After some months pursuing this plan, the limbs
will be found no longer deformed, the bones to have acquired firmness
and the muscles strength; and the child may be permitted to get upon
his feet again without any hazard of perpetuating or renewing the evil.
The best mode of teaching a child to walk, is to let it teach itself,
and this it will do readily enough. It will first crawl about: this
exercises every muscle in the body, does not fatigue the child, throws
no weight upon the bones, but imparts vigour and strength, and is thus
highly useful. After a while, having the power, it will wish to do
more: it will endeavour to lift itself upon its feet by the aid of a
chair, and though it fail again and again in its attempts, it will
still persevere until it accomplish it. By this it learns, first, to
raise itself from the floor; and secondly, to stand, but not without
keeping hold of the object on which it has seized. Next it will balance
itself without holding, and will proudly and laughingly show that it
can stand alone. Fearful, however, as yet of moving its limbs without
support, it will seize a chair or anything else near it, when it will
dare to advance as far as the limits of its support will permit. This
little adventure will be repeated day after day with increased
exultation; when, after numerous trials, he will feel confident of his
power to balance himself, and he will run alone.
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