Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-02-12
Let Them Amuse Themselves.
ny HENRY WARD BEEcnER.

In old fashioned times boys and girls
were left to their own wits for amusement,
nor do | think that this was a very bad
thing to be left with. never 90 into a
toy-shop, especially one Of those magazines
10 New York, where ten thousand toys are
hearod together without pityiDg the modern
family.
Ouce the dear old aunt promised the it,.
tie girl that if she would be good she should
have a doll made for her. Already she
had had little thin and crinkly paper dolls,
and picture dolls on states, and handker.
chief dolls folded aud pinned. which could
be opened out sgain ou pressing need, to
the uses Of handkerchief.
But there shall be brand new doll, set
apart and cousecrated to the high euds Of
doll lile aud it ,hsll have eyes aud nose
aud mouth, marked on with iunk. and sot
forth in the sight Of all men and girls. The
joys of anticipation almost equal the rap
ture Of possession.
At length the creative work is done, and
the little girl comes into possession Of a cot
ton doll stuffed with bran, and the face
brought out in ink, in manner that would
make an old Egyptian hieroglyphic dance
with envy. A bit Of well worn calico, ten
years ago flaming new, in a dress that ex-
cited envy, a shred Of worn out lace,
scrap or two of ribbon-theso are the whole
stock in the childs hand.
But what joy do they produce All :
no poet has yet sung one Of the gentlest
richest, and most fruitful of earthly Joys
the joy Of pet loving little girl, with
her first real doll. Sacred geograpbys
have long been searched for the position Of
Eden. We don't know about the old one,
but the door Of the young paradise is
placed not far from the corner where the
little girl has laid her doll to rest. Her
Imagination supplies all that is lacking. -
This is not a corner Of garret, nor a nook
in the closet 1t is a splendid ROOM
Those are not cobwebs, but tapestry hang
ings Those bits Of crockery--is there in
Dresden or Seyres manufactures any ware
so fine in their eyes as this delf is in the
ltfle girls ?
But nowadays children are buried down
under the loads Of toys 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, creeping dolls, black dolls
and white and pink-with chairs, and doll
sets Of China, and beds, bureaus, stoves
houscs, carriage, wagon, and wheelbarrow
till the very inventory becomes burden
some.
DO not children enjoy these ? Certainly
But no more than oitentimes children en-
joyed the homemade and scanty provision
for amusement 1t is the creative faculty
in children that furnishes them with theil
chief delight.
If the imagination is killed by the super.
abundant supply, it has no chance to ere
ate. All is done for it, This suppression
Of Imagination by overlooking is not con.
fined to amusement. 1t is a deadly sin in
art, literature, teaching, oratory, and all
other departments which have for their OBJ
ject the moving OF men thoughts.
A chest of toos-not too many-is far
better present to lad than a cart load oi
wagons, machines and finished things. Nc
boy ever flew a kite that he had bought
with half the pleasure that he experiences
to see the work of bis own hands rising
heavenward.
Some Of our happiest hours were spen
in damming up brook. We toiled a
stones, we burdened ourselves with loads
we worked for days and days, at SPAR
hours, in laying the iedge stones across tn,
stream in stufiing in clods, in adjustiu!
boards, to carry a sheet out as waterfall
and in hundred wriggles Of ingenuity tina
were an intense pleasure, at the same tim
that they were stirring up ingenuity an'
serving as a real education.
good knife and ball Of twine is
good enough capital. Let the boy max
his kite, his baseball, make his sled, max
his bat, his ladder. All true pleasure con
sists in the creative activity of the huma
faculties.
Stir up girls and boys to amuse them
selves. Then amusement becomes a hand
maid to education.-N. Y. Leader.