Ideals make men and women and the process of ideal making begins in
childhood. A great deal has been written and said about the value of the
early ideals born in the home, but too much cannot be said, and the
value of the influence of good homes and parents whose ideals are high
cannot be overestimated. The girl whose home life during the first seven
years has not brought to her the high ideal must struggle all her later
life to build up and intrench in her mind what might have been hers
without conscious effort. Very early in her life the little girl reveals
in her play, in her conversation, in her countless imitative acts, the
ideals which are being formed.

One day a little four year old told a lie in my presence. Her mother
looking the child straight in the eyes, said, "Did Esther tell true?"
For a moment the child wavered then nodded her head and said, "Yes,
Esther tell true." The mother simply said, "Very well" in the coldest
of tones. After a moment the little girl turned to her dolls. She took
them to a party, brought them safely back and carefully tucked them into
bed. Then she sat quietly looking at them. Finally she took one from the
group, placed it in the little chair, very straight and said "Look at
me! Did 'oo tell true? 'Oo _didn't_ tell true. Naughty girl." A sigh
followed. Then slowly Esther came over to her mother, ignoring my
presence. Her lips quivered and smoothing her mother's hand she said
sadly, "Esther didn't tell true. Naughty, naughty girl." The little girl
at four years of age had her ideal of a good girl and she acted
according to its dictation. She must "tell true." At fourteen she is a
remarkably truthful girl and very accurate in her statements. Through
fear, that mother as a child had become untruthful and in later years
had a bitter struggle with the temptation to sacrifice the truth to save
herself any annoyance. She determined to give to her own little daughter
an ideal of the beauty of truth which should save her, and she