*ii;ti4!4*7i!iHniHMUi*HHtiiUitHl; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. Cluip. i:_c!^_. Copyrio'ht No. 81ielf_.05 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. VIOLA OLERICH If) H Z w < w o z o o VIOLA OLERICH THE FAMOUS BABY SCHOLAR AN ILLUSTR-VrKl) I'.K K'.KArilV i;y PROF. HENRY OLERICH \\ " Baby Viola is the youngest reader and writer that ever lived."— San Francisco Examiner. CHICAGO LAIRD c^ LEE, Tublisukks t 47056 V^^^^S l-lt3t-te^< y of Congress] SEP 141900 SECOND COPY. Oeiwvraiif* OftOiK DIVISION, 80102 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year nineteen hundred, by WILLIAM II. LEE, In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1. Baby Viola exhibiting her talenis, 2. Viola- at her lunch counter. •' 3. Viola can read books in three languages. 4. Viola taught the digits and colors. 5. Viola learns geometrical figures. 5*. Viola and her mathematical toys. 6. Viola knows the faces of many famious people. 6*. Viola familiar with 32 kinds of seeds. 7. Viola as a full-fledged anatomist. 8. Viola at her money-exchange counter. 9. Viola at home with punctuation marks. •' 10. Viola's spelling proficiency. " 11. Viola taking apart the elements of a flower. " 12. Viola drawing on the blackboard. " 13. Viola at her typewriter. • •' 14. Viola playing with astronomy. 15. Viola undergoing a severe test. FIG. 2. —VIOLA AT HER LUNCH COUNTER. CONTENTS PART FIRST Biography PAGE I. Time and Place of Viola's Birth and Adoption T II. Principal object of adoption. . 8 III. How the Baby was selected.. . 8 IV. Viola's Diary 8 V. Physical Characteristics 9 VI. Early Conduct 10 VII. Eating and Drinking 11 VIII. Sleeping 13 IX. State of Health 15 X. How Treated 15 XL Methods Used 16 XII. How Viola learned to read. . . . IG XIII. How Viola learned German and French 19 XIV. Number and Color 21 XV. Drawing 22 (3) 4: CONTENTS PAGE XVI. National Flags 34 XVII. Geography 2-i XVIII. Portraits of Famous Men and Women 25 XIX. Seeds and Leaves 26 XX. Anatomy and Physiology. ... 26 XXI. United States Money 27 XXII. Punctuation Marks 28 XXIII. Spelling 28 XXIV. Analyzing a Flower . ., . 29 XXV. Writing 30 XXVI. Typewriting 30 XXVII. Some Miscellaneous Accom- plishments 32 XXVIII. Examination 33 PART SECOND The Education of Little Children I. Can every Child Learn as Rap- idly? 35 11. Overtaxing the Mind 37 III. Interest for Learning 31) CONTENTS 5 page; IV. Our Methods in the Pubhc Schools 40 V. "What do you intend to prove?" 41 VI. Cause of, and Cure for the Cry- Babv 43 VII. Standard of Right and Wrong. 45 VIII. Temper 47 IX. Toys and their Usefulness 48 X. Dress 49 XI. Meddling 50 XII. Teasing 52 XIII. Order 53 XI\^ Outside Influences 56 XV. The Nature and Use of Patience 57 XVI. Cleanliness 58 XVII. Exercise 59 XVIII. The Cause of, and Cure for Pouting 61 XIX. Revenge 63 XX. Truthfulness 64 XXI. Kindness ^^^^ 6 CONTENTS PAGE XXIL Work or Labor G^ XXIII. Freedom 69 XXIV. Relicrion 70 PART THIRD Endorsements of Prominent People and Newspapers I. Viola's Debut 72 II. A Few Press Notices 73 III. A Few Opinions of Prominent Peo- ple 77 IV. A List of Leading Newspapers and ^laeazinc Articles 79 FIG. 3. — VIOLA CAN READ BOOKS IN THREE LANGUAGES. VIOLA OLERICH THE FAMOUS BABY SCHOLAR Part first BIOGRAPHY I Time and Place of Viola's Birth and Adoption Viola Rosalia Olerich was born in the city of Des Moines, Iowa, February 10, 1897. We (Henry Olerich and Henrietta Olerich) adop- ted her October 14, 1897. At the time of adoption, we resided in Lake City, Iowa, where I was employed as Superintendent of the public schools. July 25, 1899, we moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa, where Viola has lived with us ever since, and has received all her instructions from us at home. (7) 8 VIOLA OLERICH II Principal Object of Adoption Our chief object for adopting a child was to test, in a practical way, a new theory of ed- ucation, which we believed to be much super- ior to any educational system which has here- tofore been used. The wonderful success with which we have so far met, must stand as evi- dence of its merit; and is very briefly outlined in the following pages of this work. Ill How the Baby was Selected No attempt was made to select a particular child; on the contrary, we desired to get an average child, hence physical health was the only point of pedigree which we regarded of vital importance, and even of this we knew little or nothing. IV \ iola's Diary We keep perhaps a more complete Daily Record of Viola than was ever before kept of THE BABY SCHOLAR 9 a child. The data used for this biographical sketch are taken from this Diary. This affords the reader an assurance that the facts given in this sketch were not jotted down at random from memory, but are as accurate as cautious clerical work can reasonably make them. Ev- ery week, Mola is also weighed, measured, and has her picture taken. V Physical Characteristics Viola's physical conditions at the time of adoption did not impress us very favorably. She was a pale, an almost sickly-looking baby, with a mouth that was a little crooked, and the riofht side of her face considerably fuller than the left. These defects soon began to diminish and disappear. Her cheeks assumed a healthy color; her face grew symmetrical, and her walk easy and graceful. Viola's size and weight is about the aver- age. At the time of adoption, she weighed 14 10 VIOLA OLERICH pounds 1 ounce, and was 2 feet 1.1 inches tall. July 1^ 1900, she weighed 30 pounds 1 ounces, and was a little over three feet tall. Baby is now regarded as a ''beautiful blonde, with brilliant eyes^ soft golden hair, and a charming personality." VI Early Conduct At the time we adopted Viola, she was a frail cry-baby; could stand up beside a chair, but could not walk from one object to another. We immediatetly began to teach her to amuse herself by playing on the floor with her simple toys. She soon learned to like this so well that she did not want to be held. She has thus early learned to amuse herself, a knowledge which is of inestimable value, and which every person, young and old, should possess in the fullest measure. By being thus kindly treated and busily employed, her habit of crying rapidly diminished, and her THE BABY SCHOLAR 11 disposition became more and more jovial and amiable. VII Eating" and Drinking- Viola was weaned the day Mrs. Olerich got her from Des Moines. She refused to be nursed from the bottle, but drank milk and ate bread and crackers very readily. We let her have all the warm, sweet milk she wanted before retiring", also after rising in the morn- ing and at all other times. In the morning as soon as she got up, we set her in her high-chair and gave her a crust of dry bread or cracker, which she ate v/ith much apparent relish. At breakfast she was placed at the table and was permitted to eat as much of everything on the table as she de- sired; and so at all other meals. Between meals, she has always eaten when- ever her appetite prompted her to do so. At the age of one year and six months, she re- ceived her little lunch-counter. In this lunch- 12 VIOLA OLERICH counter, we always keep a supply of bread, crackers, etc., for her, and whenever she wants to eat between meals she goes to her lunch- counter, opens the lid, and eats as much as she desires. When she is through eating, she almost invariably closes the lid and goes on playing. This practice is not only a useful lesson in establishing a healthy appetite, but is also a valuable lesson in order. Viola doe^ not eat a great variety of food. Milk, bread, oatmeal, crackers, toast and a few cookies constitute her chief articles of diet. Occasion- ally she eats potatoes and a little meat. She never eats pie, nor fruit of any kind except bananas. She has a box of candy within easy ^ reach on the side-board ; but she eats only a small piece once in perhaps several days. She could drink alone nicely, when she was ten months old. At first she drank milk al- most exclusively, but when she was about two years old, she began to prefer water, and now she drinks water almost altogether. FIG. 4. -VIOLA TAUGHT THE DIGITS AND COLORS. THE BABY SCHOLAR 13 We never offer her any tea, coffee, or any Other stimulants and narcotics. We think it is very injudicious, if not positively cruel, to create an abnormal appetite in innocent chil- dren for such useless if not injurious bever- ages. , We have every reason to believe that good water is the best drink that the Creator has made, and for this the healthiest appetite should be developed. So much freedom in eating and drinkmg has established such a healthy and reliable ap- petite that overeating has seldom or never occurred. The whole animal kingdom fur- nishes evidence that a healthy appetite is the only reliable guide as to when and what to eat and drink, and that all interference must sooner or later result in evil consequences. VIII Sleeping Ever since Viola was with us, she has slept alone and retired alone. M first she retired 14 VIOLA OLERICH between 7 and 8 in the evening, and rose about G in the morning. She slept twice dur- ing the day; once in the forenoon, and once in the afternoon. Sometime before she was two years old, she has slept but once during the day, immedi- ately after dinner. The hour of retiring as well as the hour of rising have gradually grown later. She now usually retires between 9 and 10, sleeps soundly all night, and rises about 7 in the morning. She has never been rocked, carried, nor put to sleep. Sleep is rest, especially mental rest, and a child should have plenty of it. It should be made as free, pleasant and health- ful as possible. A helpless child should al- ways be taken up immediatetly after it wakes up. It should never be compelled to cry for assistance. To do so soon makes it a cry- baby. THE BABY SCHOLAR 15 IX State of Health Aside from incidental colds and the measles^ baby has always enjoyed the best of health. She has been growing continually handsomer and more vigorous from the first day she came to live with us. X How Treated I have always treated Viola with the utmost kindness and courtesy; have never even spok- en a loud or harsh word to her. It is my opinion that every "bad boy" and every "bad girl" has been made bad by med- dlesome interference. It has been said: "Spare the rod and spoil the child," but modern sci- ence, as well as common sense, is beginning to say: "Destroy the rod and refine the child." Intelligence, kindness, and freedom are, no doubt, the only factors that can really reform and refine the world. 16 VIOLA OLERICH XI Methods Used Viola has acquired all her knowledge In the form of play. She has never "studied" a les- son in her life; has never been asked to take a book. Her whole life has been a continu- ous series of delightful play. I invented and constructed much of the attractive educational apparatus with which the keen interest for learning was awakened, and after surrounding her with this apparatus, she has enjoyed com- plete freedom as to when and what to learn. She, and not vv^e, has always been the judge in this choice. All we do is to create an inter- est for learning and activity in whatever direc- tion we desire her to develop. XII How Viola Learned to Read Partly for the purpose of amusing herself, partly for creating an interest for books, and partly for the purpose of learning to handle THE BABY SCHOLAR 17 books, Viola received her first book when she was thirteen months old. Soon after this, we began to direct her at- tention to objects in the pictures and told her some interesting" facts about them. In a few days, she became intensely interested in these simple exercises. She soon brought her book to us for a lesson very frequently. At the time we gave her this book, we also put up an artistic little shelf in a convenient place in the sitting-room, and told her that this little shelf would make a nice library for her new book, when she was not using it. She learned the lesson of keeping her book on it very readily. This was an important lesson on order. With her first book, she played for two months, after which it was put away and an- other kind of First Reader given her, which she also used for two months in a similar manner. She played with these books very much — perhaps from tvv^o to th.ree hours a 18 VIOLA OLERICH day. The forepart of the first book is consid- erably torn; the second is sHghtly torn in only two places. These simple exercises awakened an early interest for pictures and books, cultivated a taste for observation, strengthened attention, developed caution and memory, greatly en- larged her vocabulary, and created an appre- ciation for order and beauty; in fact, they started the development of almost all the mental faculties. She could give one sound of every letter, when she was seventeen months old; then she learned to read short sentences, which she had learned to speak readily. I printed these sen- tences on cards and she learned to read them by the Sentence Method. We then began to use the Word Method also. In this way we used all the methods in an attractive way, sometimes one and sometimes another. Her library was gradually increased from one book to its present size of about 100 vol- THE BABY SCHOLAR 19 umes. It contains readers^ spellers, arithme- tics^ physiologies, botanies, zoologies, an as- tronomy, speakers, histories, etc. When Viola was two years eleven months old, she could read at sight with force and expression almost any reading matter in the English language. She could also read Ger- man nicely before she was three years old. Now (age three years one month) she reads English, German and French. There is per- haps not a word in the Baldwin series of school readers from the First includino- the Sixth, but what she can faultlessly read at sight. She even reads Buckle's History of Civilization in England, Draper's Intellectual Development of Europe, Herbert Spencer's Synthetic Philosophy, etc. In English she reads script almost as well as print. XIII How Viola Learned German and French The German and French she learned to read almost exclusively by the Sentence 20 VIOLA OLERICH Method. The sentence is the unit of thought. We think and speak in terms of sentences and not in terms of words and elementary sounds. For this reason the Sentence Method is the easiest nd most attractive for Httle children, and produces by far the best readers. A young child should learn to read such sen- tences as it uses in its daily conversation, rather than to learn new sentences by reading. This course makes the reading easy, delight- ful, and intelligible. 3m mmt. c3 ip SBinter. 5r>er B(i)nce fclllt in blc^ten 5lo!!en. ^alb breitet ftcf) eine raei^e S)e!!e ii bcr ©tabt unt) Sanb. ^te ^na ben ge f)en §in au3, rot len ben ©rfinee gu fam men, unD ma c^en ei nen gro ^en ©c^neemann. ©ie jet gen il^m ei nen alien ^ut auf unb fte! fen itjm ei ne a( te ^fei fe in "O^n §lunb. ^er iSd)nee mann madjt 'i>^n ^na bm vid 6pa|. This is the first German lesson, which Viola learned to read. She read it well February 2, 1900, eight days before she was three years old. A'^o 1 \ r. 1 I nm. 11 d;i. \ iiila kno\\> tlic began with two blocks and gradually increased the number. At 22 months, she could read all numbers not over 100; June 1, 1900, she read numbers as large as octillions. She is also familiar with a number of shades and tints. XV Drawing" When she was one year nine months, Viola could draw the following on the blackboard or with pencil when requested : a vertical line, a horizontal line, a slanting line, a cross, a ladder, and a circle. Since that time, she has learned to draw many other things. Up- on request, she will novv' draw any kind of line used in plane geometry, all the various kinds THE BABY SCHOLAR 23 of triangles and quadrilaterals, a sphere, a cube and a triangular prism, a pyramid and cone and their frustums, leaves of trees, and many other things of that nature. We began drawing with straight lines on the blackboard, and explained their position; then we took up the triangle, curved line, etc., gradually proceeding from the simple to the more complex. Lines and Angles Viola knew at sight and could name the twenty-two kinds of lines and angles used in geometry, when she was one year eleven months old. These lines and angles were drawn on cards about the size of a common envelope, and she learned to recognize and name them in the same way as she learned the portraits, etc. Viola learned form very readily. Before she had attained the age of one year nine months, she could name and get any of the thirty-four geometrical forms shown in the picture. We 24 VIOLA OLERICH first put up only three pieces — the square, the circle, and the triangle. Then others were added as fast as she learned the former. XVI National Flag's When Viola was one year nine months old, she knew the flags of twenty-five nations. When all the flags were set up in a Hne, she could get any one called for. In all these ex- ercises, we began with a few and then in- creased the number. In our learning, we never had any particular time set for certain exercises, but always followed our inclina- tions. The reader should firmly keep in mind that all Viola's learning was only play, and that she always enjoyed complete freedom. XVII Geography In geography she learned first to locate and name the states and territories of the United States. The map had no names on it. She tjal form «;r(B'>«^* - -"-■ ; ^t ' 'WWiww ii M»'3iaBifliiW M Bg I m FIG. 51/2— VIOLA AND HER MATHEMATICAL TOYS. THE BABY SCHOLAR 25 could point to any state and territory and their capitals when she was one year nine months old. She first learned to read geographical names from printed cards; then she began to use Frye's Primary Geography. In this way she could soon name, locate, and read the names of all the countries in the world and their capitals. Then she learned to read and locate the names of oceans, lakes, mountains, rivers, capes, etc. She can now read almost any geographical name given in Frye's Primary and Complete Geographies, and, upon re- quest, she can find almost any prominent geo- graphical name and place in a few seconds, if the closed book is given to her for that pur- pose. XVIII Portraits of Famous Men and Women At the age of one year and ten months, Vi- ola knew the portraits of more than one hun- dred famous men and women, representing nearly all schools of thought, both good and 26 VIOLA OLERICH bad. She became fond of playing with these pictures, and learned them in a short time. The portraits were stuck in a card-holder, all in plain view; then Baby was requested to get a certain one. In the first lesson only two cards were used, then the number was in- creased as she learned to recognize them. XIX Seeds and Leaves Before Viola was one year and eleven months old, she knew and could name thirty- two different kinds of seeds and twenty-five kinds of leaves of trees. The seeds were put in little bottles, set in a neat case, so that all the bottles were in plain view at the same time. The leaves were pressed in a large book. She soon became very fond of these educational toys. XX Anatomy and Physiology At the age of one year and eleven months, THE BABY SCHOLAR 27 Viola could point to almost all the visible bones of the human skeleton, and to many other organs of the body. She first learned to name and locate the femur, then the humerus, and so on. Now she can name and read the names of all the bones of the human skeleton, and locate nearly all of them. She can also read, name, and locate almost all the internal organs, as well as many of the external parts of the body. XXI United States Money At twenty-three months, she named and recognized all the denominations of United States money which is now coined and printed by the United States government, except bills over $100. We taught her the money by plac- ing it in a shallow dish, beginning with the penny and the nickel, increasing the denom- inations as fast as she learned them. Some- times we asked her to pick out a certain de- nomination for us, at other times we would 28 VIOLA OLERICH take a piece and ask her to name it. In this way she learned to discriminate and to name; to observe and to talk, all of which is very useful in the practical affairs of life. XXII Punctuation Marks At two years, Viola knew twenty-two Punc- tuation Marks. They were drawn on cards, and learned in the same way as the portraits, geometrical forms, flags, etc. The reader will notice that all the baby's learning is in the line of practical knowledge; knowledge which we must possess before we can read intelligently and write correctly. XXIII Spelling- Shortly after Viola began to read, she also began to learn tlie names of the letters and to spell easy words, v/hich were printed in large letters on cards, and these cards could be slipped into a groove on one face of attractive FIG. G. -VIOLA KNOWS THE FACES OF MANY FAMOUS PEOPLE. THE BABY SCHOLAR 29 blocks, which were hung up against the wall, and which had pieces of peanut in them. Ev- ery time she wanted a peanut, we would ask her to get a block (we called these blocks pea- nut bottles), having a certain word in it. When she brought the block containing the right word, she would first spell the word by- sight, then from memory, and also often by sound. In this way she learned to spell read- ily and pleasantly, so that at the age of three she could spell a long list of words, many of them quite difhcult — such as vinegar, sugar, insect, \^iola, busy, mamma, Rosalia, Febru- ary, biscuit, Olerich, American, Nebraska, Council Bluffs, Alediterranean, etc. XXIV Analyzing' a FloAver ' Our photograph shows Viola sitting at her table analyzing a flower. She is very fond of flowers, and likes to separate them into their different parts. She greatly admires the bou- quets which she often receives on the stage. 39 VIOLA OLERICH XXV Writing- Viola could readily read script before she began to practice writing. Her first writing, and also her first drawing exercises, were on the blackboard. She never learned to print much, but began with script. A small "i" was che first regular letter she learned to make; then e, u, t, o, j, n, b, etc. O, was the first capital letter she learned. After she had prac- ticed writing on the blackboard a while, she also used slate, then paper and pencil, and a little later pen and ink. In order to make the writing exercises pleasant, we often inter- spersed them with attractive drawings. XXVI Typewriting- February 32, 1900, Viola received her type- writer. Two days later she took her first les- son on it. In a few days she learned to insert the paper, run the carriage back and forth, THE BABY SCHOLAR 31 feed the paper in and out, and finger the whole of the keyboard with both hands. Of the many leading machines which we exam- ined and tried before selecting, we found that Viola much preferred The Smith Premier, which responded so readily to the touch of her little hands, that she enjoyed operating it very much. Viola could operate the typewriter quite skilfully when she was three years and three months old. She not only copied print and script, but also wrote from dictation, and even composed short articles as she wrote them on the typewriter. She has always enjoyed the typewriter very much, and the use of it has given her a great deal of practical information, which she could not have acquired so well in any other way. It wonderfully helped to raise the efficiency of her spelling, composition, punctuation and independent thinking. In no other way can children learn these so thoroughly and pleas- 32 VIOLA OLERICH antly as they can by the use of a good type- writer in the home. To operate a typewriter is easily learned. A few lessons will start any child of ordinary intelligence in the right di- rection ,and all the rest must be acquired by actual practice. XXVII Some Miscellaneous Accomplisliincnts Viola knows all of Webster's Diacritical Marks (to indicate pronunciation), can give all the elementary sounds of the English lan- guage, and can find words in a small diction- ary. She recognizes the abbreviations of all the states and territories of the United States, of the days of the week, of the months of the year, and many others. She can quite well classify sentences according to use and form. With this practical language work, she began to learn grammar. Her attention, her mem- ory, her reasoning and her ability as a critic are as marvelous as her other attainments. Perhaps her most wonderful accomplishments 1"+ 3*.^t,;!r.e. Oec- This rase contains %% kinds pi Seeas. VS'oU f»fi "Atne aoo . 'H\ .■"■> ciold coins FIG. 8. -VIOLA AT HER MONEY EXCHANGE-COUNTER. THE BABY SCHOLAR 47 tion of a natural law, and every violation of a natural law results in pain, the very opposite of that which we are constantly seeking. VIII Temper Temper is the disposition or state of the mind. The author claims that temper is near- ly altogether the result of post-natal condi- tions — education and training. A poor, sickly mother, living in a miserable garret, who has five or six dirty, hungry, ragged children whining about her, can not have so calm a temper as a person who is much more favora- bly situated. A child that is continually teased must have a mean temper. Other things be- ing equal, misery and interference tend to pro- duce a violent, detestable disposition. At first., \^iola had quite a violent temper, but, wath the proper treatment, it has greatly improved. She is, however, an ardent ad- mirer of liberty, and feels arbitrary constraint very keenly. 18 VIOLA OLERICH On the point of improving the temper by education, we must learn the great fact that a sweet, well-governed temper gives us many advantages in life. IX Toys and Their Usefulness Children of all ages should have some suit- able playthings, no matter how simple. The nature of toys should, of course, vary as the age of the child advances. Whenever and wherever it is possible, the child should be led from its play into work by the use of toys. Children should therefore always have a good supply of useful toys. Viola's first simple toys, which she enjoyed so much at that time, have slowly been su- perseded by more direct articles of education, such as books, slates, blackboards, maps, reading cards, charts, flags, portraits, dolls, blunt scissors, etc. Hence, one of the princi- pal aims in life should be to turn work into play, and tools Into toys. THE BABY SCHOLAR 49 X Dress In dress, comfort should always have pre- cedence over adornment, but especially should this be the case with children. While it is true that artistic beauty in dress is very desirable, it should, however, not be obtained at the expense of health and comfort. The garments worn should never be too abundant nor too scanty. Their style should be such as to cause only the least possible impediment to the natural functions of body and mind. They should never be too good for the child to play in. It is infinitely worse to wither a limb than it is to soil a frock. There is perhaps no sociological field in which caution, order, industry, and a knowl- edge of the practical business affairs of life can be better cultivated than in connection with the subject of clothing. Orderly and industrious habits are devel- oped by having children, at the earliest possi- 50 VIOLA OLERICH ble age, take care of their own garments. Since the age of sixteen months, Viola takes care of her sun bonnet. Near the door, she has a hook on which she hangs it nearly every time she comes in, and puts it on when she goes out. So has she gradually learned to use and take care of her other articles of clothing. Children should purchase their own gar- ments as soon as possible. This experience familiarizes them with the valuable economic factors of competition, money, credit, com- modities, trusts, monopoly, etc. It teaches them valuable practical lessons in Economics and Sociology. XI Meddlingr We all know that some children, as well as adults, are very meddlesome, while others are not. It is my opinion that every meddlesome child has either been spoiled or has not been properly trained in the beginning. Excessive THE BABY SCHOLAR 51 interference with the child is bound to pro- duce meddlers. When a child is ^oing- toward an object which it has been requested not to touch or handle, we should never yell at it to come back, nor should the object be snatched away before the child gets to it, unless it is some- thing very dangerous. Such a course pro- duces not only an undesirable meddler, but an ill-tempered cry-baby. Let the child go to the object; watch it when it gets to it, but say and do nothing, unless it becomes absolutelv necessarv to in- terfere. Every time a child comes in close contact with an attractive object, which it has been requested not to handle, and "of its own accord," leaves it unmolested, the child has gained a valuable step in self-government. But, while it is a commendable characteris- tic of children, when young, not to meddle with such things as they can not handle well, a time in every child's life must, however, 52 VIOLA OLERICH come when it should be able to handle, exam- ine; and use all useful articles, and this it must learn by the experience of handling and using things. XII Teasing" No person, whether young or old, should ever tease or be teased. Teasing is an invasion of equal rights, and must ultimately detract from the happiness of all that participate in the act, but particularly from the happiness of those that are teased. In the estimation of all refined persons, it brands the teaser as a rude, unsympathetic person, who still nourishes in his bosom the awful sentiment of delighting to see others miserable instead of happy. Teasing culti- vates an ill temper and a boisterous conduct in the one who is teased, and stimulates the sentiment of revenge in the teaser. Largely on account of the teasing habit, it is almost impossible nowadays to rear a refined child on THE BABY SCHOLAR 53 the business streets of our cities and towns. The desire for teasing- is a moral disease, and is largely acquired by imitation. Before a teaser can be thoroughly cured, he must learn two great facts. First, he must be able to see clearly the evil consequences of teasing, and, second, he must be able to understand how silly his conduct appears in the eyes of all in- telligent persons. We have never teased Viola. Whenever we play with her, we always treat her in a manner she likes. Such delightful treatment produces a jovial and congenial disposition; teasing produces just the opposite. XIII Order Having a convenient place for everything, keeping everything in its place, and remem- bering the things and the places, constitutes order. Wg all know that there is a vast differ- ence between persons in the matter of order. Some people can go into their library and find 54 VIOLA OLERICH a book or pen in the dark better than others can find It by daylight. There must be a cause for this difference. I am well aware that most people attribute order to heredity, but I do not accept this theory. I claim that no one is born orderly; but that order is the result of education and training; that no one is really orderly until he has discovered by bitter experience that it pays to be orderly. Looking in vain a long time for the lost hatchet or thimble is a powerful reminder that orderly conduct is a valuable accomplishment. Orderly conduct is so difficult to learn, be- cause it involves some cleverness in the pro- viding of convenient places and exacts a pres- ent sacrifice for future benefits. To drop an ar- ticle after using it, as when a child drops a toy when it gets through playing with it, is much easier "for the time being," than it is to go to the "present" trouble of carefully putting it in its place for future use. Learning to be or- derly is learning the important lesson of mak- FIG. 9. — VIOLA AT HOME WITH PUNCTUATION M.vRKS. THE BABY SCHOLAR 55 ing immediate sacrifices for future benefits, and young children know nothing of this. We began to teach Viola order by provid- ino- her at different times with convenient places for certain of her things: a cute basket for her small toys, a book-shelf for her books, hooks for her sunbonnet and night-gown, a pocket for her mittens, a corner for her shoes and overshoes, drawers for her clothes, a waste-basket for the waste paper, a lunch- counter for eating her lunch, hooks for her daily clothes when she retires, etc. In this way, by guiding and encouraging the child, orderly habits may be developed without difficulty. A little later on, the child should also learn to provide places for things as well as to keep them in their appro- priate places; but this requires more matur- ity of mind. Never make a machine of the child by the use of the repeated-telling process. Order can never be learned by such a tedious sys- 56 VIOLA OLERICH tcm. Be patient and give the child time and opportunity. XIV Outside Tiifluences We know that not all the ''outside influ- ences" are good. Hence, no matter how highly educated and refined parents may be, the evil influences of the outside world, which still exist, are bound to impress upon the character of the child their obnoxious effects. So far Viola has, however, suffered little if any from pernicious outside influences. As soon as Viola was old enough to go out of doors, we fenced the door-yard. We do not want the reader to understand, however, that we intend to keep Viola fenced in. Far from it. As soon as she is barely old enough to take care of herself outside, she will have the freedom to go where she thinks proper, both during the day and the night. Above all, we desire her to be independent and self-reliant, so as to learn the important lesson that she THE BABY SCHOLAR 57 must always reap the good and evil conse- quences of her own conduct. XV The Nature and Use of Patience Patience is the quality of being calm under toil or trials. Loss of patience means rise of temper. An intelligent view at once reveals the fact that we should always be patient ; that we should never permit our temper to run away with our judgment. Patience is, no doubt, one of the most commendable charac- teristics with which a human being can be endowed. To be patient does, however, not mean to be satisfied with everything as it now exists. It simply means that our judgment should be given the fullest opportunity to pursue the best course in solving the difficulties of life; for a ruffled mind expends mental energy un- necessarily, and can therefore not act so wisely as a calm, patient one. Patience should be inculcated, first, by be- 58 VIOLA OLERICH ing patient ourselves. From this the child learns to be patient by imitation; and, sec- ondly, by showing that patience greatly con- tributes toward increasing our own happiness. XVI Cleanliness It is said that cleanliness is next to godli- ness. However this may be, due cleanliness is, no doubt, one of the most desirable virtues; but, like all other good things, cleanliness may be, and very often is, carried to excess. Viola has always manifested a healthy desire for cleanliness. From the time she was one year old, she very much disliked to have her hands face, and clothes soiled. Sometimes she likes to bathe and be washed; at other times she does not like it so well. We are, however, well pleased with Viola's taste for cleanliness. There is abundant evidence to show that un- der ordinary conditions, a person, but espe- cially a child, can be educated to be either THE BABY SCHOLAR 59 scrupulously clean or allowed to remain dis- gnstingly dirty. At the very earliest age, a child should be taught in a pleasant way the advantages of being able to wash and bathe itself, and to keep, or help to keep its own garments clean. XVII Exercise All known organisms require alternate per- iods of exercise and quiet. Some require more exercise, some more quiet. In the hu- man family, the aged person needs much re- pose, the child much activity. In this respect the old and the young are very unlike, and this dissimilarity produces much hardship and ill-feeling in many families. It too often happens that parents, who are well advanced in years and who do not understand the dis- similar natures of youth and old age, require their children to be as quiet as they are them- selves. Such arbitrary restrictions are, how- 60 VIOLA OLERICH ever, positively injurious to the full and har- monious development of children. On account of this natural diflerence in tem- peraments, parents and children often make each others' lives miserable, simply because they do not understand the laws that govern youth and old age^ respectively. It is not necessary — as many parents seem to think — to send their sons and daughters to some dis- tant gymnasium for proper physical ex- ercise. Free, pleasant play and independent cheerful work of a general nature set in mo- tion more muscles than any other kind of ac- tivity, and are therefore superior to any other kind. Such is not only the best kind of physi- cal exercise, but has at the same time an econ- omic value which gymnastics and calisthenics do not possess. Children, from the time they are babies, should be taken out every day, unless the weather is very unfavorable, and after they are able to walk quite well, they should be ^ i"!a can read and -^li:ipl. a,b|f\. aiKl n doo FIG. 10.- VIOL vs SPELLING PROFIC =?^ lENCY. THE BABY SCHOLAR 61 left free to go out as much as they desire, even during the coldest weather. Under such freedom, Viola, has grown strong and vigorous. Let us not make the mistake to think that children should be as quiet as the eighty-year-old sage. Any per- sistent restriction placed on the spontaneous activity of childhood works an irreparable in- jury to the body and the mind of the child. XVIII The Cause of, and Cure for Pouting Pouting is a fit of sullenness. A pouter, whether child or adult, is a very unpleasant companion. Pouting is either the result of bad social conditions, or of bad training. A pouter pouts for the same purpose as a cry- baby cries ; both of them use their weapon for the purpose of gaining their point; in fact, a pouter is nothing more or less than a modi- fied cry-baby. What is the cause of pouting? All pouters are produced by the lavishment of excessive 62 VIOLA OLERICH paternalism. Perhaps the first time the child shows slight signs of sullenness, the parents begin to coax it, and the more they coax the more vigorously the child pouts; and often before they know it, parents yield to the child's pouts. The child has thus gained its point and has learned the advantages of pouting. It will now soon have its regular pouting cor- ner, and the more attention, talk, sympathy it receives during its pouting fit, the more it will resort to the pout — the weapon to gain its end. The treatment for pouters should be the same as the treatment for cry-babies. Treat them kindly,, speak neither caressingly nor harshly to them, and firmly ignore every symptom of their pouting. This remedy speedily cures the worst pouter. Viola never has shown any symptoms of pouting, and if she were a pouter, we are con- fident that we could soon break the habit. THE BABY SCHOLAR 63 XIX Reveiig'e Revenge is the process of inflicting punish- ment in a spiteful manner. In my judgment, all revenge is not only wrong, but cruel. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is a doc- trine that can not be practiced without violat- ing the fundamental principles of modern civilization. None but unrefined, heartless persons will ever use the weapon of revenge. The origin and growth of the sentiment of revenge is due to a false system of education and training. If we would always treat each other kindly and speak of each other respectfully, the sentiment of revenge would not originate nor develop in children. But, as it is, the child first becomes revengeful by imitation, and further on by the teaching of a false theory, the theory that man can do as he wills in spite of his organization and environ- ment; and that he therefore deserves arbitrary punishment when he does not do as others 64 VIOLA OLERICH think he should do. The existence and devel- opment of revengeful feelings rests on ignor- ance. The ignorant punish the erring, the enlightened pity and reform them. We have not noticed any signs of a re- vengeful nature in Viola, and we trust that she will never be polluted with it. XX Truthfulness Perhaps not one of us claims that we have on all occasions told the whole truth and nothing but the truth; but we all know that some persons deviate from the truth much more than others. What is the motive for ly- ing, and why do some people lie more than others? Is man naturally a liar, or is he nat- urally truthful? and how can children be raised in the path of truthfulness? Every one who has given this subject a thought knows that most of the lying is done for the purpose of getting out of difficulties or bad scrapes. When a child who has broken a THE BABY SCHOLAR 65 window-pane and is sternly questioned by its parents, who believe in scolding and whip- ping, thinks that a falsehood will shield it against these unpleasant treatments, it is strongly tempted to tell a lie in order to "save itself." Parents who treat their children thus will always have liars in their offspring. On the other hand, parents who never make any rough, harsh questions, and who always treat their children with kindness and consid- eration, will seldom be troubled with having liars in the family. When a child does a wrong, we should not send it away with a kick or with cross words, but quietly talk about the accident and tell how the injury or damage must be repaired, endeavoring to instruct the child gently instead of mistreating it. When children are sure of such kind and fair treat- ment, they will not hesitate to bring their troubles and accidents to their parents in a truthful way without their being any need of any awkward inquiries. They then know that 66 VIOLA OLERICH they have nothing to fear, no matter what the wrong or shortcoming may be. Such treat- ment offers a premium on truth, and produces truthful children; the harsh treatment offers a premium on a falsehood, and is bound to produce "story-tellers." So far, Viola has not shown in my presence the slightest signs of desiring to tell a lie, or in any other way to deceive me, and I am quite sure that she never will; for I shall al- ways treat her kindly and gently, no matter what errors she may be guilty of. I shall pur- sue the course of offering the premium on truth, and fear no bad results. XXI Kindness Like adults, some children are kind and others are cruel. Most people attribute this difference to heredity, but I do not accept this theory. On the contrary, I claim that all chil- dren, when properly raised, are kind; but that FIG. 11. -VIOLA TAKING AP. ART THE ELEMENTS OF A FLOWER. THE BABY SCHOLAR 67 if always surrounded by cruelty, they are bound to become themselves cruel. How can kindness be taught most effectu- ally? When should it be taught? The first essential in teaching kindness is to practice it ourselves. When teaching kindness, which we should do at all times in all our words and acts, the following beautiful lines of Cowper should be written in our hearts: "I would not enter on my list of friends, Though graced with polished manners and fine sense. Yet lacking sensibility, the man Who needlessly puts foot on a worm." So far we have been unable to discern any signs of cruelty in the conduct of Viola. We do not kill or abuse anything in her presence, if we can possibly avoid it, not even a worm or a fly. On all proper occasions we praise kindness, and depict the horrors of cruelty, and we feel confident that these lessons of ex- 08 VIOLA OLERICH ample and precept will produce the desired re- sults. XXII Work or Labor In a purely economic sense, all exertions, whether pleasant or unpleasant, which are made for the production of wealth — food, clothing, shelter, and luxuries — is economic labor. Every child should learn to labor, and its career of economic labor should always begin in play, and at the very earliest age pos- sible. When still a mere babe, it should be taught to do little tasks in a playful way. As soon as children are able to walk, they should be- gin to take care of their hats, mittens, toys, etc. A little later, they should learn to wash, bathe, take care of their bed, their bed-room, and their clothes, both soiled and clean. A little later, the child should first learn to cut and sevv^ by making garments for its doll; learn to h.ammer, chop, and saw with its toy THE BABY SCHOLAR 69 tools, etc. In the same manner it should learn to sweep, wash, scrub, dust, cook, manufac- ture things, and do all other useful work as far as possible. All this should be done in a pleasant, cheerful way, giving the laborer the full products of his labor; for that can be the only true incentive for industry. Labor should always be spoken of in the highest terms, and the beneficial results derived from the pro- ducts of labor should be clearly pointed out. XXIII Freedom Exemption from the power and control of others is freedom. The fundamental basis of freedom is that every person has a right to do as he wills, provided he infringes not the equal rights of others. The desire for freedom is, next to the desire for self-preservation, the deepest sentiment that lies within us. There are only two modes of government: self- government and the compulsory government by others. 70 VIOLA OLERICH Viola has perhaps enjoyed a larger range of freedom than any other child that ever lived. What salutary effects this freedom and kind treatment have produced in regard to her physical and mental development, and the formation of what we believe to be a noble character, we shall be pleased to submit to the candid verdict of our readers, after they have perused this little book. XXIV Relig'ioii In matters of religion, we believe that chil- dren should be permitted to make their own choice whenever they see fit to do so. They should have an opportunity to examine the sacred books of as many of the leading reli- gions of the world as possible. This wide and impartial investigation develops the spirit of tolerance and unfolds the idea of the common fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man. This is the course which wc intend to adopt ^ Viola R.os:aTi3 Olerich. Ag-e. lyr, fmo^^<7^d^.; Time, NOV. f% Belfcvy are specimens Qi VioWs best wntiftg- ana ■■' planets and '^atelUtes \viieH '-evented by an Orrerv. Weekly picture \r> , f *_.* FIG. 14. -VIOLA PL.^YING WITH ASTRONOMY. THE BABY SCHOLAR 79 ed on any other stage or platform." — /. 6^. Connally, Manager Mirror Theater. The above are only a few of the many com- mendable notices which Viola has received for exhibiting her wonderful attainments. IV A liist of Leading" Xewspapers and Magazines Articles The following are a few of the many news- papers and magazines, which contain leading illustrated articles about Viola: The Omaha Daily News, July 16, 1900. Children of the United States, for July, 1900. The New England Home Magazine of Boston, April 15, 1900. The Chicago Tribune of January 29, 1900. The Chicago Times-Herald, March 22, 1899, contains the first press notice of \^iola. 80 VIOLA OLERICH The San Francisco Examiner, January 31, 1900, contains a full page descriptive matter and a handsome life size picture of Viola. The St. Louis Sunday Republic, April 16, 1900. The New York Sunday World, January 28, 1900. The New York Sunday Herald, February 18, 1900. The Chicago American, July 8, 1900 (First Sunday edition). The Strand Magazine for August, London edition, contains an interesting article with ten illustrations. The New York Sunday Journal of July 8, 1900, contains one of the latest and most com- plete articles that have so far appeared. The article consists of seven pictures, nearly a full page of descriptive matter, and a facsimile of a type-written letter, which Viola wrote, ad- dressed, and sent to the Journal, ordering the Sunday Journal to be sent to her address at 'v^w I >r 1 1 i-!i«.ifr)da., ; vS., 4. I S ;> '>. II was found by examinanon that Si t> I a knows over !^rtO() nouns, by h.ivinw eitlierthe objects themselves. or the pictures of them placed hciore her, ♦ lixaminers. Vliss V'erna l.umpkin. v\iss v\atty Campbell, of Lake City. Iowa . Sleekly picture No . ^^ J *i> FIG. If). — VIOLA UNDERGOING A SEVERE TEST THE BABY SCHOLAR 81 Council Bluffs, Iowa. Viola not only sub- scribed for the paper, but also earned the money herself, which she remitted for it. This makes her the youngest actual newspaper reader and subscriber in the world. (The End.) bUO l!|[l!till! :iito!tli mm mml ! •1! lf»T f? ihil: ii !i iiijiml! ■H ■]! Mi! 5 Hi 1 ■ 1 ! 1 • I I ; • ■ m\i mill ii! 11 ;ijlU|lL m^ ill mm If lliilliili Hid I !Hi mr m Hi ih pill' ,..,'!{! tin I ii i i! I iiri [I! iinifelhiiu i 1 It i^i pi I m LIBRARY OF CO NG RESS 020 407 642 A m i lijijiiiliiiiiitjiiiiiiiiiiiffliiiiiyiiiiiiiiiijiiiiy I iiili!!!! Hl^llf ; ■ n , ■ ■ i , • = ; , M ' ■ ^ ^ > ' ' J . f - ? HI . . , ■ 1 : m mm ii! Jjliiliiii' jiiiiir H!!!!|HH!Hi^ii!HHi|jj. m iliiiiilliiiiiiillnH- iiiiiiiilii ^nuu ■ t : 1 ? ; 1 r 1 1 1 f ! * ) - ! iijiiiililijiw iijiiii; illH !lJ'nfi^}!5iH5ii!!i|• iHiliiiiii^ JHiH -; ; - 1 V ' • 1 """''-IP '*'lil lllll i |!i,iii!|iiilf Ii p"-'-""--!||||il| l&ii ,11 II ll if 11 4>f