Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-12-24
Amusing children.

As the cold weather advances, and the
little ones are obliged more and more to
seek amusement IN doors, the mother
looks around for ample sources Of enter
tainment to keep the busy fingers en-
ployed, yet out of mischief. If she can
have her family room in perfect order,
with four or FIVE children playing round
and happy all the time, she is very re-
markable woman, and the secret of her
management would be worth knowing.
II seems to be necessary, in order to
keep the tempers of the little ones un-
ruffled, that chairs should stand upside
Gown, toys be scattered hither and yon,
and offerings continually made to the
Goddess of Disorder or laid on the shrine
of chaos. The smashing of cups plates,
window panes, playthings, lamps and
doll heads is also essential to their per
feet felicity. Allowances should be made
for all these things, just as is made for
their growth when new clothes are cut
out for them. .B
One corner of the sitting room or
kitchen should be given up to the chill
dren, where they may have liberty to do
everything not absolutely sinful. A
peck of clean sand in tight box, with
a funnel and tin cups, is capable of CIV
ing some children a great deal of pleas
ure. Hammer and tacks, with bar of
soap instead of wood, are all good things
for boys. An ounce of parti-colored
beads, doled out a few at a time, with
needle and thread to string them, will
amuse most little girls or boys for many
hours. Slate and pencil, or paper and
pencil, with a set of cheap drawing
cards for models, are very fascinating to
children four or five years old. A set of
building blocks, costing from one to
three dollars, is an excellent investment
for bevy of juveniles. 5a t.i Dad
Investment of some sort there must
be, if peace and quiet are to be pre-
served, either of money In the purchase
of toys, or of time in making them, or
greater than all, of patience and good
temper in bearing the penalties that the
parent must suffer who makes no ade-
duate provision for keeping idle hands
ont Of the mischief that Satan will surely
find for them to do. Dolls, tea sets,
hobby horses, picture books-these are
as indispensable in the nursery as are
milks, cribs and fannels. There must
also be due proportion of finger marks
on the doors, thumps on little heads,
scratches and bruises on little bodies, to
make up the perfect round Of child l:sse
The mother may fancy that she will
be happier when her boys and girls are
grown from under her constant watchful-
ness; but the general testimony is that
the period Of piaythings, of measles and
whooping-cough, Of walking-stiek horses
and tongs and poker ponies is happiest
for the mother and often for the child.
When her offspring are all about her,
their noise may distract, their ineessant
wants weary the mother, but she does
not worry over them as when, later in
life. they 90 she knows not where, and
they do she knows not what II is best,
therefore, to enjoy the period Of infancy
and chiidhood as i passes, Numbering
only its Joys, aud forgetting its annoy
auces, smoothing rugged paths for ten
der feet, and helping young hearts TO
choose the good, and growing minds 10
seek and love true wisdom.