The Growing Child

A mother is too apt to take for granted tlie confidence of her growing san and daughter. She has led them through childhood into young manhood and -womamhood. She unraveled all tíueir little perplexities, and has Teen the recipiënt of all their childlsh Joys and soirrows. As children they eoncealed nothing. She assumes, without thinking, that this stat of affairs continúes into their adult life. She is sure she "knows all about her children." whereas the fact may be that she knows nothing at all. They outgrew her long ago. "Wnn the difference began the young boy or girl could scarcely say. Sometimes it Is sudden, sometimes gradual. It is certain that with adolescence a new life comes t o each Individual, and that the mother wlio would retain the trust and aid in forming ttoe character of the budding man or Voman must make a special effort to do eo. It is here that mothers often make grave mistakes, and never regain the iorfeifced Iriendhip of their sons and daughters. Some women persist in treating: their children as children long after tliey are grown men and women, and require the implicit obedience and blind belief of a child from an adult of reasan and experience. Other women make an equally unfortunate mistake ia, metaphorieally "washing their hands" of the child they have reared as soon as ittried to act on its own Judgment. "I have nothing mor to do -with your actlons. Now do as you pleae." That is their position. One attitude represses conildence ; the other rejecta it. Both are aatagonistic to natural law. Children must become men and women, and we have no right to he angry at or to repel the idea that it is eo. But sure ly we may value friendship and trusi and love of these men and women as highly as we valned the child's faith and loving relianoe. That parent is wisO wlio perceives in time the cHange, and wbo Btudios the needs of this fonnative period, who adapts herself to the new phase, and who begins Ty new methods to retain the cWld's truts, while gaining the man's confidenoe.- Harper's Bazar.