The Unfolding Life

EARLY CHILDH

ible. There are no separate parts or faculties possessing unique powers such as reasoning, remembering, feeling or willing. The whole soul remembers, feels and wills. However, fo

ise and these new needs awaken soul power in a new direction. The expression "I didn't know he had it in him," is frequently heard, as some one has shown unexpected ability under sudden pressure of

IOS

riosity, there would never be any eager attempt to explore the field of knowledge. The disciplined spirit of inquiry that makes for the world's progress, is only a fuller development of the untutored and disastrous effort of the child to find out about things. We forget that before there can be a flower there must be a bud. Before there can be a scientist who shall pick the rock to pieces to learn its secret, there must be a child who picks a doll to pieces to see what is insi

festations of curiosity dur

sti

and "Where," and "How." This questioning period commences about the age of three, and is in strong evidence for some time. The answers involve for the most part nouns and verbs, not adjectives nor adverbs, signifying that the c

s most fascinating subject of children's questions,

oning of a child tends to weaken

child, and are a guide to the kind o

assurance that the instruction given will be receiv

tion demands a

rivilege of investing these most holy mysteries with purity and sanctity, and through this confidence drawing the life of the child into closer fellowship with

chi

uctiv

pravity that leads a child to pull the articles from the workbasket, or tear the book, or demolish the toy. He merely wants to see the object under as great a variety of conditions as possible

ole world richer, it would be wiser to give it legitimate outlet. Toys and blocks which adm

ERE

, even in hunger, so a varying appetite appears in connection with the soul hunger of curiosity. It

charm of her multiform movements and family life akin to the child's. The bird's nest fascinates because there is connected with it the story of the building and the hungry little brood it sheltered. Tales of animals, fairies and real folk, busy in simple and familiar occupations hold him entranced

r one who is trying to help th

fact that in this period, instruction should deal with things, not with statements

interest attaches to them, the greater the reso

th interests, attention and co

nterested in the Being or attributes of God, but God in His great activities as Creator and Wonder-Worker, and in His re

aul says in Romans, "For the invisible things of Him since the world began are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even His everlasting power

TAT

o act upon them, according to a law inborn that an idea always tends to go out into action, unless it is held back. Adults have fixed habits of expressing ideas that come to them, but not so the child. An interesting activity is always a suggestion to him to reproduce it exactly, if possibl

, a glance through the window discloses surveyors at work with tape and red chalk. Following in their wake is a five year old with diminutive string

omplex and general as the years go on, and from reproduction of definite acts, the life tries to emulate the spirit and achievements of its hero, and later to b

are profoundly importan

r understanding of its meaning. This is one purpose of t

upon becomes an insepa

utcome of repe

like what i

pplication to the work of nurtu

GIN

es to transform objects and make over familiar situations. T

a David or Samson. He gives soul to inanimate objects, and endows them with feelings like his own. He plays with companions of his own creation, and peoples the dark with weird forms. Things are changed at w

over the punishment inflicted for "lying", when willful misrepresentation was not in his thoughts. However, harsh treatment of a vivid imagination may result in real decep

f rare fancy, who said in a whisper at the conclusion of one of these marvellous tales, "But don't tell Mamma." The imp

"ideal making factory" of the life. From transforming sticks and chairs, the soul will one day pass to transforming memories and thoughts, putting away the unattractive features and investing the attractive wi

ter of the imagination, therefore, becomes a matter of supreme concern to nurture. It will be healthy or diseased morally, according to the quality of the material supplied for its use. The two great sources of this material are every day experiences and the story. The meaning of these experiences to the child's life

MO

ding a present experience except by passing through it? Life would be an unsatisfactory thing indeed, if this were true, but the soul has the power of retaining past experiences in order that they may throw light upon the present. The business man does not deliberately do again that which was disastrous befor

he activity are registered. So sensitive and susceptible are the brain cells during childhood, that these impressions are received as clay receives the touch

kind of impressions should we attempt to store in the memory dur

elf makes answer through what he most

dhood knows that this is true. The memory of a little child is overwhelmingly for the concrete, the impressions through the senses and from what he does being far more easily retained than ideas alone. A child will recall the story of the Good Samaritan more readily than the isolated verse, "T

, or as a store-house supplied with nourishing food for the present? If memory is a stockroom, then it should be filled with definitions, statements, terms, facts, anything which may be needed sometime. This can be done, for the brain will retain the sound of the words, but meantime, what shall the child feed on? What shall he use?

tomorrow and need to have his budding faith strengthened from memory? Would not the story of God's care over the baby Moses, Jesus' care for the disciples in the blackness of the storm, with the words, "He careth for you," if these were stored in memory, quiet more quickly the beating heart, and more

rmanency of these impressions, is answe

gued brain when the

atte

and forceful presentation o

iven through eye and ear and touch, for example, it is more definite

impression with others well kno

and freque