simply repressed and may react upon
the child and appear in another form tenfold worse than the first. The
passing of urine or fecal matter may (in either sex) cause irritation
and excoriation; this is another sign that all is not right in the vital
forces and should be mentioned to the physician as a sure index that
medical treatment, but not topical applications, is absolutely
necessary. All abnormal appearances, actions and discomforts of the
child, whether mental or physical, should be submitted to an experienced
and judicious physician. A healthy child should be happy and comfortable
in all respects.

A very successful plan for keeping children from vice or vicious habits
is to see that their time is fully occupied with amusements and duties
which interest them. They need a great deal of harmlessly conducted
amusement and--do _not_ strive to "keep them quiet." Allow little boys
and girls to play together, under proper surveillance, and let them be
boisterous if they will; let them romp and run, climb fences, trundle
hoops, jump rope, go to dancing school, participate in military drills,
go coasting and skating, take swimming lessons, etc.

No judicious parents will allow a son or daughter to be alone much; to
seek to be alone is always a bad sign and should be carefully guarded
against without its being known that such precaution is observed.
Furnish them liberally with instructive and innocent story books and let
them read aloud to you or to each other. Take them to walk or ride when
you go, and strive to make companions of them as much as possible,
making whatever sacrifices are necessary to attain this end. Above all,
_encourage their making confidants of you_. Let them feel that they can
come and talk freely on any subject, no matter what its nature may be.
Do this, and you have thrown around them a bulwark of defence that will
withstand the repeated attacks of hosts of evil spirits. When night
comes and they go to bed, let them learn to go to sleep at once; no play
then--they may be read to sleep, but no romping or playing. No strange
children should be allowed to sleep with yours; make them occupy
separate rooms or at least separate beds; be sure that the sleeping
places of your children are sacred to them alone. Nor is it advisable
for children to sleep with a grown person of either sex and particularly
not with servants--all for obvious reasons.

The observance of all these precautions against influences