And you are sweet and charming as usual, to tell me that your popularity with children and parents, is greatly due to that letter of mine.

What you write me of the young girl who is making you so much trouble by her jealousy of all other pupils, interests and saddens me.  Her devotion to you is of that morbid type, so unwholesome and so dangerous to her peace, and the peace of all her associates.  It is a misfortune that mothers do not take such traits in early babyhood, and eradicate them by patient, practical methods.  Instead, this mother, like many others, seems to think her little girl should be favoured and flattered because of her morbid tendency.

She mistakes selfishness, envy, greediness, and hysteria for a loving nature.

I can imagine your feelings when this mother told you with a proud smile, “Allie always wants the whole attention of any one she loves, and cannot stand sharing her friends.  She was always that way at home.  We never could pet her little brother without her going into a spasm.  And you must be careful about showing the other children attention before her.  It just breaks her heart—­she is so sensitive.”

Oh, mothers, mothers, what are you thinking about, to be so blind to the work put in your hands to do?

You have little time comparatively to work upon this perverted young mind:  but under no conditions favour her, and, no matter what scenes she makes, continue to give praise and affection to the other children when it is their due.  The prominence of her parents in the neighbourhood, and the power her father wields in the school board, need not worry you.  Go ahead and do what is best for the child and for the school at large.  Never deviate one inch from your convictions.  Take Allie some day to a garden where there are many flowers, and talk to her about them.  Speak of all their different charms, and gather a bouquet.  Then say to her, “Now, Allie, you and I love each of these pretty flowers, and see how sweetly they nestle together in your hand.  Not one is jealous of the other.  Each has its place, and would be missed were it not there.  The bouquet needs them all.  Just so I need all the dear children in my school, and just so I would miss any one.  It makes me ashamed to think any little girl is more selfish and unreasonable than a plant, for little girls are a higher order of creation, and we expect more of them than we expect of plants or of animals.  All are parts of God, but the human kingdom is the highest expression of the Creator.

“When you show such jealousy of other children I lose respect for you, and cannot love you as much as I love them.  When you are gentle and good, and take your share of my love and attention, and let others have their share, then I am proud of you and fond of you.  Suppose one plant said to the sunlight that it must have all the sun, would not that be ridiculous and selfish?”

I would make frequent references to this idea when alone with her, and indeed it would serve as an excellent subject for a talk to all your pupils some day.  Then try and make Allie understand how unbecoming and unlovable jealousy is, and how it renders a man or woman an object of pity and ridicule to others.