ightlight. He mentions a child who, when told she need not
fear the dark because God would be with her, said: "I wish you'd take God
away and leave the candle."

If the child wakes terrified, it is stupid and wicked to call upstairs: "Go
to sleep!" A child cannot go to sleep in that state, and a wise mother will
go up and softly soothe the frightened eyes to sleep.

Neuropathic children often have night terrors within an hour or two of
going to bed. Piercing screams cause a hasty rush upstairs, where the child
is found sitting up in bed, crouching in a corner, or trying to get out of
door or window. His face is distorted with fear and he stares wildly at the
part of the room in which he sees the terrifying apparition. He clings to
his mother but does not know her. After some time he recovers, but is in a
pitiful state and has to have his hand held while he dozes fitfully off. He
often wets the bed or passes a large amount of colourless urine. Medical
treatment is imperative.

Corporal punishment is unsuitable for neuropathic children, for the mere
suggestion of its application usually causes such excessive dread, mental
upset and terror as make it really dangerous. Such children are often said
to be "naughty" when in reality they are unable to exercise self-control,
owing to defective inhibitory power. Try patiently to inculcate obedience
from the desire to do right, and make chastisement efficacious from its
very exceptional character.

"The young child is too unconscious to have a deliberately perverse
intention; to ascribe to him the fixed determination to do evil, is to
judge him unjustly and often to develop in him an evil instinct. It is
better in such a case to tell him he has made a mistake, that he did not
foresee the consequences to which his action might lead, etc." Many parents
fall into a habit of shaking, ear-boxing, and such-like harmful minor
punishments for equally minor offences, which should be overlooked.

In all little troubles, keep _quite calm_. The child's nerve and
association centres have not yet got "hooked up", and you cannot expect it
to act reasonably instead of impulsively. This excuse does not apply to
you. One excitable person is more than enough, for if both get angry,
sensible measures will certainly not result.

The necessity for calmness cannot too strongly be urged. The treatment for
a fit of temper, is to give the unfortunate child a warm bath, and put it
to bed, with a few to