a good
nurse will frequently vary this position, by changing from one
arm to the other, and sometimes by laying it across both,
raising the head a little. When teaching it to walk, and guiding
it by the hand, she should change the hand from time to time, so
as to avoid raising one shoulder higher than the other. This is
the only way in which a child should be taught to walk;
leading-strings and other foolish inventions, which force an
infant to make efforts, with its shoulders and head forward,
before it knows how to use its limbs, will only render it
feeble, and retard its progress.

2399. Most children have some bad habit, of which they must be
broken; but this is never accomplished by harshness without
developing worse evils: kindness, perseverance, and patience in
the nurse, are here of the utmost importance. When
finger-sucking is one of these habits, the fingers are sometimes
rubbed with bitter aloes, or some equally disagreeable
substance. Others have dirty habits, which are only to be
changed by patience, perseverance, and, above all, by regularity
in the nurse. She should never be permitted to inflict
punishment on these occasions, or, indeed, on any occasion. But,
if punishment is to be avoided, it is still more necessary that
all kinds of indulgences and flattery be equally forbidden.
Yielding to all the whims of a child,--picking up its toys when
thrown away in mere wantonness, would be intolerable. A child
should never be led to think others inferior to it, to beat a
dog, or even the stone against which it falls, as some children
are taught to do by silly nurses. Neither should the nurse
affect or show alarm at any of the little accidents which must
inevitably happen: if it falls, treat it as a trifle; otherwise
she encourages a spirit of cowardice and timidity. But she will
take care that such accidents are not of frequent occurrence, or
the result of neglect.

2400. The nurse should keep the child as clean as possible, and
particularly she should train it to habits of cleanliness, so
that it should feel uncomfortable when otherwise; watching
especially that it does not soil itself in eating. At the same
time, vanity in its personal appearance is not to be encouraged
by over-care in this respect, or by too tight lacing or
buttoning of dresses, nor