The Hickman courier., 1873-07-26
/. Even the defects of parental

parents are strong and Selt-poSSeSSed
and protecting and just and friendly
but when the child goes out into the
world he will find it different, unjust,
reckless. How can he bear the transi-
ton from the warm atmosphere of home
to the cool, not to say biting, airs of
this new sphere But the wise, self
restrained, helping adults do not con-
stitute all of home. Again and again
comes little baby more helpless, ig-
norant, appealing then the helpless
ignorant and appealing child The three
year-old Immediately constitutes her
self mother superior to the three-day-
old. The same lovely, helpful t-''tS
which she calls forth in her par, uO'a'
baby calls. forth in her. Chm s...--szss-.';s:
to each Sshat thas aIltssi.slLs Is -
t6 Their S5drents. HoedTess, heaulong
children become careful and cautious
when the baby wanders into their play
ground. The boy who howls and
storms and raves because his mother
will not yield to his wish and whim will
himself yield to the whims of the tiny
sister left while in his charge. and
coax and cajole and induce not only
with marvellous patience, but with
wisdom and tact of which you had
never suspected him to be capable.
Thank Heaven for the quarrels of the
children Thus they learn the balance
of power before they leave the nursery.
Perhaps his father viii not allow Char
ley to be punished, but if he strikes
Kitty, Kitty strikes back, and with
blind fury, So he learns to curb his
temper in spite of his father. The
trouble is that parents too often inter
fere when it would be much better to
leave the children to fight it ont. But
Charley is stronger than Kitty, and
hurts her. True, but it is very impor-
tant that Kitty should learn to measure
herself, and to know that If she filings
herself rashly against superior power
she will be beaten. Besides keeping a
general supervision of eyes and bones,
let us not exercise too close a watch.
The outcry and clamor are not soothing
or musical considered merely as sounds,
but when you classify them as the fTic-
ton of souls gtriving to adjust them
selves to the relations of life, they are
far from annoying. Let the children
alone. The brothers impatience may
better discipline the offender than the
father patience. The sisters quick,
effective resentment is more like the
worlds ways than the mothers loving
endurance. The slap that promptly
follows encroachment is a good practi-
cal lesson in human rights. Be not too
hasty to forbid the little children to
/ beat and box and tease and scold and
scratch each other into a respect for
ownership, for sensitiveness, into dig
nifed self-control, and even, at length,
an1o a profound ana universal DenevO-
! lence. Gait hamilton.
CHRONICLES OF THE CHILDRES.-It is
certain not many of us are called to
stand on the high places of authorship.
/ Few are those whose brows are barred to
the breezes that blow from the summit
of Parnassus, and, mayhap, it is the
very kindest fate that places us in the
sheltered, restful valley below for of
/ tentimes the winds blow cold and chill
over the lofty pes ks, and the snow lies
on the montain tops, while summer sun
shine sleeps below. But in one sense L
think we mothers should all be authors.
What book can compare with the Won
derful unfolding of those little soul
buds which open slowly and marvellous
ly before our very eyes What story
charm like the record of those small
child-lives which are daily taking to
themselves form and color and sub
stance? =? And then it is not bit tor the
public, this book / would have you
write. No critic shall spy out an er-
ring mood or tense, or flaw in your in
nocent rhetoric for it is home-book,
conseerated to its four square walls, and
the snug circle therein. 1t is only the
little story of your own Mary and
Willie, with all the everyday lights and
shadows, and not at all for effect, but
only to keep in your mind the changing
semblance of your little ones before it is
gone beyond recall. We forget so east
ly, life runs by, and ere we know it we
have lost the clinging baby; lost the
wee Willie of meddlesome feet and in
quiring fingers lost TIE gleam of little
Mary's shining hair playing hide-and-
seek behind the currant- bushes lost
the queer little speeches, the quaint
ideas, the long, bright, busy days ol
their childhood. You have a matronlJ
woman for your child, business mar
for your boy, but the children never
more. There is such little volume ly
ing perdu in our bookcase. Tt is th'
most unassuming of blank books, bu
inside is the simplest, sweetest story o
, all the world to me- There all the di
Whiting little things the children hav'
said are treasured up to laugh owe
sometime when the boys sport mus
taches and the girls long dresses
Here the home merry -makings, the nut
tings, the wood hunts, the birthda,
6 parties, the christmas-trees, the littl
: journeys, are told in words which, a
they were written down at the time
have caught the aroma of the differen
Fdays, so that they shall be small mir
, rors for memory to recall glimpses @
! their child-lifeto, may be, I hope, grow
: men and women. Interspersed ar
photographs, for the most part take
. each birthday, and locks of hair, " Jen
! nie's at two years. y " Harry's at four,
and saddest of all, if there be anon
the group a sweet face which, unknow
: ing to us, may be marked for heaven
how precious the record of herr dali
. life photographed along its pages ho'
. sweet the lispings of her childish tongu
! as they come back to us IN her very ow
:, words They know nothing of it yet
the children, but, 1 fancy, some winte
evening, in decade not yet born, whe
/. the snow is falling silently outside, giN
ing that subtle feeling of isolation an
e content which a great snow-storl
brings, when we sit about CLOWN
CRATE, and the nuts and apples hay
: gone around, that shall bring out m
: little book, and to their wonder in i
!. pages they shall find their lost chill
n