force, the physical force which is bound up in the giant and the force of evil that is bound up in the step-mother-I'm not a bit afraid of that term step children; I'm a step-mother myself and my two step-children will stand by me instead of their father; (laughter)-it is the step-mother herself that makes the difference; she can win or lose every time; and never mind the relations; they'll get over it after a while; I don't feel one bit afraid of that ideal because the child never looks upon her stepmother as being that old. (Here Mrs. Hughes recited "The Step-mother.") And Jack the Giant Killer; what is embodied in that story? Boys will find something. This boy climbs a bean stalk and he finds up there a giant, and you know how the story runs. Well, you have climbed your bean stalk many a time and you have killed your giant many a time, or he has killed you. Then Miss McDowell stood here and talked to us about those children that she is so in sympathy with, and that we are all in sympathy with, only we do not all know how to do it as she does. I thought again, what if you eliminate from those children's lives that sense of courage, the ideal of courage that comes through such stories as Jack the Giant Killer. They are bound down by circumstances. They are perfectly overwhelmed by their environment, and if they have no individuality and no force or life in themselves how will they ever escape from their fate? and I don't believe in fate; I believe it lies with each individual and when you put Jack the Giant Killer into their lives as an ideal, you have given them hope that even the heaviest physical material weight that weighs them down can be overcome, if they only set their self-activity at work. I know that is Miss Blow's basis; I know that is Miss Blow's argument from those stories. As for the step-mother, ugliness and unkindness, the true little soul that was all ashes and dirt really was clad in the sweetest of garments and won the prince at last. Never mind if my clothes are old and old-fashioned; why, it is the soul within that is going to clothe me.

There is one more thought and that is this, and it follows out Miss Haven's thought, I think. Of course, unity is the basis of the kindergarten idea. I presume you have said it thousands of times.

Just let me go back once more to that thought of fear. Miss Wiltse was sweet and loving in her desire to eliminate fear from life. I do not agree with her in the sense that I think she would impress most people, in this way: I remember when a very little child, three or four years old, a wonderful show of northern lights; I had one big sister

who was really motherly and sweet; I wanted to see this wonderful display, but I had heard old people talk about how the swords clashed in the air and how they thought it was a sign of war and such things, to see such wonderful demonstrations in the heavens and this little mystery hung over me and I felt afraid to go out and yet I wanted to, and I remember to this day the sense of utter security I had when I slipped my hand into that big sister's hand and got right close up to her; then I could look up; but the moment she let go of me I could not look up. If that sense of fear had not been in my life or in that experience I never would have gained that sense of the loving protection of greatness.

If we eliminate fear from the human mind we shall have no reverence and this is an age when the lament goes out, where is the reverence in our children for their superiors in age and understanding? We are eliminating it everywhere and some of us have perhaps begun to think that reverence is old fashioned and we had better drop it. I do not think so. Those of you who are students of the mother play will find this among the first, the mother in her loving sympathy takes her child out into the open air; when the wind blows the trees from side to side and the child watches, the mother helps the child to think more about that and she sets his own little hand going and he tries that wind mill, helping him to move the little hand first and then endeavors to get him to do it, not by force but by call. ing it out; then the mother is leading the little child nearer and nearer to that hidden force which is Divine Life and which can only reveal itself to us first as power. The Old Testament gives us that revelation of Divine Life first as power, then gradually you have the grouping together, but God was not in the whirlwind, God was not in the fire, but God was in the still small voice within the heart. And so it is, the growth of each individual into the reverent life must come up first into the sense of power. God was first Jehovah; the Christian life came after, but to His people He revealed himself first as power. And if you and I have no sense of power above us we shall have no reverence. Do you feel reverence for anything that you feel is smaller than yourself? No; you overshadow it and shelter it. That is the mother's part. The mother shall always be that force in the child's life. This seed thought of reverence comes with the sense of the child for this superiority. We always look up to that which is stronger than ourselves, and remember we began in physical strength, material strength.

I believe in the right of suffrage for women but I don't preach it, but I do not want to lose an opportunity to put a seedthought into every woman's soul. This: Women have not been what they ought to be in the last generation nor in the generation before, and they are just waking up to this thought. You say, "I can't begin anything; why, I'm all alone." I have heard so many people say, "I am so helpless; I wish I could go into one of the large centers and do something," or, "I want to do some great thing, establish a large kindergarten, I want to be an authoress, I want to be an actress, I want to be a singer, I want to be some great thing." The greatest of all things is to be the best you can, right where you are to-day, and if you begin to be the very best you can, that means tomorrow you will be a great deal larger and more forceful than you are to-day. Just for illustration: Do you know, those of you who saw Niagara Falls, do you know what Niagara Falls is made up of? It is made up of single drops of water unified, forceful, every drop helps every other drop to move on over that tremendous cataract. Look again! You will not have to go far out of our country to find single drops of water standing side by side in the ordinary every-day attitude of most of womenkindthoughtless, indifferent, careless. does it mean? What is that country? Malaria (laughter) every time.

What

And now I am going to appeal for the children. You are to be the mothers, either spiritually or physically, in some measure, of the next generation, and more than that, you have it within your hands, if you are kindergartners, to touch the mothers of this generation. A nervous, passive, aimless mother gives birth in nine cases out of ten to a nervous, aimless, helpless infant child. Now, shall we make stories for those nervous children? No. For this reason: over here is the physical culture department, here is some other department and everybody can see they have their fads but they are all working together to make a new child. Now let's make our kindergarten principles to fit the new child, the normal child, the divine child. Then we shall have the true principle, and then fit your principle to the condition that you have, but do not lay your plans for nervous children. And more than that, there is not a woman living who does not desire some day the office of motherhood. If she does not she is a warped, dwarfed-what shall I say-half woman. It is the mission of every woman and every woman ought to be willing to shut herself up for a few years right in her little home and take care of

those children until they are able to take care of themselves, and then she will be able to go out in the world. Now, remember this physical culture will make good bodies; true thought will make good minds and interchange of thought and sympathy will make moral human beings that shall be a help to the next generation. (Applause.) THE FINAL DISCUSSION.

The President:-You see that Mrs. Hughes has proved her own illustration by being the second grandmother." (Laughter.) We have them both with us now and I take pleasure in introducing one of the "girls," who will read the last paper before we take up the business part of our meeting. Miss Bertha Payne, of Chicago, the president of our own kindergarten club, will speak on "The Problems of the City Kindergarten.

The paper which Miss Payne read was a recital of some of the methods practiced by herself for introducing some of the Chicago children to the real things of the country by giving them an outing at her rural home. She gave a vivid account of the enjoyment of her pupils on such excursions and the lasting impressions produced.

The President:-It gives me pleasure to introduce the treasurer and to a certain extent business manager of the International Kindergarten Union, Miss Twitchell of Milwaukee, who has just a practical word to say to you.

Miss Twitchell:-If what was said by Dr. Hall in regard to people growing short as they grow old were true I should not be able to see you over this pulpit more than a few minutes, so I shall not make any speech this afternoon, but just say to you that it has been arranged that to morrow morning at nine o'clock everybody who is interested in the International Kindergarten Union, and particularly the people who are members of unions throughout the country, and particularly as well, quite as particularly the people who are not members of unions throughout the country, should meet together at nine o'clock to-morrow morning at the kindergarten headquarters at the Women's Union on Niagara Square. You will all come, won't you? because there is work for you to do. The Union can work for you and you can work for the Union if you will only come together, do it together. The President:-Miss McDowell would like to say a word.

Miss McDowell:-It is only a word. It is just a suggestion. It seems to me that we ought to go home with some very practical ideas about the city schools. I do not know whether you come from cities or not, but yesterday I talked about working to get

playgrounds for children. Frederick Harrison says, "It is a great thing to have in your mind a clear idea of the kind of city you want," so let's have a clear idea in our minds of the kind of playground we want and let us ask the board, the park commissioners or the school board, to give us in the city, particularly in the congested part, a little live stock that children can see.

The President: - Do you mean pigs? (Laughter.)

Miss McDowell:-No, I don't want any pigs. We have plenty in Chicago. I want such things as they don't see. I showed some little children that beautiful little photograph of St. John and the Christ child and the beautiful lamb, and most of the children called it a little dog. Now we want to have them know a lamb when they see it. Why couldn't we have in a corner of the playground in the city, or have our playground in connection with the public school and get rid of the awful cinders which they give us in the worst parts of town and give the grass in the best parts of town; let's ask them to give us grass in the best parts of town and the cinders where people have grass; let's ask them to give us some rabbits, some ducks and chickens, some lambs, once in a while; let's have these things visiting around different parts of the town so that the children will know them when they see them. I think Miss Payne would like to have that near Hull House very much, and I am not going to stop until I get something of that kind in Chicago, and you work to get it in your city. We ought to have such humanizing things as that in every single bit of this world where it is so densely populated and where people need these humanizing things.

Miss Mumford (of Philadelphia):-I have only one single word to encourage Miss McDowell and all of you in this matter. In Philadelphia we have opened, at the request of some of our women's clubs of Philadelphia, the school yards for the use of the children and we have there kindergartners who come regularly every day and take care of the children in those school yards. Last year we made the first experiment, and this year we have doubled the number of school yards that are opened to children and the experiment is something beyond expression in its success.

The President:-In fact it is not an experiment at all, is it?

Miss Mumford:--No. It is a beautiful thing. The President:-I'm not going to make a speech this afternoon and I hate to give it up but I suppose I will have to cut it short. (Applause and calls of "Hofer.") If you will bear with me just a minute; it is not

about myself or my work or Chicago; you may be surprised to hear that; but it is about the beautiful memorial to Elizabeth Peabody which the Boston kindergartners are trying to give in expression, in form, not of a granite or a marble, not even of a memorial library or a memorial window, but of a kindergarten settlement in the downtown district of Boston. I want, without going into the detail of that work at all, I want to say my heartiest word here today in support of that. Elizabeth Peabody does not belong to Boston. You are glad, are you not, the Boston people, that she does not? She belongs to us all and I feel that the kindergarten department of this association, as well as the International Kindergarten Union, should clamor, should say in its loudest tones, "We want a chance to do something in that memorial." The arrangements have not been made that I know of which gives us a chance even to pay dues unless it is some membership arrangement which may be existing now, but I feel that we ought to express ourselves here to-day in sympathy with the movement and then do just as much personal work with ourselves, beginning at home of course, and with our neighbors, as we can, to bring into realization this settlement. The kindergarten is now in operation and a library is gradually accumulating and some one has furnished the dining room and some one the kitchen, and I think there are three or four students from the different training schools which in itself is a wonderfully suggestive thought; the students from the different training schools in Boston are living in this home. You know how much I am committed to the settlement thought, our own training school in Chicago being right in the lap of the settlement, as it were, and I feel that we ought not to close this meeting to-day without putting into some form our sympathy and our spirit of co-operation with reference to this work. Miss Wheelock is not with us. She is really perhaps the author of the work, and if she were here could put it before you in a more appealing way than myself. She cannot feel it any more than I do. Will someone from the floor make a motion which will express our interest in the Elizabeth Peabody settlement at Boston and our warm enthusiasm at the mention of her name by Miss Haven to-day? We were impressed by the dignity and seriousness of that mention so we did not cheer it. I feel that coming from all parts of the country we ought not to go back home without expressing our warmth and our interest in Elizabeth Peabody's name. (The motion was accordingly made.)

The President: You have heard the motion, that the privilege of saying what we all feel on this subject of Elizabeth Peabody settlement be left to the two "grandmothers," Miss Haven and Mrs. Hughes. All in favor rise.

Unanimously carried. Resolutions were then presented from the committee expressing the thanks of the department to the trustees of Temple Beth Zion, the local committee, Mrs. Wylie, the Women's Union and Miss Elder as secretary; also indorsing the child study movement which is at the present time such an important factor in the educational interests of the country.

The nominating committee presented this report: President, Miss Caroline T. Haven of New York; vice-president, Miss Ella C. Elder of Buffalo; secretary, Mrs. M. J. B. Wylie of Buffalo; the ticket being elected without dissent. The department then adjourned.

AT WORCESTER.

KINDERGARTEN DAY AT CLARK UNIVERSITY. Dr. Stanley Hall, president of Clark University, set apart Monday, July 20, as the kindergarten day of the summer school connected with that institution and a general invitation was given to all interested in such matters. The programme, so far as it pertained to the kindergarten, consisted of a lecture at 9 o'clock by Dr. Burnham on the "Hygiene of the Kindergarten," a lecture at 11 by Dr. Hall on "Froebel and the Kindergarten," a symposium at 4 and an evening talk on the "Philosophy of the Kindergarten." On Tuesday Dr. Hall spoke on "Child Study Connected with Dolls" and the kindergartners who were present passed resolutions thanking him for the efforts that he is now putting forth in behalf of the kindergarten.

DR. BURNHAM'S TALK ON HYGIENE.

A syllabus was sent out from this university to kindergarten teachers, asking a number of questions, and to this syllabus I contributed a few questions on the hygiene of the kindergarten. The value of the returns already made is qualitative rather than quantitative. Part of them are descriptive of the present condition of the kindergarten and part of the ideal kindergarten. This was in reply to the questions asked.

The kindergarten, should be a very hygienic place, where the poor children are better environed than at home. In the true

kindergarten the children are clean and happy and free from worry and strain. Since Froebel desired by care of the body to train up children with sound bodies and strong minds, we must go back to him for hygiene. The kindergarten, he says, should be no place for contagion, and the sick child should be immediately excluded and every precaution taken.

The kindergarten must watch for contagious diseases. In cases of contagious disease, children ought not to be permitted to return to the school for six weeks. In most of the schools it appears the ordinary precautions are usually taken. In regard to the use of soap, towels, drinking cups, etc., the practice varies. Of those who answer the question, the majority say the same articles are used by all pupils. In a few cases there are in use articles of this kind for each pupil separate. The custom of using the same towels, drinking cups, soap, etc., is not safe. There is often liable to be infection before the disease has been developed sufficiently to be recognized. There is danger also after recovery. The germs of diphtheria, for instance, have been found in the naso pharynx after the danger of contagion had been pronounced as passed. No child should be permitted to return until such tests are made. From one case in a German kindergarten thirty-five cases of diphtheria could be traced from a single case in a kindergarten. The disease was of a severe form, and sixteen of the thirty-five cases died. The cause of it is not certain, but the physicians expressed the opinion that contagion resulted from using the same drinking glass. Again, if the mere question of cost is considered in these matters, in the end it costs more to have an epidemic. The second defect is that the tests of the senses are not sufficient in our kindergarSix kindergartners replied that such tests were made in their schools; twenty reported that no tests were made; thirty-six did not report; twenty reported general care of the senses. The senses should be tested; care should be taken that children with weak eyes should be properly seated; other defects, as in hearing, etc., should be attended to.

tens.

As regards the more obvious points of heating, ventilation, etc.. there was a diversity of opinion. Dr. Hurlimann made a report in the Swiss Kindergarten Association, and there outlined a course of hygiene to be pursued in regard to these schools, as follows: First, care should be taken in regard to contagious diseases; second, in regard to the care of the senses, ear diseases should be tested with the watch, etc.; defective breathing should be considered;

third, stuttering. Here the kindergarten can do much. Dr. Hartwell thinks that vocal gymnasties in the kindergarten would prevent the development of stammering so common in the higher schools; fifth, skin diseases, the general condition of the health of the children; sixth, entrance into the kindergarten should not be before the fourth year; seventh, there should always be good supervision in regard to position, etc.; eighth, light from the left and full ventilation.

There should be much exercise and work out of doors. A great point is made of occupation plays to be carried on out of doors. To change the nature of the occupation there should be out of door exercises in running and jumping, throwing and catching ball. These plays have their limits, however, and there should be periods of rest. A few points by way of supplement to these points: Of course, all the ordinary rules of hygiene and instruction apply to the kindergarten as well as the higher schools. The work out of doors in free nature is the bottom of Froebel's system; this in this country has many disadvantages. This system was constructed for different conditions. There are no well developed and prepared occupations for out of door employment, and there is undoubtedly a great need of something in this line. Education should conform to the stages of a child's development. Some things are known now in this direction which were not known in Froebel's day. The nerve centres which function the larger movements, develop earlier; the more accessory and peripheral muscles later. The question has been raised whether much of the work in the kindergarten is not too fine. I wish to state that in this city the experiment has been tried of placing side by side the smaller and the larger material. The children invariably chose the larger.

The teaching of self-control was shown to be of great moral and hygienic import. The want of it in later life is a great cause of nervous breakdowns. Give children, he said, the maximum of freedom, but teach them to control themselves. Let them learn to sobordinate themselves to the good of the whole.

In closing Dr. Burnham called attention to the fact that too little attention is given to hygienic methods in teaching of children. There is danger of making the kindergarten a factory, but attention should be given to the child instead of the product. Training in psychology will help to bring about a change.

THE REMARKS OF DR. HALL.

Some months ago, there was sent out a syllabus which aimed to collect the opinions

of leading kindergartners concerning the philosophy and practice of the kindergarten. Many returns have been made, but not enough upon which to base definite opinions. There are many things, in fact, about the kindergarten that I do not feel competent to discuss as yet. To begin with, I think the first thing in the mind of a modern psychologist in reading Froebel is, that he is a born mystic. He certainly has great difficulty in expressing the great burden of truth in his mind. He even gags in his attempt to utter the message which is resting on his soul. Compared with the great masters who influenced him, he is very much inferior as regards clearness of his philosophy. A very important wealth of truth he surely had to give to the world, but his expression of it was sadly inadequate. His enthusiasm led him to a misunderstanding of the child's mind. Consider how the simplest thing regarding the child, Froebel says, is too big for utterance. He held that the child responded vaguely to everything that was done for him. "O fathers and O mothers! Consider the sacredness of your work." He did hold, as he vaguely expressed it, that the child responded to all the efforts of the parents. He believed that a child, like a seed planted in the ground, responded to the environment about it. All nature was reflected in the child. The child's soul was iridescent; all meanings are there, and all you have to do is to get them out. A mystic view is liable to be thought to contain things which are not in it. There is no doubt but that Froebel's mysticism makes him loved.

Froebel did see however, the relation of the growth of the child to the history of the race. To-day there is not a microscope with a trained eye behind it but what is seeking out this parallelism. Froebel for glimpsing that thought, is worthy of the greatest praise.

We

Froebel held the idea of the fundamental nature of feeling. That, too, is a great thought that is dominating psychology. are coming more and more to see that the entire intellect is the blossoming out of one little part of this emotional life. In feeling, said Froebel, was the foundation of the intellectual life. It is coming to be recognized that all kinds of insanity, excepting one great group, begin with the emotions.

His

Another good quality in Froebel's system is the physiology of play or the spontaneity of motion. It depicts faith in everything and is almost a belief of pantheism. monistic view is to me one of the grandest things of his philosophy. This higher view of Christianity which does not exclude the higher things in pantheism, appeals strongly