money, and they meet the situation by purchasing various shapes and
styles of savings banks. But it is entirely possible to teach the
child too thoroughly in this respect and to make him so fond of his
jingling pennies safe within a yellow crockery pig or iron cupolaed
mansion that be will not spend them for any object, however laudable.
Others evade the issue as long as possible by giving the child no
money at all; while most of us pursue an uncertain and wabbly course,
sometimes giving money, sometimes withholding it, sometimes exhorting
the child to spend, and sometimes to save.

[Sidenote: Regular Allowance]

In truth spending wisely is a difficult problem. As a rule the child
may safely be induced to lay by for a season and then encouraged to
spend for some generous purpose. Christmas and other festivals offer
excellent opportunities for proper disbursement of the hoarded funds.
These may be supposed to have accumulated from irregular gifts; but
as the child grows older he should come into receipt of a regular
definite allowance, perhaps conditioned upon his performance of some
stated duty. A certain part of his allowance he may he permitted to
spend upon such frivolities as are naturally dear to his young heart;
another part of it he should be encouraged--not commanded--to put
aside for larger purposes.

The giving of this allowance must not be confused with the pernicious
habit of bribing the child to the performance of those little daily
courtesies and duties which he ought to be willing to perform out of
love and a sense of right. A certain part of his daily work, such as
seeing that the match-boxes all over the house are filled, or some
similar share of the general labor of the household, may be regarded
as that for which he is paid wages; and any extra task which does not
justly belong to him, he may sometimes be paid for performing; but not
always. For instance, he ought to be willing to run to the grocery
for mother without demanding that he be paid a penny for the job; yet
sometimes the penny may be forthcoming. The point is that he should be
ready to work, even to work hard, without pay, and yet that he should
never feel that his mother withholds pay from him when she can give it
and he receive it without injury.

[Sidenote: Spending Foolishly]

When the money is once his, he should be allowed to feel the full
happiness and responsibility of possession, and if he insists upon
spending it foolishly,