and direct them; they were able to translate the words they
heard into actions: _this enabled them_ to obey, and this constituted
for them a fascinating internal conquest. When the measuring was over,
nothing was said; they waited expectantly for a moment, then gave an
intelligent glance and a smile, which was, as it were, their greeting;
they had understood, and they returned voluntarily to their corner to
take up their frames and resume their work. Presently they were wanted
again, and the same actions were repeated.

When we think that children of their age (about four and a half), when
left to themselves, will roam about, upsetting objects almost
unconsciously, and requiring either some one to submit to their
caprices, or to call them roughly to order, we shall recognize the
internal perfection achieved in these two little ones, who have
arrived at that stage of development in which work has become a
_habit_, and obedience a fascinating acquisition.

The anthropometric measurements had shown that one of the children,
_O_, was normal in measurement (weight, stature, length of torso) and
the other, _A_, below the normal measurements.

Here are some notes made by the teacher on the conduct of these two
children when they were in the state of disorder, or undisciplined:

_O_: violent, turbulent, spiteful to his companions, never applies to
anything, but looks on at what the others are doing and then
interrupts them; or listens to the individual lessons given by the
teacher with a scornful and cynical expression. The father of the
child says that at home he is violent, overbearing, and intractable.

_A_: is quiet. But he has almost a mania for spying on his companions,
and pointing out to the teacher every little action that might be
considered wrong or incorrect.

Both of the children are very poor. _O_ is almost entirely neglected
by his family.

* * * * *

_Later judgment_ the teacher was enabled to form of these two children
after they had reduced themselves to order by means of work:

_O_: all the turbulence shown by _O_ in his home resolved itself into
a struggle for bread; the father, who was very poor, but also
neglectful, denied the child bread; the child did not resign himself,
did not cry, but struggled constantly, with all the means at his
disposal, in order to obtain his portion of bread. When the teacher
asked the father why he denied the child bread, he replied: "Because,
when he