"Just think, all this, and is but thirty six years old.
"America had ought to be proud to have such a smart man."
From the ideals presented through the teaching of the home, the street, the newspaper, and the school, children are constantly selecting certain qualities to be emulated in their own lives. As Chart II indicates, the child's ideal must first of all be good, and to the majority of the younger children this goodness must manifest itself in some form directly benefiting themselves.
"My mamma, because she is so good and buys me clothes and shoes and hats," "My father because he is kind and gives me many things" "My aunt, because she is so kind and good. Because she lets me wheel the baby"—these papers show the original meaning of goodness. Conversely, whatever means goodness to the child must be a characteristic of his ideal.
Girls of ten write: "I want to be like George Washington because he was always good. He always kept his books clean and he loved his mother and father. George Washington obeyed his parience. He loved his parience too."
"I would like to be like Queen Elizabeth. The reason why I would like to be like her is because she was kind to everybody."
And a boy of eight writes: "I want to be like a king. Because he don't tell lies or do bad things"
As the reference of goodness to self disappears in the older children, we find it supplanted by either rectitude of life, or, still more commonly, by altruistic deeds for the benefit of humanity at large. A ten-year-old boy wants to be like his father, "For the reason that he does not drink and is honest" Boys of thirteen desire to be like George Washington, "Because he was so brave and honest, and he never told a lie" "He never did anything that he thought wasn't right and he did lots of good in the world" "He was always good to his men" Girls show more commonly than boys an appreciation of altruism.
Typical papers are the following:
Girl of eleven: "I would like to be as George Washington was, for he was good. He never told an untruth and helped other people whenever he could. I do'nt care very much if I am por or not, if I can only be as good as he was"
Girl of twelve: "Clara Barton, because she has done so much good in the world. She has taken care of the poor and has gone far away to help people. And so I wish I was as good as her, she has done so much for other people and is so kind to them"
Girl of thirteen: "I have heard a little about a girl and her teacher Miss Sullivan. She is a very good lady becuse she teaches a girl who is blind, deaf and mute, and can do most any school work
