouse wrong feelings4 ,but should not the child control himself8 some one asks4 ,instinctive feelings are stronger than the power of self control in the beginning1 and life needs shielding more than testing4 ,god says1 ,fathers1 provoke not your children to anger1 or1 literally1 ,fathers1 irritate not your children beyond measure1 but nourish them fully in the instruction and admonition of the ,lord4 #b4 ,the ,expression of the ,feelings4 ,every normal feeling tends irresistibly to express itself in action unless it is held in leash4 ,the story of the poor family needs the addition of no impassioned appeal2 the child is already wondering whether he can empty his bank for their help4 ,if expression is denied to the feeling1 it tends to die out1 and continual repression means a lessening either in power to act or power to feel4 ,sentimentalists have lost power to act except in tears or ejaculations when their emotions are stirred1 and hardened people have lost the power to feel under ordinary stimulation4 ,therefore nothing is more fatal to vigorous development of the feelings of the child than to allow them to be dissipated without expression in the action they naturally suggest4 ,but nurture will see that little hands are allowed to hinder by helping to make the beds1 or dust the room or carry the package1 not simply that love may grow stronger1 but that in after years there may be the desire to lift the burdens in reality from wearied shoulders1 for the higher feelings of life develop from the instinctive feelings1 if they have proper expression in the beginning4 ,love that is almost barter in early years1 since it is bestowed for value received1 if given constant expression in acts of helpfulness1 will become the self-denying love of later years4 ,love for self1 which is so strong in a child1 can be developed toward its manifestation of self respect1 by using it at first in childhood1 to help this good body grow both strong and tall4 ,childish hate may be directed against wrong things1 in preparation for indignation against sin of future years4 ,it must not be forgotten1 however1 that in ,god's economy every feeling1 if properly used1 has its work to do in character building in every stage of its development1 so that even the foundation stones may be laid in beauty and strength4 ,,the ,,will ,the power of the soul to make deliberate choice of action1 and unwaveringly to execute it1 is undeveloped in this period of ,early ,childhood4 ,the child does not balance reasons or desires4 ,instead1 he acts impetuously and unthinkingly1 as the feeling of the passing moment impels him4 ,often one desire so completely absorbs his mind as to obscure everything else1 and he will make any effort to gain his end4 ,his case is like that of a man who sets his heart on a thing1 or who harbors an alluring temptation too long1 until it overpowers him4 ,this is the explanation of most cases of obstinacy and strong will1 as is proven by the disappearance of the will when the mind is diverted4 ,one of the deepest desires of every parent and teacher is that there shall in truth be a strong will as the life matures1 and so its training is sought4 ,but just what is meant by it8 ,we know there is no separate faculty to be strengthened as the arm is strengthened4 ,what can be trained8 ,the only training possible is in helping the soul to form the habit of choosing to do the right thing1 or1 analyzing still more closely1 of following the promptings of the noblest feelings of the heart4 ,the inseparable relation between feeling and action has been noted4 ,if the noblest feelings can be made the strongest1 they will be followed4 ,the previous discussion shows that their strength is increased every time they are aroused and acted upon1 and this leads to habit in both feeling and action4 ,the nurture of the will or executive power of the soul is seen1 therefore1 to be most intimately connected with the nurture of the feelings1 and its work will consist in making the right course of action so appealing that the child will desire and choose it for himself1 until it becomes habitual1 and consequently1 undebatable4 ,forcing him to follow it1 secures the action2 it does not arouse the feelings that would lead him to choose to do the act himself4 ,an act compelled is like an apple tied to a fruit tree2 it did not grow there and has no connection with the life of the tree4 ,a fruit tree that can not bear its own fruit is worthless1 and a life that does not reach the point of producing its own right actions1 independent of human coercion1 is a failure4 ,the comparison may be pressed still further4 ,no quantity of apples tied upon a tree will ever make it produce apples1 and even so1 no number of right acts imposed upon a child will1 in itself1 make him do right things voluntarily4 ,this can only come through strengthening in his own soul the processes that lead to right action4 ,the truth of this is proven in the case of thousands of boys who did the right things at home because they were compelled to do so1 but when they left home they went wrong4 ,the one who should have nurtured was too busy1 or too thoughtless1 to take the time to lead into strength and uprightness the thinking and feeling and choosing of the soul while it was developing4 ,it was easier to say peremptorily1 ,do this1 with the inevitable result1 that when compulsion was removed character gave way because it was weak4 ,but some one is saying1 ,that is a very questionable doctrine2 ',let the child do as he pleases1 if he don't want to do the right1 don't force him4' ,such a deduction from the argument entirely misses the point4 ,the child must do the right1 but1 in a nutshell--which is the stronger constraint--outer or inner8 ,which makes character surer1 the voice without1 saying1 ',you must1' or the voice within which says it8 ,no external power could have made ,paul's record of service1 or ,brainerd's or ,paton's4 ,all the force of the ,russian government was powerless to obtain that which each ,japanese soldier poured out upon his country's altar in the fight for supremacy in ,manchuria4 ,these deeds are the soul's response to the most irresistible power in the world--a consuming passion4 ,it was such a passion1 intense beyond earthly fathom1 that led the ,savior through ,gethsemane to ,calvary4 ,because this is so1 the ,heavenly ,father's effort to secure right action from ,his children is not evident in external compulsion4 ,through ,his favor and fellowship1 the joy of ,his approval1 the peace that passeth understanding1 the ,well done1 the eternal reward1 ,he endeavors to arouse love for ,himself and what ,he desires1 in order that ,his will may be chosen4 ,according to this ,divine pattern human nurture labors4 ,at the very first1 the parent must make choice for the child1 but earlier than is usually appreciated1 definite training may be begun4 ,the loving smile of the mother and her known wish1 her approval or disapproval1 her recognition and encouragement1 the knowledge that1 ,whatsoever a man soweth that must he also reap1 gained through bearing the penalty or enjoying the reward of each choice1 the right course made attractive in the story of some one who chose it1 or1 most magnetic of all1 in the life of the one who is nurturing1 all these will begin to arouse the inner constraint that compels1 and with glad acquiescence the soul will say1 ,necessity is laid upon me4 ,when the life shall learn that the most blessed joy that inheres in right actions is not human approval but ,god's favor1 and for ,his sake1 with face steadfastly set1 the right is followed1 even though shorn of all external attractiveness1 the highest development possible for a soul has been realized4 ,,application ,,to ,,sunday ,,school ,,work ,the ,sunday ,school is such an important factor in religious training that a special application of the foregoing discussion to its methods and work seems wise4 ,it is evident that plans can not be detailed1 but only some principles underlying the methods be suggested4 ,,the ,,cradle ,,roll ,in the first department known as the ,cradle ,roll1 nurture can be given by the ,sunday ,school only as it touches the parents4 ,any ,cradle ,roll work that culminates in the sentiment of securing the babies' names and calling them1 ,our ,sweet ,peas1 has missed its purpose4 ,a peculiar opportunity comes with the flood tide of new parental love4 ,if ,i had not been a ,christian when my boy was born1 ,i could very easily have been led to ,christ1 my heart was so tender and full of gratitude1 said the father of an only son4 ,the ,sunday ,school will nurture its babes through choosing as ,cradle ,roll ,superintendent1 a consecrated ,christian woman1 trained in the school of life's experience1 who can come close to other mothers because she1 too1 has known the valley of the shadow and the sacred joy of a new born life in her arms4 ,a unique opportunity is hers to lead the parents to ,christ or into closer fellowship with ,him1 and to help them understand the meaning of the life ,he has lent them4 ,,the ,,beginners' ,,department ,the ,beginners' ,department will care for the years between three and six4 ,nurture will be concerned first with the teacher4 ,the ,teacher4--,the child's conception of ,christ will be what he sees in the teacher4 ,he can not conceive of any love or tenderness or gentleness greater than appears in her4 ,a mother came to the teacher of her little boy one day and said1 ,john was playing on the floor this afternoon1 and all at once he stopped and watched me1 and then said1 ',mamma1 ,i wish you were as much like ,jesus as my teacher is' ,the lesson1 the music1 the prayer and all the differentiation of the day and place tend to elevate the teacher above those who share his daily life1 and envelop her with an atmosphere more mystic and holy4 ,she is connected not with clothes and bread and butter episodes1 but wholly with the thought of ,jesus1 and stands by ,his side in the child's thought and love1 and if he love not the teacher whom he has seen1 he can not love ,god whom he has not seen4 ,even the physical charm of the teacher will make his picture of the ,christ more beautiful4 ,nurture demands above all else that the teacher of a ,beginners' ,class suggest ,one altogether lovely1 to the sensitive1 imaginative and imitative soul of the child1 for her message to him is ever silently1 but irresistibly1 ,be ye imitators of me as ,i am of ,christ4 ,the ,place4--,the place of meeting must fulfill certain conditions to give proper nurture4 ,because of the restlessness of these years1 it ought to afford opportunity for physical movement4 ,even if a separate room is not available1 screens or curtains should make it possible for the children to change their position frequently4 ,the separation will also remove the temptation for curiosity to obtain satisfaction through roving eyes4 ,the place should provide comfortable seating arrangements1 for impressions carried within from strained muscles and tired limbs are far stronger than from ideas that the teacher gives1 and these will consequently receive the attention4 ,but it is not sufficient to plan for seclusion and comfort4 ,nurture thinks beyond and deeper than this4 ,the child is gaining his first impressions of religious things during these years1 and his ideas will be derived from what his senses give him4 ,there is no way to give him the thought of the beauty of holiness1 and the joy that the religion of ,jesus ,christ brings1 except to make every thing associated with it as glad and beautiful as may be4 ,choice pictures1 flowers1 sunshine1 order1 all mysteriously transmit their beauty to the child's thought of ,god4 ,the more attractive the visible things1 the more magnetic the charm of the invisible4 ,out of ,zion1 the perfection of beauty1 ,god hath shined4 ,the ,equipment4--,the equipment is not to be a heterogeneous collection of things1 and yet the child must be taught through his senses4 ,a ,bible which can be kept before the children and reverently handled1 to teach reverence by suggestion1 is of first importance4 ,little chairs1 or an equally comfortable substitute1 a blackboard and an instrument1 if possible1 will give good working capital4 ,since taste is forming at this time and every thing has an influence in determining its direction1 the beautiful pictures in black and white are gaining favor through their artistic execution and subdued coloring4 ,to this equipment may be added special objects designed to make the facts of special lessons clearer--the sand table occasionally1 or models4 ,thoughtful teachers are more and more convinced that while ,kindergarten principles should obtain1 the ,kindergarten should not be moved bodily into the ,sunday ,school4 ,values must be balanced1 and over against the reasons which might be given for bringing in all the equipment of the week-day environment1 there is this great fact3--the child is to be taught that religion is the supreme thing in the world1 and he can learn it only by differentiating it in a tangible way from other things4 ,this means that the methods1 music1 material and beauty associated with it ought to make it distinctive1 and more attractive than any of the week-day surroundings4 ,after he learns that it is the chief thing in the world1 he can learn how to bring it down to the common things of life without sacrificing its supremacy1 instead of dragging the every-dayness into it4 ,the ,program4--,the program must be varied1 because self control is weak1 and attention will be given to one thing only so long as interest is active4 ,music should have a prominent place1 provided it is meaningful1 choice1 and suggestive of the thought desired1 in music as well as words4 ,since this is the rhythmic and imitative period of life1 motion songs can be occasionally used1 provided the motions are not mechanical and artificial4 ,the foot notes which say that at ,i the hands should be clasped1 at #b they should wave1 and at #c be raindrops1 miss the point of a motion song4 ,unless the child spontaneously expresses the thought which the song suggests to him1 the motions have no value1 aside from a rest exercise4 ,the entire program should be planned around the thought of leading the child into a genuine love for ,god4 ,nature is beautiful1 but its place in ,sunday ,school is subordinate to ,him4 ,the most exquisite song that ends with birds and flowers falls below the highest nurture4 ,love must be both aroused and expressed during the hour's session4 ,music1 ,scripture1 the enumeration of ,his blessings1 the joy over birthdays and new scholars ,he has sent1 the lesson1 the carefully selected pictures and stories of what ,his love has done for other boys and girls unlike them1 an atmosphere of gladness and reverence will kindle it2 the offering service1 the prayer1 ,scripture and music will express it4 ,the suggestion from teacher1 place1 program and lesson combined1 should be a great1 wonderful ,god who loves little children1 as well as a ,christ who took the children in ,his arms4 ,the ,lesson4--,the course known as ,the ,two ,years' ,course for ,beginners affords the best subject matter for the lessons for the following reasons3 #a4 ,bible truths needed first in the life of a little child have been carefully selected and arranged in their logical order4 #b4 ,as many lessons as are needed to make each truth clear and to fix it in memory are devoted to it4 #c4 ,the setting for the truths to be taught is given in stories1 not abstract statements4 #d4 ,the same ,golden ,text is used for all the lessons teaching one truth1 is simple1 intelligible and1 by repetition in connection with several lessons1 can be fixed4 #e4 ,the pictures accompanying the lessons are very choice both in theme and execution4 ,since the only ideas the child will receive of the lesson must come through his senses and bodily activity1 and since1 of his senses1 sight and touch make a clearer impression than hearing1 large use should be made of them4 ,further1 as this is the period of imitation of definite acts1 the lesson should present forcibly and fascinatingly1 an activity within his power to imitate4 ,the end sought1 as a result of the nurture of this period1 is that the child may become truly a child of ,god1 and never know a time when he did not love ,him4 ,this may be achieved1 for the heart of a little child is open and peculiarly sensitized to the matchless story of ,jesus ,christ4 ,when it is presented to him aright1 he always responds in faith and love4 ,in this response1 the conditions upon which spiritual sonship is conferred are met1 for1 ,as many as received ,him1 to them gave ,he the right to become children of ,god1 even to them that believe on ,his name4 ,,chapter ,v ,,childhood--,,six ,,to ,,twelve ,no abrupt change marks the transition from the period of ,early ,childhood to ,childhood1 but development is continuous and rapid in every direction4 ,the larger social world1 entered through school life1 and the new intellectual world1 revealed through ability to read1 widen the child's vision and develop possibilities hitherto latent1 because unneeded4 ,the ,sunday ,school divides the period of ,childhood into the ,primary ,age1 from six to nine1 and the ,junior ,age1 from nine to twelve1 basing the division as accurately as is possible upon the awakening of these latent possibilities4 ,the development of this period will therefore be considered according to this classification4 ,,the ,,primary ,,age--,,six ,,to ,,nine ,during these years the characteristics of ,early ,childhood remain in more or less modified form4 ,physical growth is still rapid in all parts of the body1 the brain reaching almost full size by the ninth year4 ,parallel with this vigorous physical growth is a mental growth and development equally rapid and many sided4 ,curiosity is as hungry as ever1 still more eager concerning things than abstract ideas1 and still a goad to active senses4 ,the mind has increased power to retain what is given it1 and about the ninth year enters upon its ,golden ,memory ,period4 ,the ability to reason is gradually increasing1 though it is used more upon relationships between things than between ideas4 ,the child's feelings are still self-centered1 yet development of the social and altruistic feelings is apparent4 ,children enjoy companionship more than in earlier years1 but the longing for others does not reach the intensity which demands the club and gang until later4 ,a feeling of sympathy and desire to help must still be awakened by definite cases of need1 plus the influence of parent or teacher1 as the child does not yet know life's hard experiences well enough to read their meaning and give response to them of himself4 ,if nurture has met its opportunity in the preceding period1 the child's love for ,god and confidence in ,him have grown stronger4 ,the ,heavenly ,father will be as real to him as an earthly friend1 and ,his help a living experience4 ,how is it that you always have a perfect spelling lesson at school8 a primary teacher asked of one of her boys4 ,why1 don't you know that ,jesus sits in the seat with me every day and helps me8 he replied4 ,the teacher's face betokened her surprise1 and the child emphatically reiterated1 ,he truly does sit with me and help me4 ,would that ,god's older children could live as actually in the ,presence that was promised for all the days4 ,actions continue to be largely impulsive1 carried out according to the strongest present desire1 and though right and wrong are more clearly understood than formerly1 they do not often determine an act unsupported by other considerations4 ,this is evident in the matter of obedience1 whose strengthening into a habit is one of the most imperative tasks of nurture during childhood4 ,abstract laws and principles of right1 so weighty in middle adolescence1 have but slight influence over the child1 unless joined with them is a strong personality whom the child loves or fears1 and whose favor he desires to win through obeying4 ,there are certain modifications of earlier characteristics1 which demand more than a passing notice1 because they necessitate greater change in the methods of nurture4 ,,activity ,though the restlessness of the preceding period is still in evidence1 more and more activity is becoming purposeful and willed4 ,while the child continues to love activity for itself1 he is more interested in what it will accomplish than formerly1 but an end is not yet sufficiently attractive in itself to hold him to an unpleasant activity for its achievement4 ,for example1 he enjoys both the weaving and the basket1 the pasting and the scrap-book1 but if pasting and weaving were laborious and difficult1 he would not voluntarily go through them to obtain the basket or the scrap-book4 ,it must be noted further1 that activity still expends itself more readily in the realm of the physical than the mental1 though there is increasing pleasure in the quest for knowledge1 if wisely directed4 ,the ,sunday ,school is beginning to recognize what the day school has learned1 that the child both enjoys and masters a lesson which can be approached through physical as well as mental avenues4 ,in consequence1 hand work is being introduced to aid in religious instruction1 as manual work in the public schools for secular education1 with most gratifying results in both cases4 ,,the ,,senses ,more skill1 more accuracy and more discrimination characterize the work of the senses than in ,early ,childhood4 ,the impressions are richer in detail and meaning1 because of the increased knowledge possessed by the child4 ,it is a commonplace that we receive from anything in proportion to what we bring to it4 ,the ear of the musician hears in an orchestra what the child or the adult without the knowledge of music could never detect1 because he listens with more than they4 ,the child can see in a picture or circumstance1 and hear in a conversation or a song1 what once he could not1 because he brings a larger experience to bear upon it4 ,criticism of others in the home1 the lapses from ,christ-like living1 the scenes of the street1 things pernicious as well as helpful have greater significance in character building than ever before4 ,this gives still graver emphasis to the work of nurture in guarding these wide-open doorways to a hungry soul4 ,growing out of the fact that the senses are the greatest source of information to the child's mind1 the method of teaching by means of objects has arisen4 ,rightly used1 there is great value in this mode of instruction1 but a serious perversion of its legitimate use has developed in connection with religious instruction of little children4 ,though the discussion of this may be a possible digression1 it seems necessary in order to safeguard nurture from a mistake4 ,there are two helpful methods of using an object with children in the ,beginners' and ,primary age4 ,the first is to explain an unfamiliar fact1 or make it clear4 ,a model of an oriental house or curios from a mission field are examples of this4 ,the second use is to illustrate a fact4 ,the flower is the visible expression of ,god's loving care2 the table1 heaped high with grains and fruits and vegetables at the ,thanksgiving service1 teaches as no mere words could the fact of ,god's provision for our need4 ,objects used in this way require no reasoning power to make their meaning clear4 ,it is only a matter of perception4 ,the use of an object1 however1 in order to deduce spiritual truth therefrom for children with reasoning powers undeveloped1 is a mistake4 ,instead of making the thought clearer to their minds it obscures it4 ,close examination reveals the reason for this4 ,a child is both imaginative and literal4 ,through his imagination he can transform one object into another object1 as we have already observed1 but in this case he is asked to transform an object into an abstract idea4 ,this he does not easily do1 since such transformation is made by reason1 not by imagination4 ,further1 the spiritual teachings are drawn from the abstract idea which the object is supposed to represent1 not from the object itself4 ,manifestly1 therefore1 if he does not get the idea he will not get the deductions from it4 ,his mind does not follow beyond the point where he can understand1 consequently1 his thought remains with the object as it literally is4 ,to illustrate1 take the familiar object lesson of a cup overflowing with water1 used to teach the thought of ,god's manifold blessings in the life4 ,the child is asked to change the cup into the abstract thought of life1 and water into the thought of blessing4 ,this is difficult1 for it involves reason and deals with resemblances which are artificial1 not real4 ,the child's literalism1 therefore1 asserts itself1 and the cup remains a cup and the water is still water1 and while the teacher is drawing conclusions1 the child is probably wondering whether her dress will get wet or how he can get a drink4 ,the same principle obtains in regard to certain types of blackboard illustrations4 ,the child is asked to change a cross into suffering1 a crown into victory1 a red cardboard heart into life1 and a picture of ,jesus ,christ pinned upon it into regeneration4 ,he does not make these transformations until reason is more fully developed than in this period4 ,lines remain lines1 cardboard is still cardboard and spiritual deductions do not reach his understanding4 ,the fact that an object or drawing is always interesting does not alter the principle at all1 for being interested and being instructed are not necessarily equivalent terms4 ,the lesson must always be interesting1 but it must also gain entrance according to the laws of the mind to be instructive4 ,,interests ,the interests of this period include those of the preceding period1 but they are more diverse and far-reaching than in ,early ,childhood4 ,they still center around the concrete1 and especially physical activity4 ,crude and amazingly heterogeneous collections begin to make their appearance in boys' pockets and girls' treasure boxes4 ,dolls are never so dear to their fond mothers as in this period4 ,games and active outdoor sports appeal to both boys and girls1 those games being particularly enjoyable which give the individual an opportunity to shine4 ,real team play is impossible at this time1 since in honor each prefers himself4 ,any scepticism upon this point will be dispelled by listening to the modest aspirants for office when the positions in a football game are being assigned4 ,the explanation for this lies partially in the instinct of rivalry1 which arrays individual against individual1 all through the early years of life4 ,when the social feeling which welds individuals into groups becomes strong1 rivalry will appear between gangs and clubs rather than between individuals4 ,a significant change occurs in connection with that which the child desires to imitate4 ,at first1 definite acts focused the most of his interest and aroused imitation1 now1 interest begins to attach itself to the actor as well1 and the child not only desires to imitate the deed but also to emulate the doer4 ,out of this a little later comes real hero worship1 an incentive to action than which life holds no greater4 ,another fact in connection with this is also significant2 those whom he desires to resemble need not be in the home circle nor in his environment1 as at first1 but may be distant in time and place4 ,this new interest in people whom he can not see lends added charm and value to ,bible stories and1 if told aright1 they will do for his life what can be done in no other way so effectively4 ,surely ,agur1 the son of ,jakeh1 saw no eager little faces upturned to his1 pleading1 ,tell me another1 or he would have added to the things that are never satisfied1 nor say1 ,it is enough1 the hunger of a child for a story4 ,since hunger is always indicative of a need in the developing life1 there must be a reason for this craving4 ,it is found in connection with the rapid development and requirements of the imagination4 ,there are two ways in which a truth may be taught4 ,one is through an abstract statement1 such as1 ,intemperance destroys the happiness of a home4 ,the other is through the concrete1 or the story of a home blighted by liquor4 ,the first appeals to reason1 and can be understood only in the light of experience2 the second requires simply the exercise of a vivid imagination4 ,of reasoning power1 the child at this time has little1 but he has an imagination vivid1 strong and hungry1 eagerly reaching out for something to feed upon4 ,the well-told story fully satisfies his hunger1 and at the same time meets the greatest need of the whole soul1 namely1 the placing of right ideals before it in such a way that they will be worked out into character4 ,to accomplish this result three things are necessary3 first1 the thought suggesting the ideal must be understood2 second1 it must rouse the feelings2 third1 it must lead to action4 ,the story meets every demand4 #a4 ,it makes the truth concrete4 ,the statement1 ,love will endure hardships for the sake of ,jesus ,christ1 is only a thought in the brain4 ,the story of ,paul or ,livingston brings the truth out of that intangible world1 puts flesh upon it and the breath of life within1 and the child can in imagination exercise his sense of sight1 of hearing and of touch upon it4 #b4 ,it makes the truth visible1 and therefore to be grasped through the senses or imagination4 ,a thought can not be seen by itself1 but if lived out in the life of a person it may be seen by the physical eye1 or1 if mountains and centuries intervene1 still by the eye of the soul--the imagination4 ,when it is seen1 the fact itself is understood1 though the reasons for it may not be comprehended4 ,while no man may ever know why ,god so loved the world that ,he gave ,his only begotten ,son1 we understand that ,he does love us1 as we see the ,babe in the manger and the blessed ,savior upon the cross4 ,only when a truth is so seen does it become real and1 consequently1 of any worth to the life4 ,herein lies the need and the power of ,living ,epistles1 not only in the material world1 but also in the world of the imagination4 #c4 ,when the truth is seen it always arouses feeling4 ,a thought which is merely known does not move men4 ,it is possible to read of a terrible tragedy with measured pulse and indifferent heart1 but if the reader was an eye witness1 or allows imagination to picture it for him1 his soul quivers in its presence4 ,one of the greatest needs of our teachers is to see the ,master among the hills and by the blue waters of ,gennesaret1 to look into ,his face1 to hear ,his voice till hearts burn4 ,then they will not repeat words1 but1 ,looking upon ,jesus as ,he walked1 say1 ,behold ,him6 in such a way that the children will see ,him also1 and a great love for ,him be born in their hearts1 and a longing to follow4 #d4 ,the truth that is seen and felt impels to action4 ,this has already been discussed in connection with the feelings1 and an illustration will suffice at this time4 ,a mission ,sunday ,school was listening to a talk on the fixedness of habits formed in youth1 and to make it clearer the speaker said1 ,boys1 do they ever lay cement walks in this neighborhood8 ,every eye was riveted on him1 as they answered1 ,yes6 ,did you know1 he continued1 that if you were to take a sharp-pointed stick and write your name in the cement while it was soft1 it would harden and remain there as long as the walk lasted8 ,of course1 he hastily added1 as a significant expression appeared on their faces1 no boy here would be mean enough to do such a thing1 but it was too late--the picture had done its work and the purpose of handing autographs down to posterity would be executed at the first opportunity4 ,such is the power of the image or picture to lead to action4 ,only the ,father knows how many sons have come home from the far country because of the matchless story of the prodigal4 ,only ,he knows how many consecrated men and women are in ,africa and ,china and ,japan because they saw the heroes in ,god's ,hall of ,fame4 ,surely this is why the ,holy ,spirit inspired ,paul to write1 ,whatsoever things are true1 whatsoever things are honorable1 whatsoever things are just1 whatsoever things are pure1 whatsoever things are lovely1 whatsoever things are of good report1 if there be any virtue1 if there be any praise1 think on these things4 #e4 ,if the imagination steadily hold the picture1 some day the life will be like it4 ,it is impossible for the soul to look day after day upon anything without unconsciously being changed into its likeness4 ,hawthorne has exquisitely portrayed the transformation of ,ernest into the image of the ,great ,stone ,face1 and1 in so doing1 has told the story of every life that gazes fixedly on its ideal4 ,herein lies the blessed secret of ,christ-likeness3 ,we all1 with unveiled face reflecting as a mirror the glory of the ,lord1 are transformed into the same image1 from glory to glory even as from the ,lord1 the ,spirit4 ,in the light of these wonderful possibilities growing out of seeing the invisible1 the oft-quoted words of ,stanley ,hall are most significant1 ,of all the things that a teacher should know how to do1 the most important1 without any exception1 is to know how to tell a story4 ,,application ,,to ,,sunday ,,school ,,work ,the requirements of the ,primary department in regard to teacher1 place and equipment are similar to those in the ,beginners' class1 save that a song roll may now be helpfully added1 since the children are learning to read4 ,in the matter of instruction1 however1 some variation from preceding methods is necessary1 owing to the rapid mental development of the children4 ,i4 ,general ,program4 ,in addition to the thought of making the service worshipful and joyous1 the program must be planned with reference to three important things3 7#a7 ,the ,truth to be presented in the lesson4 ,this should be a guide to program building in the preceding department as well1 but it becomes imperative in this and the ,junior departments1 since the truth to be taught changes weekly1 and therefore must be fastened during one hour's work4 ,memory in this period depends upon the force of the impression rather than upon association1 as in later periods1 hence all songs and exercises should emphasize the one thought to be given in the lesson4 ,this does not require new songs and services weekly4 ,it merely requires that the old songs and exercises be approached from the standpoint of the lesson1 that which is pertinent to it being developed in each4 ,the results of this plan are two-fold3 first1 a freshness in the program each week1 even with familiar features1 and second1 cumulative emphasis upon one truth1 thus fulfilling the conditions of memory1 and therefore of nurture4 7#b7 ,the ,activity of the children4 ,the increased mental ability will permit interesting exercises to take the place of some of the physical outlets for activity necessary in the preceding period1 but they must be brief and compelling in their attractiveness4 ,the use of motion songs is outgrown1 especially with boys4 ,during many years there has remained in memory the expression in the face of a boy1 head and shoulders taller than any other child in the primary department1 as he stood pointing to pedal extremities1 not less than number fours1 and singing1 ,little feet1 be very careful where you take me to4 ,the sentiment could not possibly have been wrung from him had not the superintendent been his mother4 ,hand work suggestive of the lesson1 such as pasting1 coloring1 tearing1 cutting and simplest writing for the older ones1 is growing in favor as a means of utilizing the activity and impressing the lesson4 ,an outline of the methods of this work is impossible here1 but three words of caution must be spoken4 ,first3 ,choose the time for hand work carefully4 ,while it will give wise outlet for activity and aid memory1 if used in the wrong place it will tend to dissipate the influence of the lesson4 ,even the pasting of a picture when the feelings are deeply stirred could give them sufficient expression so that they would be satisfied without further action4 ,they ought to impel to imitation of the action in the story with all the intensity that has been aroused1 instead of being expended in a mechanical way4 ,in view of this fact1 the proper subject of the hand work would seem to be the lesson of the week preceding1 and the best time for it1 just prior to the beginning of the session1 if that be of the usual hour length4 ,this time is practicable even where the session immediately follows the church service1 and it has three advantages4 ,it will counteract lack of punctuality1 will utilize activity at its most disastrous stage--the unoccupied minutes before the program proper begins--and will not crowd out from the hour any other training equally important4 ,second3 ,remember that valuable as the hand work is in clarifying and impressing the lesson1 it is only a shell containing the truth4 ,therefore1 a teacher who occupies a large part of the hour in this way is not giving the child sufficient spiritual nourishment4 ,third3 ,this work must be raised above the level of similar week-day occupations4 ,this may be done through emphasizing the fact that the child is making a book of ,bible stories1 and special care must be used to make it beautiful and worthy4 ,a mission of help or cheer to some one else may also be held out as a climax to its completion4 7#c7 ,the program must be planned with reference to training in habit formation4 ,though the latter part of ,childhood is the habit forming period of life1 pre-eminently1 yet habits of ,christian activity must be begun during these earlier years4 ,the children in this department are not too young to lay the foundations of regular and punctual attendance1 bringing of ,bibles1 giving to church expenses and benevolences1 interest in and gifts for missionary work1 daily prayer and1 under proper conditions1 church attendance4 ,,ii4 ,instruction4 ,while special teaching must be given in connection with each habit to be formed1 the supplemental work and the lesson constitute the principal subjects of instruction4 #a4 ,supplemental ,work4 ,scripture for memorization in this period should be chosen primarily to help the children in habit formation4 ,information about the ,bible and storing for future use belong in the next period of ,golden memory4 ,verses that give the thought of ,god's love1 and incite loving obedience to ,him and to their parents1 and loving service to others1 are fundamental and should predominate4 ,the ,twenty-third ,psalm and ,lord's ,prayer will have real meaning1 and therefore help for the child at this time1 if carefully taught4 ,a few of the great stories of the ,bible1 including those of ,christmas and ,easter1 may be added1 and some of the hymns of the church expressing ,god's majesty and the thought of service4 #b4 ,the ,lesson4 ,every principle of nurture already discussed bears upon the presentation of the lesson4 7#a7 ,the lesson must bring an ideal to the child in concrete form4 ,this will be the truth connected in some way with a person4 ,where the lesson gives the negative side1 or the absence of the truth in life1 the positive side must also be presented and made more attractive1 since the child's impulse to imitate1 even when warned against it1 is stronger than the warnings4 ,he must always be sent away with something to do1 rather than not to do4 7#b7 ,this ideal must always be given in a story4 ,when the lesson material is abstract1 like the ,epistles or ,psalms1 a truth to be taught should be selected from it1 and then made concrete and living in some ,bible story4 7#c7 ,the story itself is the mainspring to action1 not the application4 ,the forceful1 vivid and realistic presentation of the story1 made possible as the teacher lives in it1 impels the child to imitation2 the application1 or ought1 appeals to his reason and compels him1 and action is always more hearty when impelled than when compelled4 ,the only after touch upon the story which is helpful to little children lies in plans for imitating the activity which has been pictured4 ,even this is not always to be done4 ,jesus left the most wonderful story ,he ever told with no words of application1 for they were unnecessary4 ,he knew that every prodigal would feel a tug at the heartstrings and an impulse to go home4 ,at the conclusion of the story of the ,good ,samaritan ,he merely said1 ,go thou and do likewise4 ,allowing the children to suggest what they would like to do if they so desire1 or making the suggestion indirectly by song1 or prayer1 or the teacher's announcement of her own purpose will carry far more weight than any injunction to act1 for1 ,the deepest spring of action in us is the sight of action in another4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,the ,,junior ,,age--,,nine ,,to ,,twelve ,the years we are now to consider are among the most interesting in all the period of development1 and among the most exacting1 as well1 in the problems they present4 ,these problems are related1 in the main1 to the new invoice of energy which has come into the life1 the social feelings1 habit formation and hero worship1 and knowledge and patience are almost exhausted in their solution4 ,a general survey of the period reveals much that we are already familiar with1 together with certain new conditions4 ,we find that some of the winsomeness and much of the demonstrativeness and dependency of earlier childhood are gone4 ,the sense of approaching manhood or womanhood is beginning to stir in the soul and1 coincident with it1 a growing independence is manifest4 ,while the child must still be under authority1 the wisest nurture will consult his feelings and wishes as far as possible1 for just beyond this period lies life's crisis1 and every bond of sympathy and confidence must unite the helper to the one to be helped as the stormy passage is entered upon4 ,with all this growing independence1 however1 life is very far from possessing the marks of maturity4 ,it is careless and care free1 irresponsible in general1 yet proud to carry definite responsibilities4 ,there is delight in anything which suggests pre-eminence over others1 such as badges1 buttons and regalia of any kind1 or public recognition and reward4 ,frankness almost to the point of brutality is a frequent trait1 particularly of boys of this age1 for they do not lend themselves as easily as the girls to the polite usages and subterfuges of society4 ,this characteristic must have its counterbalance in genuineness and freedom from any affectation1 especially a pious one1 on the part of those dealing with the children1 in order to win their love and respect4 ,a marked literalism is also apparent1 and instead of the delicately imaginative child of earlier years a matter of fact young person stands out with a desire for exact statement and1 if need be1 under such oath as1 ,upon your word1 or ,cross your heart and hope to die4 ,there is a strong sense of honor connected with such asseverations1 and woe betide the one who swears falsely or tinkers with the truth4 ,there are certain conspicuous characteristics which demand a more detailed consideration1 and the first to be noted is the energy4 ,,energy ,the very sound of the word is indicative of the nervous force that dominates the life during these years4 ,it is well nigh impossible for action to be noiseless or measured in this period1 especially during the latter part4 ,the energy continues to be more vigorous in the physical realm1 and active sports of all kinds are attractive4 ,one of the greatest problems of nurture at this time1 as has already been suggested1 centers around the wise use of this energy in the home1 the day school1 the ,sunday ,school and1 most important of all1 in the hours unoccupied with definite tasks1 for habits are forming through its outgoing4 ,,the ,,social ,,feelings ,another striking characteristic of this period appears in the rapid development of the social feelings4 ,no longer is the child content with one or two playmates1 but he craves the companionship of several of the same age and sex4 ,this desire finds expression in the coterie of bosom friends1 the gang and the club so prevalent between the ages of ten and fourteen4 ,the bonfire with its circle of kindred spirits1 the cave with its password and dark plottings1 the street corner and recruiting whistle have almost irresistible fascination4 ,what one boy does not dare1 the gang will attempt1 and the composite conscience may fall far below that of the individual4 ,the sense of honor already mentioned is very strong among the members1 and in absolute loyalty to one another they stand or fall4 ,these organizations exist among the girls as well as boys1 but differ in the purpose for which they are formed1 the girls organizing more as adults1 while the boys' clubs are overwhelmingly to expend energy1 lawfully or otherwise4 ,the dangers and opportunities growing out of this strong tendency toward segregation can not be overestimated4 ,a walk along a city street in the evening reveals the fact that the nurture of the sidewalk and the ice cream parlor has largely supplanted the nurture of the home on the social side4 ,the table with the evening lamp--the home's lighthouse--and the family circle complete about it1 are an almost unknown experience in the life of the average ,american child4 ,in a recent convention a speaker1 who is in charge of a great penal institution filled with human derelicts1 said he believed it to be as much a duty of the church to preserve at least one evening a week sacred to the home1 as to designate another for the prayer meeting or preaching service4 ,the home ought to be the center of the child's social life4 ,why can not the lights and music and companionship there be made as attractive as the lights of the corner store1 or billiard hall1 or the sound of the street piano1 which pave the way to the saloon and the dance hall later8 ,that boys and girls will congregate during this period and the next is a law unchangeable as the laws of the ,medes and ,persians4 ,nurture asks whether the home does not furnish a better environment during this energetic1 habit forming and irresponsible period than the corner store or the gang8 ,it asks whether the society of those invited within its doors for a good time1 under the sympathetic and watchful eye of the father and mother1 is not apt to be more conducive to true character building than the society of the chance acquaintance with no credentials save his skill in story telling and initiation into fascinating mysteries8 ,it asks still further1 in this age of hero worship1 whether the home should not erect the ideals of manhood and womanhood through example1 through books1 through honored guests who have achieved true distinction instead of delegating this privilege to the group around the bonfire or the man who gathers the admiring circle to listen to the salacious tale8 ,the home which provides for this social craving within its sheltering walls1 blending the faces of father and mother with those of companions in the most joyous of good times1 and1 after the evening altar1 when the lights are darkened1 knows that each pillow is pressed by its own pure face1 that home is a bulwark of the nation and the ante chamber to one of ,god's many mansions4 ,may ,god have pity on the thousands of children who live in houses1 but are homeless4 ,,hero ,,worship ,in this new interest in his fellows1 all figures do not stand out in equal proportion against the child's horizon4 ,some loom very high1 and in the inner chamber of the soul1 incense is burning at their shrine4 ,out of the earlier interest in people1 and desire to imitate their actions1 there begins to emerge the great passion of hero worship with all its power in shaping ideals and determining character4 ,if it be true1 indeed1 that life grows like what it gazes fixedly upon1 then nurture has here an important work4 ,the hero of any period must inevitably embody that which the life most admires at the time1 hence physical strength and skill1 courage and daring will be prominent factors in a boy's hero in this period4 ,this hero may be1 perchance1 the physical director of the ,y4,m4,c4,a41 the champion baseball or football player1 an explorer or adventurer1 a desperado1 or--happy case--a father who has not forgotten how to swim and fish and hunt and play ball4 ,a boy always longs to place his father on the throne of his heart1 if he is given a chance1 but the fathers who covet that place enough to pay the price for it are too few4 ,a hard working mechanic said to a friend1 ,i made up my mind ,i would rather have a backache when my boys were little than a heartache later on1 and so no day's task was so heavy1 up toil so exhausting that when he came home at night his two boys could not claim him4 ,the cramped muscles would unlimber behind the bat1 the tired limbs would forget their weariness in the jaunt that had been planned with father1 and during the hours of freedom the three were chums in sports1 in interests1 in confidence4 ,they say there is no more beautiful sight in that town today than two stalwart1 manly fellows arm in arm with the father1 who counts it the joy and pride of his life to have mounted the hero's throne in the hearts of his sons4 ,while boys always choose a man as their hero1 girls may choose either the masculine or feminine character4 ,they are still near enough ,nature's heart to glory in wildness and abandon1 and the subtle delicacy of true womanhood has not the charm for them now it will have later4 ,yet it is part of the priceless dower of motherhood to so share in the daughter's life through sympathy and understanding that1 to be like mother will embody all the aspirations of a girlish heart4 ,,the ,,reading ,,craze ,the flame of hero worship is fed from two sources--the life of some one near to the child and the passionate delight in reading which characterizes the years from about ten to fifteen and is especially marked from twelve to fourteen4 ,the choice of books will naturally be governed by the strongest interests4 ,we are not surprised1 therefore1 that every page must teem with life and chronicle some achievement1 preferably in the physical realm1 for in the thought of the junior1 ,greater is he that taketh a city than he who ruleth his own spirit4 ,toward the latter part of this period the sentimental novel1 with all of its froth and perverted ideals of life1 appeals to the girl1 and it is an open question which is more pernicious1 ,deadwood ,dick and the ,indians or ,love at ,sight4 ,when it is remembered that during these years the desire for reading is so great that it will be satisfied1 surreptitiously if not openly1 that the heroes and heroines strengthen ideals of their own type in the soul of the child1 that these are the years in which taste is being formed1 not only in reading but in living1 nurture again has a great task outlined4 ,what is the best way to keep a boy from eating green apples8 a prominent ,sunday ,school worker often asks in a convention4 ,the answer never varies3 ,give him ripe ones to eat4 ,the child who has plenty of well-selected1 wholesome literature will have no appetite for the baneful4 ,biography of the heroic type1 exploration1 adventure and charming romances like the ,waverley ,novels will help to lay sane and pure foundations of character4 ,the missionary boards are now putting out books as thrilling and stirring in their situations as any yellow-backed novel4 ,these the children devour and the spiritual heroism makes its silent appeal along with the physical4 ,this delight in reading makes comparatively easy the formation of the habit of daily ,bible reading4 ,if the life is more than meat1 then the time taken by the father or mother to select fascinating ,bible biographies and stories1 and tactfully to supervise the reading1 is at least as wisely expended as that used in training a grape vine or sewing a lace edge on a ruffle4 ,is it not strange that there is such distorted perspective and false balance of values in regard to what is worth while8 ,the cares of this world crowd out so many supreme things4 ,many a temptation in later life would have its antidote if the ,holy ,spirit could bring the needed ,scripture to mind1 but because some one substituted the lesser for the greater1 solicitude for external appearance instead of inner furnishing1 the ,word is not there to be recalled4 ,,habit ,,formation ,the discussion of these marked characteristics of the life is given added import when we realize that these years are in the height of the habit forming period4 ,all through ,early ,childhood and ,childhood every act has left its faint tracing upon the plastic cells of the brain1 and some of the markings are deep ere now4 ,just as water will follow its channel rather than cut a new course1 so activity will expend itself in the well-traced pathways unless prevented from so doing1 and the same thought or stimulus will always tend to go out in the same action4 ,no thinking is necessary upon these habitual acts which constitute nine tenths of life--they have become mechanical4 ,not only in the body does life acquire fixed habits1 but also in the soul1 in thinking1 feeling and choosing4 ,the seriousness as well as the value of a habit lies in its tenacity4 ,no harder task ever confronts a life than to break up one habit and substitute another after the brain cells grow hard4 ,the process requires not only that activity be directed away from the pathway that irresistibly draws it1 but at the same time a new groove be traced upon the hard1 unyielding cells4 ,the task is difficult beyond expression4 ,this is why reformed men always have a hidden fear of lapsing into the former life4 ,it is the call of the old pathway1 traced so deeply in the brain4 ,a mature woman1 brought up to the strictest ,sabbath observance1 came to believe that the ,sabbath was made for man and not man for the ,sabbath1 and therefore essayed to act on that day according to her reason and judgment4 ,the attempt was soon abandoned4 ,there is no pleasure in it1 she said4 ,i am constantly fighting the old habits of my girlhood life1 and they will not cease their call to me4 ,this is what the wise king meant when he said1 ,train up a child in the way he should go1 and when he is old he will not depart from it4 ,the whole tendency is to ask for the old paths1 that there may be rest to the soul4 ,a part of the miracle of conversion in later life appears in ,god's power to trace new pathways when the brain is hardened1 and to keep life in them1 moment by moment1 against the tug of the old4 ,three statements will crystallize the discussion4 ,first3 ,the years up to twelve present two conditions for habit formation--plastic brain cells and action easily secured--as no succeeding years present them4 ,second3 ,habit formation1 either right or wrong1 is constantly going on1 for every action leaves its impress and makes repetition easier4 ,third3 ,right habits may be formed as easily as wrong1 if the task is definitely undertaken4 ,since the importance of these years is clearly evident1 the method of habit formation may be briefly stated4 ,first1 secure the desired action2 second1 secure its successive repetition without a lapse1 as far as possible4 ,we have already learned that action is the natural result of an aroused feeling2 therefore1 nurture will endeavor to make the act attractive and appealing where it can be done1 that the cordial co-operation of the child may be had4 ,hero worship may aid here1 the example in the home is imperative and future considerations begin to carry weight4 ,encouragement1 recognition1 new interest and new motives will all contribute toward securing repetition1 until unconsciously the action carries its own constraint and outer influence is unnecessary4 ,,the ,,golden ,,memory ,,period ,during the years from about nine to fifteen memory is in its most glorious period for storing away4 ,in early life a fact is retained chiefly through its impress on the soft brain cells1 for the power of association is little developed4 ,in later life a fact is retained almost wholly through association with other facts1 for the cells grow hard and an imprint therefore is faint4 ,in the ,golden ,memory ,period the fact has the double hold of impress and association1 for the cells are still plastic and associative powers are developed4 ,the task and its haste are evident1 for this dual condition never recurs4 ,the brain will now receive everything1 the abstract1 that which is not understood1 the uninteresting1 as well as that which is pleasing4 ,this is the drill period1 when mechanical repetition will fix anything1 regardless of the child's desire to learn1 and full comprehension is unnecessary4 ,it is also the period of verbal memory1 and that which ought to be memorized exactly should be given now4 ,,religious ,,life ,if nurture has cared for the spiritual life of the child1 he will probably desire during this period to publicly confess his love for ,jesus ,christ4 ,even if he has not been so nurtured1 every condition in his life makes it easier now than it ever will be later to lead him to acceptance of ,christ4 ,though there comes a great spiritual awakening in adolescence1 there is at the same time more in the life to oppose the decision for ,christ than in childhood4 ,the ,christian life has not the meaning for him that it will have later on1 spiritual vision is not broad nor deep1 but if the child genuinely loves the ,savior and wants to use his energy for ,him1 he is laying at the ,master's feet all he has now to give1 and if ,christ accepts the gift1 the church ought to accept the giver4 ,there is no greater crime against childhood than to bar the doors to these babes in ,christ1 nor1 assuredly1 can any act bring keener pain to the ,passionate ,lover of little children1 who said1 ,let them come unto me1 and forbid them not4 ,,application ,,to ,,sunday ,,school ,,work ,perhaps a resume of the conditions which the ,sunday ,school must meet in this period will make the situation more definite4 ,the child is increasingly independent and outspoken1 but easily won by love and confidence4 ,he responds to responsibility1 craves recognition1 glories in show and regalia1 wants to know the truth about things4 ,he is a hero worshipper1 abounds with energy and considers it his inalienable right to have fun with his chums4 ,he devours books and magazines1 retains what he reads and memorizes as never before4 ,he is forming habits of life4 ,he ought to be a sincere child ,christian before he leaves the ,junior department4 ,manifestly1 in dealing with this period1 the problem of nurture must find a large part of its solution in the teacher himself4 ,three things must be vitally true of the one holding this responsible office3 first1 an abiding touch with ,god that shall mean ,divine wisdom1 moment by moment1 for the exegencies of ,junior work far outnumber the tread mill experiences2 second1 an understanding of and genuine sympathy with the life of the children2 third1 a personality that shall meet the conditions of hero worship4 ,some day the church will give to every boys' class1 in this and succeeding periods1 a trained ,christian man to be hero first1 and then teacher1 for no boy aspires to be like a woman1 no matter how much he may love her4 ,but1 though a woman may not reach up to a boy's ideals along physical lines1 nor should she attempt it1 there is abundant opportunity through outings1 tramps1 picnics and genuine interest in their sports to touch even that side of the life of both boys and girls4 ,the social needs must be met through frequent class and department gatherings1 preferably in the homes1 for the habit of reverence in ,god's house will receive almost fatal counteraction in the average social gathering of this age held in the church4 ,organizations like the ,knights of ,king ,arthur1 for boys1 and the ,sunshine ,club1 for girls1 are to be highly commended because of their social features1 their appeal to the love of uniform1 password and secrets1 to hero worship and to activity through the ideals of life and service they make concrete and alluring4 ,discipline of these independent1 outspoken boys and girls is easy if the teacher will only lay hold of the heart instead of the coat collar1 but1 alas1 the latter method takes less time4 ,the world holds nothing truer and sweeter than the love of a child at this age1 free as it is from all affectation and policy1 and it is there in every heart1 awaiting the touch of the teacher who can find the hidden spring4 ,the contact on ,sunday is not sufficient1 however1 to reveal it4 ,the child must know through the letter1 the call1 the invitation to the teacher's home1 the loving sympathy in his life and interests that the teacher wants him1 not his ,golden ,text and offering1 and in this knowledge the magic spring is found4 ,besides the social life1 the teacher should feel a responsibility in regard to what the children are reading4 ,papers like the ,youth's ,companion circulated among the members1 suggestions as to books in the ,sunday ,school or public library1 books loaned to the children and questions as to their reading may save many a soul from the slimy trail of the serpent coiled in the dime novel4 ,a few suggestions may be added relative to the work in the ,school itself4 ,,place ,the ,juniors should have a separate department and place1 for their work is distinct in character and methods from the ,primary and ,intermediate departments4 ,maps and charts should be added to the equipment1 individual and personally owned ,bibles1 and where they can be had1 tables for each class4 ,,organization ,for two important reasons the department should be divided into classes and the teaching done by the teachers1 presupposing they have risen to their privilege and are trained4 ,first1 the week-day shepherding becomes an increasingly serious matter as the child is broadening in his relationships1 and no superintendent can give it alone4 ,second1 the recitation must give large opportunity for individual work on the part of the pupil during the lesson1 and this is impossible in a department taught as a whole4 ,,program ,the program should give prominence to supplemental work taught largely through drills1 including--during the ,golden ,memory ,period--the ,books of the ,bible1 passages1 chapters1 facts concerning the ,bible and training in its use1 geography of the ,holy ,land1 the catechism where used and the hymns of the church4 ,public recognition in badges1 certificates and roll of honor will aid in securing the desired work along this and other lines4 ,systematic and careful training in habits of ,christian service ranks with the lesson in importance4 ,responsibilities in various committees through the week may be used to strengthen habits and utilize energy4 ,missionary heroes should be made as familiar to the children as their own personal friends1 and there should be regular contributions to definite objects1 not abstractions like ,missions or ,benevolences4 ,music of a martial type is greatly enjoyed by the children1 also that suggesting action1 but never the meditative1 introspective sort4 ,great care should be taken to guard the voices from overstrain in loud singing1 as irreparable damage may be done for all time to come4 ,,the ,,lesson ,the ,junior lesson should be prepared to meet the children's interest in facts and love of a hero4 ,they are not ready yet for truth in the abstract--it must be seen in a person4 ,instead of the story1 as in the ,primary class1 there must be a mingling of vivid word pictures by the teacher and question and answer4 ,the children should not be told to study the lesson1 for they do not know how1 but rather have assigned to them one definite thing to prepare for the recitation4 ,make use of their love of reading in this connection4 ,use energy and hold attention by means of pad and pencil1 written answers in the books they are making on the current lessons1 map drawing1 looking up references and a stereoscope if possible4 ,time before the session and in the social gatherings of the class can be most fascinatingly and profitably used in making pulp and sand maps and models of ,oriental objects4 ,toward the latter part of this period1 a questioning in regard to ,divine things may come1 but a questioning unmixed with the doubt of later years4 ,and when ,he was twelve years old1 444 they found ,him in the temple1 sitting in the midst of the doctors1 both hearing them and asking them questions4 ,with this desire to know reasons for belief comes the teacher's golden opportunity for strengthening the foundations of faith through history and the testimony of ancient monuments1 where it can be adduced1 through experience and through ,god's ,word itself4 ,may nurture be so true to ,god and the life that the child shall leave his childhood and face the dawn of manhood as that ,one of old with the eager heart and heavenly vision1 ,wist ye not that ,i must be about my ,father's business8 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,adolescence ,between the quiet unfolding of childhood and the full development of maturity1 there lies a period so fraught with danger and so filled with opportunity1 that it is rightly considered life's crisis4 ,a mistake at this point is more disastrous than at any other1 while wisdom in dealing with the soul never has such rich reward4 ,in a general way1 this period1 known as ,adolescence1 extends with boys from about twelve to twenty-four1 and with girls from about eleven to twenty-one1 or from the beginning of manhood and womanhood to full maturing4 ,a study of the conditions that obtain during these years clearly reveals the reason for their crucial character4 #a4 ,it is an awakening time of new possibilities1 physical1 mental1 moral and spiritual4 ,we are already familiar with the peril and opportunity that attend the first stages of any development1 because the future direction and strength of the possibility are then so largely determined4 ,when we realize that the highest possibilities of the soul1 as well as some of the lowest1 are now unfolding1 the gravity of the period is apparent4 ,the changes that come with the soul's awakening are so great1 that often the youth becomes a stranger to those who know him best4 ,ideals1 ambitions1 feelings1 thoughts and power only dimly1 if ever1 recognized in childhood take possession of the life4 ,a new conception of ,god is born and a larger sense of responsibility to ,him1 to the neighbor and to the world4 ,in these awakening possibilities are heard the siren voices of passion1 society1 wealth and fame and the clear call of self-sacrifice and duty1 and the soul is bewildered1 not knowing which to heed4 ,surely nurture is needed1 for the choices of ,adolescence are in all probability the choices of eternity4 #b4 ,these are the years of the greatest susceptibility to influence4 ,everything that comes to the life now has an impelling force that it did not have in childhood4 ,life is in a state of unstable equilibrium1 and a touch may move it4 ,the influence of one book1 of one friend1 of one hasty word of criticism or passing word of encouragement may determine the future of a soul4 #c4 ,during this period habits become permanent4 ,the pathways traced through childhood and adolescence become settled1 the cells gradually lose power to change1 and by the close of ,adolescence1 character is practically determined1 unless a ,divine power makes all things new4 #d4 ,the influence of heredity is strongly felt during the early part of ,adolescence4 ,a child may be defrauded of his inheritance in stocks and bonds and estates1 but the bequest of tendencies to which his parents and grandparents and the long line back have made him heir1 can not be diverted4 ,there is danger of over-emphasizing the doctrine of heredity and lessening the sense of personal responsibility for conduct4 ,there is also danger of minimizing it1 and consequently failing to give the help that many a life needs in its effort to overcome an evil inheritance4 ,heredity means simply a pull upon the life in a certain direction1 because of the way those before have lived4 ,it is easier to climb upward1 if the hands of twenty generations are reached down from the heights to help1 than as if they reached up from below to drag down4 ,but whatever the inherited tendencies1 any life may have the antithetic heredity1 which is a part of its glorious inheritance in ,jesus ,christ4 #e4 ,this period contains the largest number of first commitments for crime4 ,three coincident facts demand serious and careful consideration4 ,first4 ,the greatest number of first commitments occur from twelve to sixteen4 ,second4 ,the greatest spiritual awakenings occur between twelve and sixteen4 ,third4 ,girls are most susceptible to influence for good or evil between eleven to seventeen1 with the climax about fourteen1 and boys from twelve to nineteen1 with the climax about sixteen4 ,is not the work of nurture plain8 #f4 ,during the early part of this period1 by far the heaviest losses from church and ,sunday ,school occur4 ,while thy servant was busy here and there1 he was gone4 ,who was gone8 ,a soul in its crisis1 making eternal choices1 easily influenced by a word1 a look or a touch1 in the grip of fierce temptations1 but catching sight of ,divine possibilities1 needing help as at no time before or later1 this is the soul that slipped away1 in all probability1 not to be brought back4 ,you who let it slip1 ,how will you go up to your ,father and the lad be not with you8 ,in turning to a more detailed consideration of ,adolescence1 we find the wealth of material so far exceeding the limitations of our space1 that the study must be selective1 not analytic4 ,only those conditions in the life1 therefore1 which seem most imperative in their demands upon nurture will be chosen for discussion4 ,,early ,,adolescence ,the first period of ,adolescence covers about four years1 approximately from twelve to sixteen with boys and eleven to fifteen with girls1 and is perhaps the most trying of all to deal with4 ,the crisis in these years is a physical one1 arising in connection with the functioning of new physical powers4 ,coincident with this the passions are born1 bringing to many lives the severest of temptations4 ,if ever a close intimacy is needed between father and son and mother and daughter1 it is at this time of mystery and question1 when the life does not understand itself nor the meaning of what ,god now gives it4 ,the sacred confidence between parent and child is infinitely better than the best intended book upon the subject1 which arouses further curiosity and kindles the imagination4 ,when the home fails in nurture at this point1 the ,sunday ,school teacher must earnestly consider what of responsibility falls upon him4 ,the rapid physical growth of these years is often accompanied by awkwardness1 due to the fact that the muscles are developing faster than the bones1 making delicate adjustment impossible4 ,there is painful sensitiveness over this1 especially with boys1 as hands and feet must be in the open1 and they will easily construe any criticism or ridicule into a desire to be rid of their presence4 444 ,and what if their feet1 ,sent out of houses1 sent into the street1 ,should step round the corner and pause at the door ,where other boys' feet have paused often before2 ,should pass through the gateway of glittering light1 ,where jokes that are merry and songs that are bright ,ring out a warm welcome with flattering voice1 ,and temptingly say1 ',here's a place for the boys6' ,ah1 what if they should6 ,what if your boy or mine ,should cross o'er the threshold which marks out the line ',twixt virtue and vice1 'twixt pureness and sin1 ,and leave all his innocent boyhood within8 ,ah1 what if they should1 because you and ,i1 ,while the days and the months and the years hurry by1 ,are too busy with cares and with life's fleeting toys ,to make round our hearthstone a place for the boys4 ,there is a sense of pressure and nervous excitement throughout the whole life1 for the invoice of energy is not exhausted4 ,athletics afford physical relief1 and slang1 which is at its height from about thirteen to fifteen1 offers somewhat of an emotional safety-valve4 ,experiences are never commonplace during this period1 nor any individual ordinary4 ,the strongest superlatives and most extravagant metaphors will scarcely do a situation adequate justice1 but nurture can afford to be patient1 for this1 too1 will pass1 and of itself1 as life grows calmer4 ,the feverish excitement is not at all to the distaste of the adolescent but1 on the contrary1 he courts it4 ,the reading craze is at its height in this period1 and books which give thrills are sought by both boys and girls4 ,there is increasing necessity of wise oversight in the choice of reading when the mind is so inflammable and easily led1 and the fact that a book is on the shelf of the ,sunday ,school library is unhappily not always a guarantee against the need of further parental inspection4 ,the abounding energy of this period1 when brought into conjunction with the enlarged vision of life1 often gives rise to a restlessness and desire1 to leave school and go to work4 ,this is augmented by the new money sense1 which is strong about the age of fourteen1 and leads to an effort to secure money to save as well as to spend4 ,this desire ought to be met by a regular allowance or an opportunity for earning a stipulated sum4 ,its neglect is often the explanation for the breaking open of ,sunday ,school banks or theft from household funds4 ,but even the satisfying of this desire will not allay restlessness1 and many a school-room seat becomes vacant in the early teens4 ,if1 instead of the harsh measures so often used1 the boy could know he had not only the loving sympathy but also the pride of his parents in this harbinger of approaching manhood2 if1 in place of force1 he were given choice1 after all the considerations had been carefully weighed2 if he could feel the confidence of father and mother that he would do the manly thing because he is almost a man1 he would rarely fail to meet the issue1 for at no time in life will a human being respond so heartily if treated by older and wise people as if he were an equal4 ,the result will be not only renewed zest in the erstwhile hated task1 but a new bond between parents and son that will help to hold him true when greater crises come4 ,the strong appeal that sympathy and consideration now make to the adolescent is due to the new consciousness of self that has come to the life4 ,it has many manifestations4 ,there is a welcome external one that is evident in care for the personal appearance4 ,the days of maternal solicitude for linen and ears come to an end in this period1 and it is well1 for the new standard of correctness is so high as to be unattainable by any one save the individual himself4 ,a new sense of pride in one's family and position appears1 and an aristocracy based on the accidents of birth succeeds the democracy of childhood4 ,the girl who was sincerely thankful that she was not as others and assumed ,pharisaic superiority because she had been born a ,republican1 an ,allopath and1 crown of all1 a ,baptist1 lived in this period some years ago4 ,this consciousness of self and of approaching manhood and womanhood tends to make the life independent1 and any attempt to treat a child at ,adolescence as an inferior is instantly fatal to good discipline4 ,in this super-sensitive state1 a public reproof1 even in the home circle1 carries with it humiliation beyond expression1 and inevitably arouses resentment and not penitence4 ,at no time in life does a word of encouragement mean so much1 or criticism leave such an ineffaceable scar4 ,if those who touch a life through its unfolding only realized that what they sow of gentleness and consideration or of harshness and neglect when that life is defenceless and they are strong will be reaped when they in turn are without recourse and the child has become a man1 would there not be more tenderness and love in some homes8 ,for with the same measure that ye mete1 withal1 it shall be measured to you again4 ,another condition of great import to nurture appears in the increasing power of the social feelings over the life4 ,society begins to fascinate1 and the problem of a ,high ,school education is complicated with the problem of secret societies and school dances4 ,friends are chosen not so much for real worth as for clothes1 position1 attractive features or1 where there is no interchange of confidences between parents and children1 for sympathetic understanding4 ,the longing for companionship is ,god given and must be fostered1 else the youth will enter maturity a recluse and self-occupied1 but nurture must carefully deal with it while life is in a state of flux4 ,the only course to be at all considered is a substitutive1 not prohibitory one1 giving opportunity for social intercourse under proper conditions4 ,the development of the affectional side of the life during this period must be briefly noted4 ,hero love and worship are more passionate than before4 ,the object of admiration is usually some one outside of the home1 often a favorite teacher who understands the heart of a boy and a girl4 ,the patterning of the life after its ideal is most seriously undertaken1 even to imitation of personal mannerisms4 ,the privilege and responsibility of being the lode star of an unresisting1 unpoised life is tremendous1 for this influence overpowers all others at the time4 ,strange manifestations of that which will later be love1 holy and beautiful1 between man and woman characterize these years4 ,at first there is a mutual repulsion between the sexes4 ,the boys are so rough and horrid1 and as for the girls--the masculine sentiment concerning them was voiced by one young cavalier in the words1 ,oh1 mush6 when his ,sunday ,school class was asked if they would like to invite their lady friends to the coming class party4 ,but this stage does not continue1 and soon nurture must deal with notes written by foolish maidens and the first glamour of the great passion1 sicklied o'er with callowness and sentimentality4 ,there is no more perplexing problem in ,adolescence than how to handle wisely this vernal manifestation of love4 ,blessed is the home where there are congenial and sympathetic brothers and sisters1 and wholesome and absorbing occupations4 ,it is the vacuous1 roaming soul which is a prey to the multi-temptations of this period4 ,if the tastes and wishes of the young people can be satisfied in the home1 and a hearty and natural companionship of the sexes be welcomed in this healthy environment1 nurture will be bringing sanest measures to bear upon the situation4 ,against this complex background1 the necessity of a personal acquaintance with the ,lord ,jesus ,christ stands out in startling relief4 ,though ,god comes to a soul in a marked way during ,adolescence1 nurture is taking a dangerous and often fatal risk in allowing life1 as far as human effort can go1 to enter its crisis without ,him4 ,the spiritual awakening of this period 7to be considered in the succeeding chapter7 would seem to be ,god's call to larger service1 rather than ,his first summons to ,follow ,me4 ,with the ,master's authority to let the children come1 and with every condition in child life ,god prepared for their coming1 there is no tenable position but belief that our ,father meant every life to enter its period of storm and stress1 in step with ,jesus ,christ4 ,,application ,,to ,,sunday ,,school ,,work ,sunday ,school work during ,adolescence and maturity lays less emphasis upon methods and equipment than in the earlier periods1 and more emphasis on the personal relation between teacher and pupil4 ,for this reason the preceding study1 in so far as it interprets the lives of the boys and girls1 applies directly to ,sunday ,school work1 for a sympathetic understanding is the key to the relationship4 ,there is no greater blessing that can come to a boy 7or girl7 at this age when he does not understand himself1 than a good1 strong teacher who understands him1 has faith in him1 and will day by day lead him till he can walk alone4 ,far more than a pedagogue1 the adolescent needs a friend in his ,sunday ,school teacher1 who shares his ambitions1 knows his temptations1 sympathizes with his successes and failures and1 through it all1 trusts him4 ,this understanding and confidence1 made long-suffering and tender by the love that never fails1 will be a binding cord that can not be broken even by the most restless1 wayward life4 ,because of the close relationship to be sought between teacher and pupil1 other things being equal1 it is wise for a class of boys to be taught by a man1 and girls by a woman4 ,the counsel of one who has passed through the same experiences and known the same temptations and difficulties always comes with especial helpfulness4 ,but the question of sex is not as vital as that of sympathy1 nor the manner of previous experience as the manner of present love4 ,the new consciousness of distinction will make the class work difficult1 if there is any marked difference in the social standing of its members4 ,the leader must be won to the right attitude in private1 the appeal being based on personal feeling for the teacher and on the new ideals of relationship to others1 which are beginning to take form4 ,an organization of the class in this and succeeding periods is necessary for the best work4 ,it should place definite responsibilities upon each member1 either as officer or committee-man1 for habits of ,christian service must be solicitously nurtured during these days4 ,frequent social gatherings are very important4 ,this is the age when the young people begin to think that1 a ,christian can not have any fun1 and it rests with the church and ,sunday ,school to prove to them the contrary4 ,the only convincing proof is in experiencing the fact itself that the best times have a religious association1 therefore a class party should be as carefully and as prayerfully planned as a ,sunday ,school lesson4 ,as these years are included in the ,golden ,memory-period1 supplemental work of more advanced type should be continued4 ,note books are helpful in amplifying and impressing the lesson1 and brief essays upon pertinent topics add interest4 ,the teaching itself must deal more and more with the relationships of life4 ,to the majority of young people1 the ,bible belongs to an uncertain and remote past4 ,the goal of work in these unsettled years is to help them see how the ,book solves all problems of present-day living1 and how ,jesus ,christ meets every personal need of the life4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,middle ,,and ,,late ,,adolescence ,the crisis of adolescence may be said to culminate about the years from fifteen to seventeen with girls1 and sixteen to eighteen with boys1 or the period of ,middle ,adolescence4 ,during these years the feelings and the imagination are a great storm center1 largely because of the rapid development of the altruistic feelings1 and the enlarged conception of life with the new ideals it has given4 ,divine ,wisdom in the order of the soul's unfolding can be seen nowhere more clearly than in connection with the growth of responsibility for another4 ,there must first be the self feelings in the little child1 to help him learn his own individuality4 ,when that knowledge comes1 his life must be related to other lives1 hence the social feelings awaken1 yet it is for his personal pleasure that contact with others is sought4 ,but ,god's plan for a life does not leave it self centered1 and under ,his touch through these lives a sense of responsibility toward them begins to be felt1 and the realization comes that ,no man liveth unto himself4 ,ideals which make the good of others first1 enter into conflict with childish ideals which made personal gain first4 ,a new impulse to forget self in loving service confronts the old self seeking and self love4 ,then the truth that ,no man can serve two masters1 fastens itself upon the soul and decision waits between self and selflessness4 ,in a struggle that often shakes a life to its foundations1 the great choice is made and the soul yields itself servant to obey4 ,though a reversal of either choice is possible1 it rarely occurs4 ,this decision usually determines destiny4 ,a new meaning and value in early nurture is revealed in the light of this struggle4 ,if love for ,jesus ,christ has grown through the years in the heart of the child and the youth1 a decision that means fuller allegiance to ,him and greater blessing to the world is assured4 ,if also during these years nurture has traced pathways of service1 as an expression of child love to ,god and to others1 habit adds the influence of its tendencies to the choice of ministering life1 and offers channels already prepared for the outflow of sacrificial love4 ,the years preceding have not been utterly devoid of altruistic feeling1 but adolescence presents marked difference in its manifestation1 other than that of intensity4 ,in early life1 the willingness to consider others before self was usually aroused through the influence of some one else2 now the longing and constraint is within the individual himself4 ,again1 in childhood1 these feelings were called out only by some definite1 concrete object2 now they are stimulated by great ideas as well4 ,patriotism1 humanity1 suffering1 duty1 art and science have power to kindle flame on the altar of sacrifice4 ,the more difficult the task suggested1 the greater the power of its wooing4 ,it is doubtful whether any ,christian life ever passes through this period without considering the ministry or the mission field1 or whether every life does not at some moment long to go in quest of a ,holy ,grail4 ,the issues growing out of this crisis are too momentous to leave with even the wisest human nurture4 ,god ,himself must deal with the soul face to face1 and lead it to this higher love and complete surrender4 ,in early years ,he revealed ,himself as ,creator1 ,heavenly ,father and ,friend to the loving1 trusting heart of the little child4 ,now the time has come to make ,his glory pass before the soul4 ,the marvels of creation in ,nature1 in constellation and atom1 the infinities of eternity and space1 the mysteries of life and death1 ,his own holiness and justice and all the attributes of ,his matchless character1 the unspeakable love that gave a ,bethlehem and a ,calvary to a sin sick race are revealed in new light and meaning1 and the revelation is overwhelming4 ,existence that had been accepted without question now becomes complex and baffling4 ,god is no longer the gentle ,lover and strong ,protector of childhood days1 but the great ,i ,,am1 and in the terrible crystal of ,his presence the soul is prostrate4 ,with deep1 added meaning the ,cross stands out4 ,its message of salvation1 not only to this soul conscious of its need1 but to a sinning world1 is heard anew2 but with it comes the voice of the crucified and risen ,lord1 ,if any man will come after ,me1 let him deny himself1 and take up his cross and follow ,me4 ,the answer cannot be returned in emotional love4 ,it must be the love of all the heart1 soul1 mind and strength1 born in self surrender4 ,if this be the soul's response1 the final triumph and glory of the life of self losing is pledged1 not in the fluctuating efforts of a human will1 but in the changeless strength of the ,son of ,god4 ,it is not to be wondered at that when a soul is in the throes of such experiences as these1 it is a time of storm and stress4 ,yet often the struggle is carried on alone1 in silence1 for life becomes secretive4 ,the open frankness of childhood is gone1 and only to one in close sympathy will thoughts and feelings which sound foundation depths be revealed4 ,it does not at all follow that because there is a physical tie between two lives1 that there will be union of spirit in this time of need4 ,the tragedy of so many homes is disclosed in the distance between father and son1 and mother and daughter1 that has widened almost imperceptibly through the years from lack of sympathy and confidence4 ,this close relationship which admits to the ,holy ,place of the soul in its crisis cannot be lightly cast away1 and as easily renewed at will4 ,it is a growth of the years1 to be nurtured patiently1 prayerfully1 watchfully1 steadily4 ,a guest in the home of a busy physician noted the peculiarly tender and close relationship which existed between the father and his son1 a splendid boy of about ten years of age4 ,in answer to her comment upon it1 the father said with moist eyes1 ,we are very close to one another4 ,i know there is a time coming in his life when he will need a father as he has never needed him before1 and ,i mean to be ready4 ,i never take a long drive in the country1 that ,i do not have him excused from school to go with me4 ,he wants to be a surgeon1 so whenever ,i have to perform an operation1 ,i always have him help me in some way4 ,up to this time there is nothing that weighs for a minute with him over against an opportunity to be with me1 and ,i am trying to keep his life so close to mine that nothing can ever come between us4 ,when that boy reaches his crisis and life closes up1 his father will be shut inside with him4 ,is there any question as to the outcome1 with a father and a father's ,god within8 ,if1 in the busy cares of life1 the intimacy that ,god intended in the home has been lost1 it may be found again if the price of its recovery be paid1 but it is often a dear price1 payable in the coin of self humiliation1 sacrifice and tears4 ,the need of this close touch with another is apparent in the unspeakable longing of the adolescent heart for understanding and sympathy1 for appreciation and recognition1 for help in choosing the life work1 and for love that is patient and deep4 ,perhaps the greatest longing of all is to be trusted1 to feel the strong grip of a hand and hear a voice vibrant with encouragement and assurance say1 ,i know you can do it4 ,if the greatest successes in reformatory work come today through loving confidence in the one who has started wrong1 who can measure the energizing power of such confidence in a life already striving toward the best8 ,the pathetic side of this craving for confidence appears in the distrust of self which is almost universal at times during these years4 ,a great wave of ambition and enthusiasm will sweep over the soul1 and nothing seems too great to be attained1 nor any obstacles unsurmountable4 ,as suddenly it will recede1 the ideals become impossible1 the individual but an atom in ,god's great universe1 the sky grows gray and hope dies out4 ,in the vacillation between energy and indifference1 enthusiasm and apathy1 self loving and self hating1 goodness and badness1 confidence and despair1 the ebb and flow of the tide in the soul is revealed to understanding eyes4 ,for this fluctuation of purpose and failure to reach its high ideals1 stern sentence is passed at the inner bar of judgment1 and though the censure of another is resented1 the soul bears great scars of flagellation1 self inflicted4 ,the standard of measurement by which the life tests itself and others is a new consciousness that there is absolute right and absolute wrong apart from all external coverings4 ,the statements of others are examined1 their actions are stripped of all veneer1 profession and practice are balanced1 and death sentence is passed upon the influence of any life that fails to meet the test4 ,the compassion that remembers that we are but dust has no place in the heart as yet4 ,suffering will call out sympathy1 but not failure to reach the mark4 ,a life must ring true to ,god1 true to its fellow men and true to the ideals conceived as belonging to it by these self-appointed judges1 if it is to be of any help to them4 ,it is therefore not a question whether the professing ,christian1 be he parent1 teacher or church member1 can indulge in doubtful amusements or uncertain practices without injury to himself4 ,it is rather1 ,are these things included in the ideal of a ,christian life1 as it is held by those whom ,i want to touch8 ,if they who bear the name of ,christ exemplified more completely the ideals by which they are measured1 would there be so many who question the reality of divine things8 ,it is during the closing period of ,adolescence1 ending with young men about twenty-four and with young women about twenty-one1 that doubt most frequently appears4 ,it comes rather as a questioning and bewilderment to the ,christian1 and scepticism to the one who has had no experience of divine things4 ,spiritual truth is not accepted because another has said it is so1 but each desires to know for himself the foundation upon which he stands1 that he may have a reason for the hope that is in him4 ,investigation seems to show that at least two out of three pass through this period of intellectual unrest1 young men being in the majority4 ,many causes contribute to this condition1 but chief among them is the maturing strength of reason and will4 ,the new power to think ,god's thoughts after ,him1 to trace cause and effect1 to understand subtle relationships1 intoxicates the soul4 ,everywhere in the world around1 the pre-eminence of reason is acknowledged4 ,the atmosphere of the university and the college which surrounds the favored young men and women is an atmosphere of scientific accuracy1 where reason applies the tests4 ,the world of business1 of finance and of statecraft all bow to reason1--why not the spiritual world1 and then by searching1 the soul attempts to find out ,god4 ,as in the wisdom of ,god divine things do not yield up their treasures in intellectual investigation but in revelation1 the thick darkness gathers4 ,even that which had been once known by faith seems strange and unreal from this new view point4 ,it is a critical time for a soul when it is learning that in one realm reason does not go before1 but faith4 ,any harshness or lack of sympathy on the part of another or evident disappointment in the life is very serious at this point4 ,the will asserts itself under such measures and from the pliant attitude1 ,i cannot believe what ,i cannot explain1 it takes the defiant attitude1 ,i will not believe what ,i cannot explain4 ,the marvelous dealing of our ,lord with ,thomas is a picture of ,his gracious dealing with every doubting heart1 and ought to be the perpetual model for every one who attempts to give help at this time4 ,when the ,master stood before that disciple who said he would not believe unless he had the indubitable proof of a physical testing1 ,he spoke no words of censure1 no words of ,his pain that ,thomas had been so long time with ,him and yet did not know ,him in faith4 ,jesus said1 ',peace be unto you4 ,reach hither thy finger1 and see ,my hands1 and reach thither thy hand and put it into ,my side and be not faithless but believing1' and ,thomas answered and said unto ,him1 ',my ,lord and my ,god6' ,with like patience and infinite tenderness1 the ,spirit deals with the troubled heart today4 ,he makes the past days with ,god live again in memory1 if the life has known ,him1 and the soul can not deny in its reason the reality of what it has lived through in its experience4 ,he uses every ,christian life that can bear the search light as an irrefutable argument of the verity of the unseen4 ,he brings the peace of ,god that passeth understanding1 yet fills and thrills the soul as every service for ,him is rendered even in the darkness4 ,he calls through hard experience where reason can bring no comfort and the will is palsied1 through the abiding unrest and longing of a heart that is feeling after ,god in its own way1 instead of ,his1 and through the drawing of childhood habits of love and trust4 ,when at last1 spent out with struggle and longing1 the soul is willing to come back to the ,heavenly ,father as the little child who used to be1 asking only to walk hand in ,his1 in dark or light1 a new consciousness dawns1 clear1 sure and absolute that1 ,thus saith the ,lord1 is more than reason1 and the triumphant song rings out1 ,i know whom ,i have believed1 ,my ,lord and ,my ,god6 ,,application ,,to ,,sunday ,,school ,,work ,the ,sunday ,school touches a life just entering maturity at the focal point toward which all nurture has been tending4 ,enriched by years of absorption1 with ideals defined and channels of expression traced1 the soul faces an open door1 bearing the inscript ,service4 ,it is that each soul may enter the door and give back to a waiting world its best1 that nurture has brooded and guarded through the years4 ,the great work of the ,sunday ,school is to impel the soul to take this step1 and taking it1 say1 ,i am debtor4 ,this can not be done through any system of methods1 neither are narrow interests or unexacting tasks sufficient to arouse all that the soul has now to give4 ,the great sweep and mighty force of world movements are alone adequate for a soul in touch with ,god and infinities4 ,there has never been a time in the history of ,sunday ,school work when there were such far reaching1 thrilling movements through which to appeal to manhood and womanhood as at the present time1 and ,god's ,hand is not hidden in the matter4 ,the ,adult ,bible ,class movement1 enlisting the greatest company of thinking men and women ever gathered for the study of the ,word1 is a call to open loyalty to the ,book and to the church1 that is winning recruits by the thousands4 ,the great ,teacher ,training movement1 with its exacting standards and high ideals of preparation1 is leading the choicest young people to seek the holy service of teaching4 ,the world encircling ,missionary movements1 the definite plan to give the gospel to every man1 woman and child in this generation1 the marvellous ingatherings already reported from the foreign field1 the unparalleled opportunities to make richest investment of life in the waking ,orient1 these arouse the enthusiasm and conviction which issue in prayers and gifts and pledge of ,student ,volunteers4 ,in our own land1 the ethical awakening with its triumphs for ,temperance and civic righteousness1 the great conventions and conferences held for the ,kingdom1 the sweeping evangelistic campaigns with their trophies for ,christ1 and the new life stirring in the church1 movements all1 ,god initiated1 ,god directed1 throbbing with ,his ,almighty power and revealing the oncoming of ,his triumph1 these give the challenge and the inspiration to men and women1 and response is coming in ever swelling volume1 ,here am ,i1 send me6 ,it is the crowning mission of the ,sunday ,school to relate these great interests to individual lives1 and interpret for them the meaning in terms of love and service4 ,to whom shall the task be given8 ,to the teacher of transparent life1 who can hold the world and the one in his heart1 who can read the signs of the times and the signs of the soul1 and who has nurtured with the ,divine ,one through the years1 to him shall be given ,god's crowning task with an ,unfolding ,life4