Part 14

Christianity is a social condition. In our present degree of social progress, we produce by our specialised co-ordinate activities that safe and comfortable material environment, those comparatively developed virtues which we call "civilisation." But, in applying this common product to the advancement of the child,--which is our best and quickest way to incorporate progress in the race itself,--we allow the incapacity of the individual parent to limit the child's advantages. We deny to the child the conditions necessary to his best development, unless his particular father is able to provide them. Our theory here is that the father would not work so hard if the State provided for his child; some thinkers combating even the public school and public library on this ground. This is an outworn economic fallacy. The inferior father cannot work beyond a certain grade because he has not the capacity; and, if the child has only the advantages the inferior father can provide for him, he grows up to be another inferior father and low-grade worker. The most deadly result of this foolish neglect of the young citizen is seen in the ensuing action of the biological law, "Reproduction is in inverse proportion to specialisation." Because we leave the child to grow up unspecialised, untrained, save for the puny efforts of his single low-grade parent, therefore he, in turn, helps fill the world with very numerous and very inferior progeny.

We are hampered by the rapid reproduction of the very lowest classes of society, weighted down by their defects and limitations, forced to wait--the most advanced of us--for the great rear-guard of the population. We must wait because a society is alive, and includes all its members. It cannot outstrip its own inferior parts, however neglected and behindhand they may be. And their numbers--_numbers resultant from their low condition_--complicate the problem hopelessly. That is, hopelessly on this old fallacious notion that the child can have no help from all the strong, rich world, save what his father and mother can filter through their personal limitations. We are beginning to change this by our efforts at free public education. We shall change it more and more as we grow consciously awake to our true social responsibility to the child.

We cannot afford to have one citizen grow up below the standards of common comfort, health, and general education. To the scared cry, "But, if you take the responsibility off these people, they will simply flood the world with wretched babies!" comes the answer of natural law, "Improve the individual, and you check this crude fecundity." It is because they are neglected and inferior that they have so many children. Make higher-class people of the children, and you check this constant influx of low-grade life, and gradually introduce a better-born population.

When the wise, beneficent parental love of Human Society for its young really does its duty, tenderly removing obstructions from the path of all our little ones, we shall give to them those common human advantages without which they cannot grow to the happiness which is their right, the usefulness which is their duty. All parents who are able to do more for their children would be free to do so, as those who can afford private schools, or educate their little ones at home, are not compelled to send them to the public schools.

As now society provides the school for the young citizen, on the ground of public advantage, without regard to the inability of the parent, so we must learn to provide a far richer and more complete education, and all else that the parent falls short in, because it is necessary for the good of society, and because we love our children.

Index.

Absence of mind, 54.

"Acquired traits not transmissible," 9. experiments with guinea-pigs, 11.

Action, bodily, directed by mental processes, 57.

Adult, our houses built only for the, 121.

Age, the presumption of, 156. not necessarily superiority, 159.

Aged persons, cause of the respect and care for, 160.

Ambition of youth a force to lift mankind, the, 23.

American Revolution, the, mentioned, 35.

Animal mother, the authority of the, 42.

Animals, obedience in, 29.

Arbitrary punishment, effect on the moral sense of, 84.

Authority of the animal mother, the, 42. effect of, coming between the mind and action of the child, 60.

Babies confided to the care of lower races, 134.

Baby, impressions of a, 49. considered as a plaything, 175. our disrespectful treatment of the, 171. often neglected mind-growth of the, 250.

Baby-garden, a public, 124. example of the advantages of a, 139. a private, 125.

Babyhood, education not thought of in connection with, 135.

Bible, the, 114.

Biological advantage of a longer period of immaturity, the, 18. law of reproduction, 296.

Bodily action directed by mental processes, 57.

Boston, 289.

Brain, effect of obedience on the, 41. training of children, the, 46. the office of the, 47. in early forms of life, 48. function of the child, 49. improvement, progress of humanity made through, 149.

Breakfast, unpunctuality at, 149.

Bushmen, the, 293.

Callous child, treatment of the, 92.

Casabianca, 30.

Census Report, United States, 233.

Character, comparatively small progress in the human, 251. development of, assisted by right education, 252.

Chastity, the virtue of, 26.

Child, importance of the first fifteen years of the life of the, 21. exercise of the will of the, in games, 22. trained to obey, 31. reasons why obedience is demanded from the, 37. brain function of the, 49. the, should be trained to presence of mind, 55. advantage taken of the credulity of the, 56. what the, feels and thinks ignored, 57. the mind of the, 57. effect of authority coming between the mind and action of the, 60. culture of the, 63. table manners, teaching the, 63. early impressions of a, 77. result of the deed of a, dependent upon parental knowledge, 82. the naughty, 90. a group of growing faculties, 90. treatment of the callous, 92. games, the daily lessons of the, 108. teaching generosity to the, 109. delicacy of perception of the, weakened by false impressions, 111. perception in the place of the State of the, 119. mother and, no separation of, 125. treatment of the, at home, 170. attitude of the family towards the, 171. personal rights of the, 174. no excuse for contemptuous treatment of the, 177. necessity for recognising the citizenship of the, 182. treatment at table of the, 183. teaching a, consideration, 187. the need for consideration between mother and, 187. tendency to repetition of a, 191. excessive sacrifice of the mother injurious to the, 193. harmful effect of the mother's sacrificial devotion to the, 197. effect of association with domestic servants on the, 235. influence of surroundings on the, 237. physical conditions of the household a danger to the, 238. duty of the mother to benefit the, 261. relation of the State to the, 278. social responsibility of parents to the, 280. gradual protection by society of the, 292.

Child-culture and house service, the relation between, 233. the study of, 265.

Child-training, obedience in, 36. honesty lacking in, 109.

Childhood, the condition of the brain in, 49. naturally inconsiderate, 91. careless, 93. clumsy, 93. permanence of, as a human status, 119. the status of, 180.

Childish faith, an expression of, 56.

Children, importance of the work of rearing, 37. the most submissive, not the best men, 43. trained to act without understanding, 51. present brain-training of, discouraging to racial advancement, 62. should be practised in reasoning, 68. the punishment of, 74. parents and the punishment of, 75. over-indulgence of, 75. learn before school-age, what, 77. code of ethics among, 87. the injured clothing of, 94. lying to, 102. ethics of, formed from the treatment they receive, 102. open to instruction in ethics, 104. sense of justice in, 105. instruction of, in ethics, 106. the teaching of ethics to, 115. a permanent class, 118. houses not built for, 120. playgrounds for, beginning to appear, 120. in institutions, 124. mortality of, in institutions, 126. expert care for, 127. the care of, not servant's work, 127. trained care for defective, 128. a place for, to play in, 129. a special house for little, 129. the home as a place for, 180. the private nurse not the proper person to have the care of, 132. the mischievousness of, 137. orderly development of the faculties of, 146. travelling parties of, 150. the demands of parents on their, 162. errors of little, not grounds for humour, 172. "impertinence" of, 175. mother's lack of respect for her, 178. the confidence of, not regarded, 179. behaviour of women to, 179. grown people and, 179. discourtesy to, 181. the balance of human rights should be understood by, 188. the questions of, 191. our love for our, 192. benefit of mothers observing other peoples', 204. method of observation of, 206. the effect of the education of, by house-servants, 240. improved environment of, a road to racial improvement, 264. maternal instinct not sufficient to ensure good conditions for, 267. the duty of the State to, 290.

Chinese, the, 12.

Christianity a social condition, 295.

Citizenship of the child, necessity for recognising the, 182.

Civic duties, ignoring of, by women, 154.

Class, children a permanent, 118.

Clothing, children's injured, 94.

Collegiate Alumnæ, the Society of, 289.

Combined motherhood, the possibilities of, 284.

Conduct, all, right or wrong, 107.

Confidence of children not regarded, the, 179.

Conservatism, feminine, 169.

Consideration between mother and child, the need for, 187.

Consideration of others not identical with obedience, 40. teaching a child, 187.

Consistency, the desire for, 58.

Constitution, our inheritance of, 15.

Courage, the virtue of, 27.

Credulity of the child taken advantage of, 56.

Crime, retributive punishment of, 73.

Cruelty to Children, Society for the Prevention of, 75.

Defective children, trained care for, 128.

Development, arrested social, 5. race, and environment, 7. of character assisted by right education, 252.

Discipline, the question of, 70. domestic, 77.

Discourtesy to children, 181.

Discussion between mothers, benefits of, 207.

Doctrine of sacrifice, the, 194.

Domestic discipline, 77. relation, the small change in, 100. Service Bureau, 254.

"Don't Mary," 59.

Education, obedience in human, 29. not thought of in connection with babyhood, 135. advantages of unconscious, 144. nothing too expensive that improves, 150. of children by house-servants, the, 240. development of character assisted by right, 252. better, for the young an imperative need, 253. a social process, 280.

Educational perception, lack of, among mothers, 249.

Emulation, the love of, 23.

Endurance, the virtue of, 26.

Environment and race development, 7.

Eskimo, the, 293.

Ethics, code of, among children, 87. our knowledge of, 97. the cause of our small growth in, 97. and social evolution, 99. influence of religious custom on, 100. children cannot learn, from the treatment they receive, 102. a child open to instruction in, 104. the science of social relation, 105. the instruction of children in, 106. sense of, shown in games, the, 108. self-control one of the first essentials in the practice of, 107. values, long association of, with religious text-books, 114. the teaching of, to children, 115. necessity for the study of practical, 114. necessity for mothers to be grounded in, 116.

Example better than precept, 51.

Experience, 167.

Faith, a childish expression of, 56.

Father, the, awake to the duties of social parentage, 283. the choice of a, 264.

Family, attitude towards the little child of the, 171. -life, primitive mental habits fostered in, 169.

Feminine conservatism, 169.

Foolishness of youth due to our training, 21.

French Revolution, the, 53.

Games, the child's daily lessons, 108. ethical sense shown in, 108.

Generosity, teaching the child, 109.

Girl, reason for the majority of a, at eighteen, 293.

God, Hebrew traditions of, 34.

Goths, the, 61.

Grown people and children, 179.

Habit and tradition, the home the stronghold of, 35.

Hebrew traditions of God, 34.

Home, the, the stronghold of habit and tradition, 35. as a place for children, 130.

Homes, the mother the domestic servant in the majority of, 233.

Honesty lacking in child-training, 110.

Horse-training, 71.

Hottentots, the, 293.

Household, physical conditions of the, a danger to the child, 238. labour, mental capacities developed by, 247. employment of skilled labour for, 276.

Houses not built for children, 120. built for the adult only, 121.

House-service and child-culture, the relation between, 233. qualities developed by, 243.

Housework, few women like, 245.

Human behaviour, the whole scale of, is natural, 256. character, comparatively small progress in the, 251. conduct, the word natural applied to, 257. creature, mental workings of the, 50. a self-governing intelligence, 40. parentage, selfishness of, 178. -parenthood, prolonged, 8. progress, youth the fountain of, 21. rights, children to understand the balance of, 188. status, permanence of childhood as a, 119. stock, improving the, 263. being, the, a social constituent, 19. who does not work contemptible, the, 275.

Humanity, degrees of, 3. to improve, 6. the time to develop the inheritance of, 17. progress of, made through brain improvement, 149.

Humour, errors of the child not grounds for, 172.

Impertinence of children, the, 175.

Immaturity, biological advantage of a longer period of, 18.

Impressions of a baby, the, 49. of a child, early, 77.

Improve, humanity to, 6.

Improvement, race, transmitted, 4. all possible, in the individual to be made before parentage, 21. of the human stock, the, 263.

Individual rights, maintenance of, by the mother, 195.

Individuals, social service must be given by, 20.

Infant mortality shamefully large, 246.

Inheritance of constitution, our, 15.

Intelligence, the human being a self-governing, 40.

Instinct, parental, 177. our dependence on the maternal, 263. maternal, not sufficient to ensure good conditions to children, 267.

Institutions, children in, 124. mortality of children in, 126.

Jesuits, obedience of the, 34.

Justice, sense of, in children, 105.

Knowledge and wisdom, the difference between, 54.

Koran, the, 114.

Labour, the employment of skilled, for household, 276. household, mental capacities developed by, 247.

Law of parental love, the, 177.

Life, the brain in early forms of, 48.

Lifetime, the most important decade of a, 18.

Love for our children, our, 192. the law of parental, 177. open to measurement by results, 192. mother, 193, 197.

Lying to children, 102.

Majority of a girl at eighteen, reason for the, 293.

Man, the distinctive power of, 53.

"Mary Don't," 59.

Maternal instinct, our dependence on the, 263. not sufficient to ensure good conditions for children, 267.

Maternal passion, need for restraint of the, 197.

Maturity, early, a sign of bad social conditions, 294.

Mental capacities developed by household labours, 247. habits, primitive, fostered in family life, 169. workings of the human creature, 50.

Methuselah, 158.

Modification, race, and individual modification, 10.

Moral sense, effect on the, of arbitrary punishment, 84.

Mortality, infant, shamefully large, 246.

Mind, effect of obedience on the growing, 37. absence of, 54. presence of, 54. connection between the, and behaviour, 54. of a child, the, 57. effect of authority coming between the child's, and his action, 60.

Mind-growth of the baby, the often neglected, 280. failure of the mother to keep in touch with the, 250.

Mother, the authority of the animal, 42. necessity for the, to be grounded in ethics, 116. and child, no separation of, 125. the, not trained as an educator, 135. and child, the need for consideration between, 187. excessive sacrifice of the, injurious to the child, 193. maintenance of individual rights by the, 195. the domestic servant in the majority of homes, the, 233. the natural, 258. duty of the, to benefit the child, 261. the "unnatural," 265.

Mother's lack of respect for her little children, 179. sacrificial devotion to the child, harmful effect of, the, 197. personality, the place for a, 286.

Mothers, the need for union among, 201. benefits of discussion between, 207. benefit of, observing other people's children, 204. lack of educational perception among, 249. the term natural as applied to, 258. necessity for enlarging the responsibility of, 287. public duty of, 288.

Mother's Congress, the, 76.

Mother-love, 193, 197.

Motherhood, progress in, 261. preparation for, 268. work during, 271. possibilities of combined, 284.

Natural law, the wisdom of following, 43.

Natural, the use of the word, 255. the word, applied to human conduct, 257. the whole scale of human behaviour is, 256. the term, as applied to mothers, 258.

Nature, a state of, 256.

Nurse, the private, not a proper person to have the care of children, 132.

Nursery, a public, suggested, 123. isolation of the private, injurious to the child, 132.

Nursemaids, difficulty of getting suitable, 212.

Obedience, 27. the use of, 28. in animals, 29. in human education, 29. the reason for, 31. our reverence for, easily traced, 32. in child training, 36. of the Jesuits, 34. is demanded from the child, reasons why, 37. effect of, on the growing mind, 37. the injurious reaction from, 39. consideration of others not identical with, 40. effect of, on the brain, 41. qualities developed by, 45.

Observation of children, method of, 206.

Old, the advantage of the young over the, 158.

Over-indulgence of children, the, 75.

Parent, continued life of the, 6.

Parentage, traits acquired before, transmissible, 14. all possible improvement in the individual should be made before, 21. not a profession, 165. selfishness of human, 178.

Parental knowledge, result of the child's deed made dependent upon, 82. duty the gift of nature, 164. instinct, 177. love, the law of, 177.

Parenthood, prolonged human, 8. the work of, 37.

Parents, want of publicity and community in the action of, 75. the punishment of children by, 75. duty of, to children, 161. demands of, on their children, 162.

Parents' Congress, the, 70. social responsibility to the child, 280.

Penology, the advance in, 73.

People, need for a better kind of, 251.

Perception, delicacy of a child's, weakened by false impressions, 111.

Personal example, social duty shown by, 112.

Personal rights of the child, the, 174.

Personality, the place for a mother's, 286.

Philadelphia water supply, the, 289.

Playgrounds, childrens', beginning to appear, 120.

Plaything, a baby considered a, 175.

Precept, example better than, 51.

Prepared Food Association, the, 254.

Presence of mind, 54. the child trained to constant, 55.

Printing press, main value of the, 5.

Profession, parentage not a, 165.

Progress born into the race, 7.

Protestant Reformation, the, 35.

Public nursery, a, suggested, 123. baby garden, a, 124. duty of mothers, 288.

Punishment, retributive, 73. of children, the, 74. by parents, 75. arbitrary, effect of, on the moral sense, 84.

Qualities developed by obedience, 45. house-service, 243.

Question of discipline, the, 71.

Questions of children, the, 191.

Race improvement transmitted, 4. development and environment, 7. progress born into the, 7. modification and individual modification, 10.

Racial advance, improvement in the environment of children a road to, 264.

Reaction from obedience, the injurious, 39.

Rearing children, importance of the work of, 37.

Reasoning, children should be practised in, 68.

Repetition, a child's tendency to, 191.

Reproduction, biological law of, 296. rapid, of the lowest classes resultant from their condition, 297.

Respect to be commanded, not demanded, 166.

Results, love open to measurement by, 192.

Roman Catholic Church, obedience in the, 34.

Sacrifice, the doctrine of, 194.

Salisbury method, the, 37.

Savage, the, as a social constituent, 19.

Schools, the improvement of, 149.

School age, what children learn before, 77.

Self-control one of the first essentials in the practice of ethics, 107.

Servants, domestic, effect of association with, on the child, 235.

Shelley's "Skylark" mentioned, 53.

"Skylark," Shelley's, mentioned, 53.

Skilled labour, employment of, for household work, 271.

Social conditions, early maturity the sign of bad, 284. constituent, the human being a, 19. the savage as a, 19. development, arrested, 5. duty shown by personal example, 112. evolution and ethics, 99. parentage, the father awake to the duties of, 283. relation, ethics the science of, 105. service given by individuals, 20. status, a, at the level of its main constituents, 20.

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 75.

Society of Collegiate Alumnæ, the, 289.

Society, gradual protection of the child by, 292.

Species, our power to improve the, 3.

State of nature, a, 256.

State, perception of the child's place in the, 119. relation of the, to the child, 278. the duty of the, to children, 290.

Sunday-school, the, 117.

Surroundings, influence of, on the child, 237.

Table manners, teaching a child, 63.

Table, treatment of the child at, 183.

Talmud, the, 114.

Teaching taken up only by women obliged to work, 148.

Thompson's, Mr., story, 29.

Thought and action, connection between, 56.

Traits acquired before parentage transmissible, 14.

"Traits, acquired, not transmissible," 9.

Travelling parties of children, 150.

Treatment of the baby, our disrespectful, 171. the child, no excuse for contemptuous, 177.

Unconscious education, advantages of, 144.

United States Census Report, the, 233.

Union among mothers, the need of, 201.

"Unnatural" mother, the, 265.

Unpunctuality at breakfast, 189.

Virtue, all, made of necessity, 27. of chastity, 27. of courage, the, 27. of endurance, the, 26. of obedience, the, 27. what is a, 25.

Weissman, theory, the, 9.

Will, power of the, 47.

Wisdom and knowledge, 54. of following natural law, 43.

Woman's brain modified by its kind of exercise, 245.