any form is to give the child the best armor he could possibly have;
and if this could be done for generations, the instinct would not need
such careful fostering, as it would be born more or less developed with
the child.

Every parent of a purely reared child is putting a stone in the
foundation of prosperity for this wonderful new civilization, which will
go on evolving, or die of decrepitude, just as its central dynamic
force, the sex life of the people, finally decides. Sex immorality is,
as every one knows, one of the signs of the approaching death of a
nation.

Few young mothers realize the great need of watchfulness against the
formation of bad habits in even young children. And many make the
mistake of supposing that with children instruction can take the place
of watchfulness. During the early years of a child's life careful
watching as well as careful teaching, is necessary. Nor does the social
grade of the child bring immunity or the reverse. The mother who says to
herself, "Oh, _my_ child would not," does not understand the nature of
the problem. Anybody's child may innocently fall into this error, and
every mother should equip herself with all the information necessary to
guard against this most insidious of all foes and to meet it if it
appears, realizing that watchfulness is necessary almost from the hour
of birth,--even children in the cradle frequently needing attention in
this respect. Every young mother should know that among a certain class
of people, from whom her nurse will likely be drawn, there are many who
have theories most pernicious to the welfare of the child, the nurse
herself not infrequently, through ignorance perhaps, being guilty of
initiating the babe into a course from which it will be most difficult
for him ever to depart. It is not safe to take for granted that any
child does not need a certain amount of watchfulness. The most highly
organized, most "high strung" sensitive natures are among those most in
danger, not only from forming unfortunate habits, but from their
results.

Watchfulness during the early years of the child's life, instruction in
caring for himself, plenty of outdoor exercise, unstimulating food,
sufficient sleep, the cold bath, agreeable occupation, abundant material
for wholesome thought and imagination, will in most cases bring the
child safely to the first great milestone in his life journey, the
period of adolescence.

As the child grows older he should