Part 10 (1/2)

When we think that children of their age (about four and a half), when left to the objects al either sohly to order, we shall recognize the internal perfection achieved in these two little ones, who have arrived at that stage of development in which work has beco acquisition

The anthropometric measurements had shown that one of the children, _O_, was north of torso) and the other, _A_, below the normal measurements

Here are some notes made by the teacher on the conduct of these two children when they were in the state of disorder, or undisciplined:

_O_: violent, turbulent, spiteful to his co, but looks on at what the others are doing and then interrupts theiven by the teacher with a scornful and cynical expression The father of the child says that at ho, and intractable

_A_: is quiet But he has al out to the teacher every little action thator incorrect

Both of the children are very poor _O_ is alment_ the teacher was enabled to form of these two children after they had reduced themselves to order by means of work:

_O_: all the turbulence shown by _O_ in his hole for bread; the father, as very poor, but also neglectful, denied the child bread; the child did not resign hiled constantly, with all the means at his disposal, in order to obtain his portion of bread When the teacher asked the father why he denied the child bread, he replied: ”Because, when he has eaten it, he asks for roup, fro over everything, because he was struggling to win his spiritual food after the sa will to live: self-preservation seely developed tendency

When his life was assured, the child becaentle, but re He was the child who, in his joy when he had learned or coly at his coers Whereas for the other children who had entered into the phase of order or discipline, the teacher's note is: ”work,” for _O_ the note is: ”work and kindness”

Before the daily hottheir own luncheons, which varied very enerously provided, and had meat, fruit, etc _O_ was seated next to one of these The table was set, and _O_ had nothing to put upon his plate but the piece of bread he had so strenuously acquired; he glanced at his neighbor as if to regulate himself by the time the latter would take over his reat dignity he tried to eat his piece of bread very slowly, in order that he ht not finish before the other, and thusmore to eat while the other was still busy He nibbled his bread slowly and seriously

What a sense of his own dignity--subduing the desires of an appetite exposed to teether with his sense of the fundamental needs of his own life, by which he was ile and to conquer as ”necessary” And there was further that exquisite sensibility, which manifested itself in the affectionate expression of his eneral tenderness which looked for no return

A very reht have expected to find ill-nourished, gave nore Born in poverty and neglect, he had defended himself; the normality of his body was due to an heroic effort

_A_: this child was always calm and quiet; he very soon entered upon the phase of active, ordered, willing and thorough work He applied himself with intense earnestness and perseverance He would be the type of the clever, well-behaved child of the ordinary school Very often he caoodness_ had a _positive_ character which becaer to hireatly by the means of psychical life that were offered him, but he would never have been able to conquer theoodness continued to be of the same type after as before the period of order; he showed neither agitation nor expansion His anthropological measurements, which were below the nore with the gait of the victied to the company of those ”who must be saved by others”

The characteristichim, noticed that the child did not work simply like the others, but ca ell or ill done And this not only during his ith the materials, but also in reference to every act of a reat preoccupation see Then he endeavored to do right with thetendencies, the teacher noted the child never showed any animosity towards his companions; he watched them attentively, and then proceeded to say of theht or wrong? The child was then careful to avoid what had been pronounced ”wrong” in others

What appeared to be his spying proclivities were, in fact, a manifestation of the probleht and wrong The limited experience of his own life did not suffice him; he wanted to benefit by the experience of all the others in order to learn what things were right and rong; al that absorbed hi, and as if this were his sole aspiration The case of this child recalls a popular superstition expressed in such terood to live” The child _A_ seeested The needs of the body did not greatly concern hioodness was theIf society does not note such dispositions, and assume the special protection of such frail lives, children of this type go forward to pre heavenwards

These two accounts, due to Signorina Maccheroni's observation, correct a superficial judgment which, in an ordinary school, would have become a permanent record of character: the one child would have been branded as _violent_, the other as a _spy_

If we call that science which led to the translation of these words into _hero_ and _angel_, and touched so many hearts in the vicinity of these two children, when they had been interpreted by their wonderful instructress, we shall be able to assert that ”the judge” Theis here illustrated

”Psychical action,” then, starts from a principle which may be translated thus: ”that the child lives” All the rest comes as a consequence

This action of fundamental life manifests itself as a _polarization_ of the internal personality: almost at a point of crystallization, around which, provided there be hoeneous material and an undisturbed environment, _the definitive form composes itself_

This initial action is a task _repeated_ with a special intensity of attention

Inforuide to psychological observations,” founded upon the synthetical conception which I have sought to illustrate Those who have not been _initiated_ into this uide, which lies entirely outside the conceptions of psychological study now obtaining in connection with the observation of pupils But those who have been initiated will understand it without the aid of illustration