OCR Text |
Show HUMAN NATURE. Those who are accustomed to the ways of children cannot fail to see how greatly they resemble men and women, upon whom, indeed, they unconsciously model themselves. They are, too, alarmingly keen-sighted as to the inconsistency between our words and acts. I believe many a child learns its first lesson on deception from the ill judging mother or nurse who tells it that the nauseous medicine "tastes good." It looks a little matter at that time, and the object to be gained - getting the child to swallow the medicine without a fuss - seems of more consequence than the "white lie" - can a lie be white or small? - but, though the child may be too young to put its conclusions into words, it unconsciously loses one or two things - confidence in its mother, or its own regard for truthfulness. Then have you ever observed the conduct of boys and girls when they meet together at children's parties - how marked is the relative position of the sexes? How like are they to children of larger growth! The boys all rush for the prettiest girl or the best dancer, and will continue to do so; and the girls are vain and jealous, self-conscious or unassuming, as the circumstances of their home-training may have educated them to be. If the unstudied actions of boys and girls are any indication of the future of the coming men and women, I should say that women will seek and enjoy the admiration of men, and men will continue to prefer the society of those women who contribute most largely to their comfort, pleasure and self-satisfaction, quite as decidedly for the next fifty years as for the last five hundred. A desire for the admiration of the other sex, no matter which we may happen to belong to, is the incentive which incites both to effort. |