The weekly Arizona miner., 1870-09-24
Thr > N9iner.
CHILDREN.

Nothing, perhaps, strikes a stranger with more surprise, on arriving in Prescott, than the great number of healthy and joyous chil- dren that he sees at every turn. And it IS surprising to us, who have been here from the start. These childEep. Weggee nes-.y y. all born here, native Arizonians. And a healthier, heartier set of little fellows were never seen They do not seem to be afflicted with the many diseases that carry off the little ones in other countries, for very few of them die. In fact, if my memory is not at fault, only two white children have ever died in Prescott or the region roundabout. Our fine mountain air. excellent water, and other influences com bined, tend to produce type of physical beauty and perfection, rarely seen in any otLer country. The boys arc great, hearty, robust, full-chested specimens ofyoung America, over flowing with life and vigor from the start But it is not of the boys that we desire 10 speak, particularly in this article. They are we'll enough, and are made for the rough and tumble ofthe world. Butt is of the girls, the dear, beautiful little girls, that we would speak Big girls are very interesting too, sometimes And we confess to a weakness, if weakness it is, in the way of admiration towards glorious piece of ripe femininity in this neighborhood But what in all the earth is so transcendently beautiful as a bevy of sweet, joyous, happy little girls? In the beautiful language of the poet Montgomery
 "we hold il q religious duty,
 To love and worship children's beauty;
 They've least the taint of earthly clod
 They're tresher from the hand of God.' See them with their lovely smiling faces, vending their way to school, or on Sunday in their neat and clean attire, going to or re- turning from Mrs. Turner's excellent Sabbath school Such picture of health and beauty is nowhere else to be seen this side of the "shining shoren They need not the chemists art to beautify their complexion, for nature has painted her own roses on their cheeks See the round, plump forms, and the full, ex- banded chests, observe the queenly gait, be- tokeniDg the straight, well-Tounded limb See the soft and beautiful light beamng from their radiant eyes, telling of pure and stain less soul within. And here is the beautiful maiden, in that most critical period of her life between childhood and womanhood, as Long. fellow beautifully expresses it:
 Standing with reluctant feet,
 Where the brook and river meet
 Maidenhood and childhood fleet
 Hearst thou voices on the shore
 Which our ears perceive moro,
 Dcafened by tue cataracts roary
 See'st thou shadows passing by,
 As the dove with startled eye,
 Sees the falcons shadow fly
 Oh thou child of many prayers,
 Life hath quicksands, life hath snares,
 Care and age come uuawares.
 Like the swell of some sweet tune.
 Morning rises into noon,
 May glides onward into June
 Keep through sorrow, wrong and ruth,
 On thy heart the dew of youth,
 On thy lip the smile of truth"
 Beautiful girls How pleasant it would b if you could always remain children. Bu that cannot be. Life with its trials its sor rows and disappontments is before you, an, you cannot expect to escape them all. Ma, good Angels guard you on your way unti you are transplanted to that happy lan where the inhabitants never grow old, an, the flowers bloom forever. W.JB