Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1871-08-05
Some Thoughts on kindergarten.
BY EMMA c. wHIPPLE.
NUMBER FOUR,

l hope the "Trotty Book" by Eliza.
beth Stuart Phelps, is familiar TO your
readers. "Trotty" himself is, thanks to
the love and wisdom which doeth all
thinks well known everywhere, and
everywhere may be described in the
terms used by his biographer, Miss
Phelps
Grandmother says that he is a little
pink daisy his brother Max rronounces
him humbug Lii insists that he is a
monkey ; and his mother will have it
that he is dew-drop Biddy inclines
to the belefthat he is a blessing Patrick
denominates him the plague of his lite ;
while Cousin Ginevra, who has been to
boarding. school aud wears long curls.
has several times informed me that he ia
such little darling. At any rate, what.
ever he is. he had seen the May flowers
grow pink, and tie taSsels of silk hang
from ;he rustly corn, aud the blood-rcd
maple leaves fail, and the snow-hakes
melt on his pretty pink hand three time.
1t is great temptation to continue
quoting from this ifr-like description of
a bright child, whose free, happy life has
been as little spoiled as possible with an.
necessary restrictions, and whose selfac-
tivi'y had, even at that early age. led
him into namberlrss cataslrophes which
came very near being tragedies. i am
confident no surer cure for the dyspepsia
exists than the reading of the "Trotty
Book l have both taken and admins
:ered this prescription, and say 10 vour
readers. try it. Bnt wish to make q
use of 'Trotty' which his bioyrapher
ne, er had view. Trotty, the irrepressi.
Bile, in his first four years, has quite put
his mother to her wits end to know how
to manage him. She begins to fear he
will be Ounce, and attempts to teach
him to spell, by means of blocks with
letters on them. The history of her at.
tempts in that line will find many n
parallel, and her decision to send him. as
last resort, 20 Miss Pumpkins school.
is the history Cf thousands of mothers
who have felt that they were not equal
to the task of finding healthy, happy,
rollicking four-year-old any occupation
which was not likely to end in mischief,
and have sent the little ones to school as
the only safe place. Miss Pumpkins
school is quite as uuobjeclionable as the
larger number o scho lis a'e very Young
children, but all that Trotty gets out of
his first days experience may be explain
ed by the closing dialogue, on the dis.
covery of some of the pieces of mischief
which have been perpetrated by poor
Trotty during his first morning at school.
Miss Pumpkin says, gravely:
you have made me great deal of
trouble this morning. Yoa must ieayn
that little boys can not play in school.
You may take your little rocking.chaiv
and go and sit alone, over there by the
door, till call yop,'
We do not wonder that .he next thing
which happens is, that Miss Pumpkin
finds the little rocking-chair empty! that
Trotty is flying bomeward. and In reply
TO his grandmother's surprised exclama-
tion, why, Trotty, school can't be out
yet, you have not been gone an hour =
that Trotty should have come to the con,
clusions which he proceeded to express
thus;
'Oh, don't knows | care if haven't.
don't like going to school, ending his
fHulItldliOu vi ISdsOlS lOT SuCH COnClu-
sions by, Il guess | b'lieve I'd rather
grow up a Ounce
Dear little Trotry! Your experience
has been that of legions of Trottys, but
if it had CHANGED to be a Kindergarten
to which your baby steps were turned on
that eyentful morning, how differently
the record your biosrapher would
read. II the teacher of our imagined
kindergarten should, in good degree,
have resembled the ideal of the beloved
Froebel, whose name / hope some day
little children shall be taught to lisp
with blessings, how different would
have been your report 10 the grand.
mother who so tenderlY sympathized in
all your joys and sorrows, You would
have told her of the teachers loving
greeting of the sweet little hymn the
children sang:
'From the far blue heaven,
Where the angels dwell,
God looks down on children
Whom be loves SO well !"
then of the pretty flowers of the little