1891).] ESSAYS. 87 



own Jittle one were tlie gurdeuor, 1 would see uiysolf tliut she 

 did not fail to have good results at first. It is so discouraging 

 to a child, and, perhaps, to an adult as well, to fail ; so hard to 

 begin again or to love the svork. The lesson learned of the 

 necessity of being faithful every day are invaluable. The plant, 

 then, that gives us the best return for a small outlay of time 

 and skill, — a vine, a shrub, or a rose-bush, — anything that may 

 be his very own to cultivate, and will {)robably do well in the 

 care that he is able to give it, in my judgment, is the best lor a 

 beginning. 



In our own family, we have given the boys a small hotbed, 

 using small-size sash ; or a piece of ground for a garden in 

 which they raise lettuce and vegetables, send them to market 

 and receive the returns for their own use. We have thought that 

 this IS a valuable experience, for several reasons that doubtless 

 occur to you, as a means of education. 



It is very important that our little children form right ideas 

 of things — that they get the true view. We quote glibly 

 enough, "As the twig is bent the tree's inclined." But when 

 does the child cease to be a tender twig that can easily be bent? 

 Does it not become more and more difficult to influence him 

 after he has become associated with other and older children? 

 You know how surprised and grieved a little boy is as he sees 

 the older boys torment a dog, stone frogs, pull out the legs of 

 flies and beetles, and the hundred and one things of that sort that 

 children see opportunity to do. It is sad to see how soon even 

 the tenderest-hearted little fellow among them ceases to be 

 shocked and falls into line with the young ruffians. This is the 

 beginning of the hardening process, extending through all the 

 phases of ill treatment of companions and elders, disrespect for 

 law and order, ending, in some cases, in the village or city 

 hoodlum, with all his possibilities. 



Now a little one, five years old — the age at which children 

 are allowed to enter school — and a majority do start in at that 

 age, has had neither time, ability nor opportunity to get any 

 very definite conceptions of his relations to things about him. 

 He is now preeminently a tender twig. If only he may bo 



