CONFORMITY TO ENVIRONMENT 205 



opinent of mental traits. While these powers are in 

 their earlier, so to speak embryonic, stages of devel- 

 opment, they can be fostered and increased or re- 

 tarded. They are still plastic. Yery early in a child's 

 life acquisitiveness shows itself ; he begins to say 

 " I," and " mine," and desires things to be his " very 

 own." And this can be fostered so that the child will 

 grow up a " covetous machine." Or he may be 

 taught to share with others. 



Not so much later, while the child is still in the 

 lower grades of his school life, comes the period of 

 moral development. If, during this period, these 

 powers are fostered and cultivated, they may, and 

 probably will, be dominant throughout his life. And 

 herein lies the dignity and glory of the unappreciated, 

 underpaid, and overworked teachers of our " lower ' 

 schools, that they have the opportunity to cultivate 

 these moral powers of the child during these most 

 critical years of his life. Repression or neglect here 

 works life-long and irreparable harm. The young 

 man goes out into the world. Here " practical ' : men 

 continually instruct him by precept upon precept, 

 line upon line, that he cannot afford to be generous 

 until he has acquired wealth ; that he must first win 

 success for himself, and that he can then help others. 

 And, unless his character is like pasture-grown oak, 

 he follows and improves upon their teachings. He 

 reverses the sequence of functions. He puts acquisitive- 

 ness first and right and sterling honesty and un- 

 selfishness second. For a score or more of years 

 he labors. At first he honestly intends to build up 

 a strong character and a generous nature just as 

 soon as he can afford to ; but for the present he 



