War, with which the walls of his father's study were hung, and
although left entirely by himself he had become intensely excited and
exhausted by the eagerness with which he had spent a whole morning,
with a wealth of imaginative force, in drawing a map of the garden of
his house and converting it into the likeness of a war map, filled
with imaginary Army Corps. Such excessive expenditure of nervous force
is unusual even in older children, and as in this case is found
usually only when there is a pronounced nervous inheritance. In little
children in the nursery, solitary play or play between themselves
seldom produces nervous exhaustion. It is quite otherwise when the
child is dependent to a too great extent upon the participation of
adults. It is almost impossible for the mother and nurse not to take
the leading part in the exchange of ideas, and no matter what may be
their good intentions, the pace set is apt to be too great.
Environment, without the intrusion of the adult mind, is best able to
adjust the necessary stimulus and produce development without
exhaustion. Play with grown-up persons, the reading aloud of story
books, the showing of pictures, and so forth, undoubtedly have their
own importance, but they should be confined within strict limits and
to a definite hour in the daily routine. There is sometimes too great
a tendency for parents to make playthings of their little children.
Save at stated times, they must curb their desire to join in their
games, to gather them in their arms, to hold them on their knee, while
they stimulate their minds by a constant succession of new
impressions. With an only child, whose existence is the single
preoccupation of the nurse and mother, and, often enough, of the
father as well, it is difficult to avoid this fault. Yet, if wisdom is
not learnt, the damage to the child may be distressingly serious. He
rapidly grows incapable of supporting life without this excessive
stimulation. Without the constant society and attention of a grown