nd amusement. They feed them, indeed, and strive
to prolong their existence; but it appears to be for similar reasons to
those which would lead them to take kind care of a pet lamb.

It is on this account that they dress them out in the manner they do,
strive to make them sit up straight, and prohibit their creeping. It is
on this account too, as much perhaps as any other, that go-carts and
leading strings are put in such early requisition. The contrary would be
far the safer extreme; and the parent who keeps his child scrambling
about upon the back as long as possible, and when he cannot prevent
longer an inversion of this position, retains him at creeping as long
as is in his power, is as much wiser, in comparison with him who urges
him forward to make a prodigy of him, as he is who, instead of making
his child a prodigy in mind or morals at premature age, holds him back,
and endeavors to have his mental and moral nature developed no faster
than his physical frame.

I wish young mothers would settle it in their minds at once, that the
longer their children creep the better. They need have no fears that the
force of habit will retain them on their knees after nature has given
them strength to rise and walk; for their incessant activity and
incontrollable restlessness will be sure to rouse them as early as it
ought. Least of all ought the difficulty of keeping them clean, to move
them from the path of duty.

Children who are allowed to crawl, will soon be anxious to do more. We
shall presently see them taking hold of a chair or a table, and
endeavoring to raise themselves up by it. If they fail in a dozen
attempts, they do not give up the point; but persevere till their
efforts are crowned with success.

Having succeeded in raising themselves from the floor, they soon learn
to stand, by holding to the object by which they have raised themselves.
Soon, they acquire the art of standing without holding; [Footnote: The
art of standing, which consists in balancing one's self, by means of the
muscles of the body and lower limb--simple as it may seem to those who
have never reflected on the subject--is really an important acquisition
for a child of twelve or fifteen months. No wonder they feel a conscious
pride, when they find themselves able to stand erect, like the world
around them.] ere long they venture to put forward one foot--they then
repeat the effort and walk a little, holding at the same time by a
chair; and las