92 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



so far as slie lias come in school. I would like to be like Miss Sulli- 

 van becuse sbe helps otlier people and I would like to lielp someone. 

 I know I can not do so much but I try mj best." 



Very responsive are the younger children to the wonder-workers 

 of myth and legend and Scripture : " Apollo, because he rides a 

 golden chariot all the time "; " Hercules, because he held the earth 

 on his shoulders "; " Quicksilver, because he can fly through the air 

 and not get very tired," are attractive ideals. In very much the 

 same spirit they desire to be like God, " His wonders to perform." 



Of the total number of children, five per cent, most of whom are 

 below twelve years of age, mention God and Christ as ideals. The 

 moral attributes found in these Divine Beings are very similar to 

 those found in George Washington or other human heroes. The 

 majority of the children give a composite of characteristics which 

 impress them in the Deity, into which enter the marvelous, the 

 directly personal, and the moral. The Deity appealing to them 

 must be anthropomorphic, human and yet superhuman, ministering 

 directly to their personal needs. " He is onest," " He never tells a 

 lie," " He is so kind and good," " He can do every thing," " He can 

 turn something into enything," " He sends rain and snow for us to 

 sled and skate," " When we go into the woods he will help us 

 through." A boy of eleven writes: "H it was not only for Him, 

 what would become of us. Maybe we would be stones which lay 

 beneth the guter." 



It is pleasant to find that to few of the older children do pos- 

 sessions make a character ideal. While ten per cent of the seven- 

 year-olds are attracted by the commercial side of life, at fifteen only 

 two per cent consider that paramount, at least in an ideal life. 



Typical papers are: 



Boy of seven : " I like two be a king of a graet kasle. Why. 

 A king has a graet kasle." 



Boy of ten : " I would like to be like Doctor About. Because it 

 is a nice Occupation, and is a smart business." 



Boy of ten : " I want to be a preacher. He is a very good man 

 and they have a very good position." 



Girl of twelve : * " My teacher. Because she is a teacher and 

 receives a large salary a month, and teaching is a good occupation." 



Boy of fourteen : " Mr. Levy. Because he has not very hard 

 work, and he has a Good time and plenty of money and he can get 

 any amount of money because he owns plenty of land and mortgages 

 on peoples land, he has everything he wants." 



* Teaching is not an attractive occupation to these boys ; while nearly five per cent of 

 the girls speak of this profession, it is mentioned by one boy only, ten years of age, who 

 writes, " A teacher because they get money." 



