"Large parties given to very young children... foster the passions of vanity and envy, and produce a love of dress and display which is very repulsive in the character of a child"

This quote by Susanna Moodie suggests that large parties offered to extremely young children can have an unfavorable effect on their character. She thinks that these parties can cultivate the enthusiasms of vanity and envy, which can lead to a love of gown and screen. This love of dress and display is seen as being really repulsive in the character of a child. Moodie is recommending that these parties can have a destructive effect on the development of a kid's character, as they can result in the child ending up being overly focused on their look and product belongings. She is warning against the threats of these parties, as they can lead to a child becoming overly vain and jealous, which can be harming to their character.