The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-11-26
Human Twigs.

If you would have your children grow
up strong and robust, you must require
them to be regular in their habits and
careful of their diet. Do not allow them
to eat rich and highly seasoned food at any
time, and forbid all "dainties between
meals. If they are hungry-as no doubt
they often are-before meal-time, give
them a slice of good bread and butter.
This is sufficient apd can do them no
harm. They need plain, nutritious food.
If you icU give them candy, nuts. cake,
ETC., let it be in very small quantities at
time-the less the better.
Children are naturally so very active,
they require a good deal of sleep: put
them to bed early: if they are inclined to
be timid, do not compel them to go to bed
in the dark-they may be kept awake a
long time through fear. You need not think
of the light as a useless expense and SINH
lar reasons, for children who go to bed
feeling well in mind and body will drop
to sleep in from five to ten minutes, when
the light may be removed. Do not tell
your children wild, tragical stories of
hairbreadth escapes from wolves, bears,
Indians, etc. / recollect book in our
school-district library which l used to
hear my older brothers and sisters read.
The stories and pictures it contained really
haunted me. l would dream of them
night after night, often waking up terri
bly, frightened If you wish to tell them
stories, let them be entertaining, and such
as will leave pleasant remembrance, if
any. Children must be amused if they
have something to amuse them, they will
not be so much inclined to mischief; yet
too many playthings are worse than none.
In this case, they do not appreciate them,
and consequently destroy them. A little
boy will often leave room full of toys
for an old hammer, a piece of board, and
a nail; or little girl will leave all for
her doll. As soon as little girl is old
enough to handle thread and needle,
keep her supplied when she wants them.
Do not give her needles with broken
points, worn-out scissors, thread too coarse
for her needle, etc, but just as good as
you use yourself; these things try the
patience of grown people, to say nothing
of child. Give her pretty pieces OF
goods, such as are found in every house /;
encourage her to cut and make her dolls
clothing. When she comes and asks you
to do it for her, give her only hints, and
let her do the work herself. unless you see
she has really tried and failed, then by all
means give her little assistance. In this
way you will learn her to be selfrely'ng
and ingenious.
Give children occasionally some little
piece of work: nothing pleases them more
than to be able to do something that big
folks" do; but do not overtax them by
compelling them to tend the baby, rock
the cradle, ETC., for any great length of
time. l believe many little girl has been
injured for life by being compelled to take
care of their younger brothers and sisters.
We cannot be too careful in measuring
their strength.
A little boy is generally servant to the
whole household; he runs of all the er-
rands, and in the end gets the credit of
"doing nothing" Be careful how you say
this. You will find, if you make a close
calculation, that he has, perhaps, taken
twice the number of steps of any one else
in the house during the day. You may
not see the work accomplished, but he has
worked faithfully, notwithstanding. Do
not wound his feelings by saying he has
done nothing, until you have well consid-
cred the matter.
If Ae of your children has something
,uioa him-say, for instance, fruit,
HQu feel willing for him to
ndivide it among the
grow TO feel that
nry unless they
n faxx, fiy,,ac