Show THE MOTHER AND THE SCHOOL the public schools are once more in full swing if we believe what orators tell us that ane school IS tho bulwark of the state and that the future fate of the nation rests with those little blade ana bron and gold heads bent over their books then we must believe that the most important work 0 t society is going on in the school room that being the case it would seem to be a matter which should interest every citizen and more especially every parent it does interest them to the extent of getting their children into school as early as possible even though the truth be stretched in tha process but there their interest too often ends as though one had only to put a child into school and his education and future welfare assured to a certain extent this is true but the public school while it is a great machine is only a machine the amount of beneat which the individual child gets arom it depends upon tho amount ot personal attention ho receives who is to give this personal attention the school board manifestly the welfare of the individual child is no part of the business of the board of education the teacher in our overcrowded city schools tho teacher in the baturo of things cannot give each ono of the forty little souls in her care any great amount ot individual help who then Is to give it the natural guardian of the child the mother if the mother whose interests are bound up in the interests of the child is not sufficiently concerned to see that ho gets the utmost possible good from the schools it is too much to expect that anyone clae will do it rut what can the mother do every tiling in the first she can up bold the authority of the schools she canaiy her own attitude inculcate respect tor the public school system and confidence in the teachers tea chera thereby increasing their influence and their power for good prom the standpoint of tho childs own a more unwise thing cannot be dono than to allow him to hear adverse criticism of his teacher once let him get the idea that the teacher Is bof respected and he is immediately upon the offensive and it Is practically impossible for her to reach him it a teacher is at fault a contingency so rare as to be hardly worth the men tion the matter is not for the oars of the child teachers as a class are conscientious high minded cu aured women who are breaking down ana vao are underpaid because nere Is 0 o ale pay in the coin t 1 foi alic kind of ark tc 10 mother who confesses herself unequal to the demands of two or three children shut up in the ought to realize something of me denous strain tho teacher undergoes who is imprisoned all day in one room with some forty little aik oik she ought ta DO ready to assist in every possible way those who are dotha for her children what she cannot do for thorn herself A second duty of the mother is to keep the child in proper condition to do his best tha also mother has her child examined by physicians as occasion may arise to make sure that he defect which puts has no ailment or many a child disadvantage him at a is set down as stupid who ia simply hard of hearing and nearsighted near sighted or many a childs system la so poisoned b throat troubles and other disorders that he is physically incapable of doing good vork the removal of such difficulties stimulates a childs development and often makes bla work a pleasure where it erss before mere drudgery even when children arc perfectly bound and normal eternal vigilance la the price of health the mother is right in insisting upon an early a very early what abo child considers an unreasonably early bedtime hearty wholesome warm meals with plenty ot variety anre recognized as essential grownups grown ups can take their chances with the ordinary cuisine but children must be given all the elements necessary for the building up of the body the most important office of the housekeeper is to plan the daily menu for the children another important factor is clothing the main consideration of course is to adjust it to climatic changes with un falline good judgment but there is another consideration it should be as tar as practicable becoming and pleasing that does not at all imply that it should bo elegant or costly on the contrary it should be most simple to pat finery on a child la i to gild refined gold to paint tho illy to throw a perfume on the violet but to be well dressed heightens the self respect and conserves the general good yet another thing which the mother can do is to visit tn schools by so doing she stimulates the childs interest she keeps in touch with the work and methods and is able to talk understandingly with him and help him judiciously she becomes acquainted with the teachers ana makes possible an interchange of ideas and a mutual helpfulness ane steeps informed on the general condition and is prepared to take action when it Is needed again the mother should make it a point to talk with her children some mothers avail themselves of the quiet lunch hour to draw out confidences on all that appertains to school life and finally it is the happy office of the mother to help the calla with his lessons not by any means to teach him his lessons food is no better for the mind than it Is for the body but rather to teach him how to study to find out bis difficulties and help him to help himself it all mothers performed these duties the efficiency of the schools would be wonderfully increased |