THE MIND IN THE YOUNG.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3133, 4 September 1922, Page 2

THE MIND IN THE YOUNG.

(By Cicely Hamilton.)

"The mind of the very young child is the most subtle thing in the world, and should be touched only by the highly-trained mind." , J should be the hist to dispute the above important statement. Is it not made by the London Unit of the National Union of Women Teachers? And who am T, an ignorant outsider, to argue with that learned body? But all the same there are times and iseasons when I wish most heartily that the women teachers had kept their views on the very young child to themselves.

At this moment, for instance, the subtle infant mind—in the shape of Gladys', Er/b and Flaow—m pushing my gate to make it creak, and conversing in screeches with its friends. Incidentally Erb has just chivvied my cat fullspeed round the corner, and 'Flaow has uprooted the only fern that has so far condescended to grow. , If 1 were not busily engaged in trying to earn my rent and bread-amd-butter—nhuMrtbe education rate for bladys, Erb and Flaow—l should no doubt smile down on their childish pranks, and yearn with tender, delicious melancholy at the music of their baby voices; as it is—with my eve on the bills and the rates-what I desire above all things is the prompt removal 0 the subtle infant mind, a cessation or its creaks and screeches. But--in view of the pronouncement quoted .above-how do I, who have no iwetenaons to training, approach the ven young child? I„ the far-off days of my own youth the process of infant was simple/ „ rap on the window, a lurious gesture, or a threat hiiJ p M oeMM £i and the ve »-y voung 1 d M "'ould scuttle round the corner as ™,. tly as the cat lie had chivvied. Ihosq were flic methods of unregenei. to days, when the child was an imp to lie smacked; effective, no doubt, in direct and brutal fashion, but quite impossible to a civilised mentality which deals respectfully with "the most subtle thing m the world.'' So far as I can see, there is noth'ing'for it but to ring up the L.C.C. (Educational Department) and ask it to send along a highly-trained mind which will deal scientifically with Gladys 'Erb and Flaow and induce them to vacate my doorstep. My band has almost reached out for the directory when tho gate stops creaking and the music of childish voices is • suddenly unaccountably hushed Subtle infancy—all three of it—is rising to its feet and moving; in response to the gestures of the highly-trained mind that has just emerged from round the corner. .. . Gestures (so it seems to me) oddly familiar, reminiscent of my unresisted childhood. And in tho silence that has fallen on subtle infancy tho pungent remarks of the highly-trained mind come drifting down tho opening air. "What did I tell yer—didn't I saiy not more than 'arf an hour? ..... 'Urry up and come along this minute— I've n good mind to warm the 'olo lot of yer!" And it is clear—from the behavior of the very young child—that the highlytrained mind knows how to make itself respected.