12 MORE POT-POURRI 



criticism I may even say, so little correction. In this, 

 I am told, I was ambitious, as most critics compose their 

 articles by a few quotations, and have neither time nor 

 inclination to really criticise. There was one excellent 

 exception in an interesting and friendly article in the 

 1 Spectator.' This critic seems to doubt, more even than 

 I did, the courage of parents and nurses as regards giv- 

 ing independence to young children. But, in proof of 

 the desirability of my recommendations, he quotes Ste- 

 venson's admirable saying with regard to a boy: 'It is 

 better for him to break his neck than for you to break 

 his spirit.' This article shows the revers de la mtdaille 

 so well, as regards the atmosphere of a home, that I 

 copy it. After approving my suggestions about giving 

 allowances to both girls and boys, it goes on to say : 

 4 The question of the frank criticism by children of their 

 home is more doubtful. It is, of course, better that their 

 dissatisfaction should, like the measles, "come out," but 

 what about their home manners ? Criticism is very apt 

 to degenerate into grumbling, and the spectacle of chil- 

 dren or young people grumbling about domestic arrange- 

 ments is not edifying. Grumbling is always rude; and 

 if manners make the man, it is an undoubted fact that 

 perfect manners are incompatible with absolute brutal 

 outspokenness. For instance, the wife and mother who 

 is trying to attain the really lofty standard aimed at in 

 this book cannot, of necessity, be absolutely outspoken. 

 If her work is to be successful, she must not hint that 

 any part of it is distasteful ; that is, she must conceal 

 some of her feelings. Surely children should not be 

 brought up to feel that their father and mother are the 

 only people they may be rude to. And if the money 

 argument is to be applied to the wife, it must touch the 

 children, too; they must not be allowed to take all the 

 luxuries of the house they do not pay for, and then 



