340 The Journal 
sickly, peevish, stupid children to in- 
herit his name and perpetuate his 
family, or who would refuse to assume 
the burden of motherhood? What 
normal young woman would be at- 
tracted by any “fairy prince,’ how- 
ever romantic, wealthy, handsome, if 
she were aware that his children would 
be doomed to early death, weakness or 
imbecility, and that she herself would 
be made a sufferer for life?) The wide- 
spread tendency of young men and 
women of the present day to include 
eugenic qualities in this romantic ideal 
is itself sufficient evidence. Young 
men and women are generally too well 
balanced to marry simply from eugenic 
consideration without romantic love, 
although this is less reprehensible than 
marriage simply for title, livelihood, for 
social distinction, for personal creature 
comfort without consideration for either 
eugenics or romantic love. 
It was with the most comprehensive 
idea of what such an education might 
possibly include, and the coining of a 
word which I hoped might define it to 
others, that I founded in New York 
City, in 1911, the School of Mother- 
craft. From the outset, the work was 
arranged for young women of at least 
high school education, and some of the 
students have been graduates of col- 
leges or boarding schools. 
The pedagogical principles on which 
I proceeded were those of my former 
teachers, John Dewey and G. Stanley 
Hall. Students must “learn to do by 
doing.”’” Some visitors once expressed 
surprise and some disappointment be- 
cause they said they had come expecting 
to see a school but what they found 
was a home. I considered this one of 
the greatest tributes they could have 
given the work. The school has always 
been conducted in a private residence, 
with resident students and a little 
group of resident children, ranging in 
age from a few months to seven years. 
Besides the resident students, many 
day students have come for special 
classes. The home conditions and spirit 
are carefully maintained. 
In addition to their classes and 
recitations, students have several hours 
each day of practical work in the house- 
of Heredity 
hold and with the children. They 
learn their cooking by assisting in the 
preparation of meals and the cooking 
for the children. They learn how to do 
all the phases of household work by 
assisting the housekeeper, who is also 
the home economics teacher. Much 
attention is given to learning how to 
economize time and energy in doing 
the housework. The family budget is 
studied and they find out how to make 
the best use of a family income of 
$1,200 a year, with discussions, as well, 
of incomes down to $800 and up to 
$3,000 a year. They go to the shops 
and learn how to buy household fur- 
nishings and linens, and the clothing for 
little children. They learn how to 
market, going with the instructor to do 
the week’s provisioning. One of the 
practical problems which they reach 
by the midyear is buying the food for 
the family, and providing a balanced 
diet, in variety of appetizing food, at 
$2.50 a week per person. 
WORK WITH CHILDREN 
But the most unique work is that 
with the children. At first the students 
simply live and play with the children, 
as members of the household, learning 
how to be with children and not do 
them harm—a lesson which few adults 
have ever learned. They observe the 
nursery ‘‘mother”’ as she cares for the 
physical needs of the children, and they 
participate in the group play with the 
kindergarten teacher. By degrees, as 
they learn the principles of child 
hygiene and psychology, they have 
practical experience, still under the 
supervision of instructors, in the daily 
physical care of the children at each 
age (including the baby), in story- 
telling, nursery games and songs, kin- 
dergarten handwork, nature-study. 
They learn how to take the important 
physical measurements of the children, 
the physical inspections that a nurse or 
physical education director would make, 
and how to study the disposition, 
mental traits and character of children. 
Some of the students are preparing 
for their own home-making. Others 
are preparing for social work in settle- 
ments, day nurseries, orphanages, as 
