St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-02-28
Let Them Amuse Themselves.
BY HENRY WARD RFF'UER.

BY HENRY WARD Rec HER.
In old fashioned times. BOYS and girls
were left to their own wits tnr anrusc-
mcnt>. nor do think that this was u
very bad thing to he left with. lncvrI
20 into Il t"y->hop. especially one of
those magazines in New York. where
ten thousand toys are hcapcd together.
without pitylng the modern family.
Once the dear old aunt promised the
little girl that if she would he good She
-h"uld have IL doll made for her. Al
ready she had had little thin and rIimk-
ly paper dolls. and picture dolls on
states. and handkerchief dolls folded
and pinned. which could ht opened out
again on pressing need. to the us,.S of a
handkerchief.
But there shall hc Il hran-new doll.
set apart and c"n>rcratcd t" the high
ends of doll life. and it shall have ewes.
and n">c aud mouth. marked OH with
ink. and set forth i'll the sight of all
men and girls. The JOYS of anticipa-
ti"n almost equal the rapture Of p">>rS-
sion.
At length the creative work is done.
and the little girl comes int" possession
of Il cotton doll stuffed with hlam. and
the face brought ont in ink in Il manner
that would make an old Egyptian hero
glyrhic dance with envy. \ hit of
well-w0rm calico. ten yeal> ago flaming
new. in Il dress that excited cmN,. il
shred of wUrn-out lace. Il scrap or two
of ribbon these aIc the whole stock in
the child'S hand
But what joy do they produce, Nh.
no poet has Yet sung one "l the %entlc>t.
richest. and most fruitful of earthly
.ioIs-thc Joy OF Il pctlnving girl. with
her first real doll. Sacred gcogiaphcr>
have long searched for the position of
Eden. We don't know about the old
one. but the door of your paradise l.
placed not fII from the corner where
the little girl has laid hen doll to rest
Her Imagination supplies all that l.
lacking. This l. not Il corner of Il g.ll-
ret. non Il nook i'll the closet 1t i Il
splendid room. Those me not cob
webs. but tapestry hamgng>. Those
bits of crockcry-i> there in Dc>lcu ul
ScVrcS manufactures amy ware 50 fine
in their eyes as this delf iS in the little
girls
But now-a-dayS childfcn are buried
down under the loads of toN> which are
upset upon them. Dolls IN one little
girls treasury house | can count twelve
small dolls. large dolls. china dolls
wax dolls. with eyes that move. and
eyes that don't. speaking dolls. creep
ing dolls, black dolls. and white and
pink chairs. and doll sets of china.
and beds, bureaus. stoves. houses. ear
riage, wago.I, and whcclbHroW till the
very inventory becomes burdcn>ome.
DO not children enjoy these! Ger
tainly. But no more than aforctme
children enjoyed the home made and
scanty provision for amusement. 1t is
the creative faculty i'll children that
furnishes them their chief delight.
If the imagination is killed by the
superabundant supply, it has no chance
to create. All is done forit. This sup
preston of imagination by oVerloading
is not confined to amusement. 1t is Il
deadly sin in art. literature. teaching.
oratory and all other departments which
have for their object the moving of
mems thoughts.
a chest of tools-not too manv-is II
far better present to lad than cart
load of wagons, machines, and finished
things. No boy ever flew Il kite that he
had bought with half the pleasure that
he experiences to see the work Of his
own hands rising heavemward.
Some of our happiest hours were
spent in damming up IL brook. We
toIled at stones, we burdened ourselves
with loads, we worked for days and
days, at spare hours. III laying the ledge
across the stream, in stutfing III clods.
i'll adjusting boards to carry il sheet ont
as waterfall, and in hundred wrig- T.
giles of ingenuity that were an intense
pleasure, at the same time that they |
were stirring up ingenuity and serving
as Il real education.
a good knife and ball of twine is il
good enough capital. Let the boy make
his kite, make his baseball, make his
sled, make his bat, his ladder. All
true pleasure consists in the creative
activity of the human faculties
STR up boys and girls to amuse them
selves. Then amusement becomes ii
to education.-N. y. Leader. |