Mrs. Morris; "just let me tell you, in a few words, what a
help dumb animals have been to me in the up-bringing of my children--my
boys, especially. When I was a young married woman, going about the
slums of New York with my husband, I used to come home and look at my
two babies as they lay in their little cots, and say to him, 'What are
we going to do to keep these children from selfishness--the curse of the
world?'

"'Get them to do something for somebody outside themselves,' he always
said. And I have tried to act on that principle. Laura is naturally
unselfish. With her tiny, baby fingers, she would take food from her own
mouth and put it into Jack's, if we did not watch her. I have never had
any trouble with her. But the boys were born selfish, tiresomely,
disgustingly selfish. They were good boys in many ways. As they grew
older, they were respectful, obedient, they were not untidy, and not
particularly rough, but their one thought was for themselves--each one
for himself, and they used to quarrel with each other in regard to their
rights. While we were in New York, we had only a small, back yard. When
we came here, I said, 'I am going to try an experiment.' We got this
house because it had a large garden, and a stable that would do for the
boys to play in. Then I got them together, and had a little serious
talk. I said I was not pleased with the way in which they were living.
They did nothing for any one but themselves from morning to night. If I
asked them to do an errand for me, it was done unwillingly. Of course, I
knew they had their school for a part of the day, but they had a good
deal of leisure time when they might do something for some one else. I
asked them if they thought they were going to make real, manly Christian
boys at this rate, and they said no. Then I asked them what we should do
about it. They all said, 'You tell us mother, and we'll do as you say.'
I proposed a series of tasks. Each one to do something for somebody,
outside and apart from himself, every day of his life. They all agreed
to this, and told me to allot the tasks. If I could have afforded it, I
would have gotten a horse and cow, and had them take charge of them; but
I could not do that, so I invested in a pair of rabbits for Jack, a pair
of canaries for Carl, pigeons for Ned, and bantams for Willie. I brought
these creatures home, put them into their hands, and told them to
provide for them. They were delighted with my choice, an