Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-02-05
A QUIET HOUSE.

Dear me-" sighed Mr.. Turm0yle, as
burst of shrill, childish laughter
sounded from the nursery down the hall
stairs and into the sitting-room where he
was making out some accounts. 81
wish those children would be quietl
Amt it most bedtime, Tillief"
"They are probably undressing" Mrs.
Turmoyle replied quietly. "rll go and
see if they are ready for bed"
'SDo keep them quiet until they arep
There was an interval of profound sR
lence, and in about half an hour the
mother returned.
" They are all asleep now" she said.
Tom had dressed the kitten in Bessies
dolls clothes"
The accounts finished, Mr.. Turmoyle
leaned back in his chair.
" / wish you had some management
with those children, Tillie," he said. Il
went over to Stones on business last
evening, and you would not have known
there was child in the house. And
Stone has five while we have only three"
Perhaps they were abed."
"They were all in the next room," was
the triumphant reply Stone is proud
of them, and well he may be. There is
Willie, Just the age of our Tom, study
ing Latin, instead of dressing kittens in
dolls clothes, and Amy, who will not be
four years old for three months, reads
we'll and knows the multiplication table
through. Look at our savagesm
"They are getting along we'll at school,
dear. i think Mark is too young yet to
study. The others did not go to school
till they were FIVE"
And Tom just manages to write a
decent letter at twelve, while Willie is at
Latin grammar. And as for manners,
why, Tom will make more noise, alone,
thaD StOuaia fivp rhi1dran oil -
Mrs. Turmoyle, being a woman of
sense, did not continue the argument,
but mentally resolved to see Mrs. Stone
the next day and talk with her about the
wonderful secret of having five children
and quiet house.
81 am sure l can't do itr the gentle,
loving mother thought, with a sigh.
Seated the next morning in close con-
versation, the ladies presented a contrast
as marked as the atmosphere of their
own houses. The tiny, blue-eyed woman
who had no heart to suppress Toms
merry whistle or Bessie's silvery laugh,
had left home where constant
care only secured cleanliness and
where childish disorder was manifest
everywhere but in the best parlor. She
looked at the tall, dark-haircd woman
opposite her, noted the exquisite morn
ing dress, faced with light silk, spotless
and unrumpled, and thought, regretfully
of marks of ten chubby fingers upon her
own, printed there when her boy baby,
her darling Mark, just succeeded in fore
ing piece of his sweetest candy into
mammals mouth. She noted the dainty
order of the sitting-room, where every
chair stood primly in its appointed place
and not even thread rested upon the
carpet, and remembered Marks stable
for his "'spress cart" and horses under
the lounge and Bessie keeping house on
the lower shelf of the book case.
Visions haunted her, also, of snip
pings of paper, bits of string and odds
and ends of dolls finery upon the table.
Drifting from one scrap of matronly
talk to another, the ladies came natural
ly to the care and management of chill
drcn, and Mrs. Turmoyle complimented
her ncighbor upon the appearance of her
house and the proficiency of her little
ones
"I cannot understand how you accom-
plish it," she said, frankly.
by system" was the reply. "The
education of my children begins, l may
say, in their cradles. As soon as they
can walk they have their own proper
place in the room and are trained to per-
feet silence when older persons are pres
ent"
chorus of shouts, the eager recital of the
days pleasures or accidents, that greeted
papa, aunties or uncles in her own nurse
ry, and wondered if Tom, Bessie and
Mark would be trained to sit quiet in one
place for hours at time.
AT two years of age / teach my
children their letters, and after that they
are sent to school. All of them were
entered, at three years of age, at pri-
90 Oh al l.ls
the intervals of school hours my boys
have geographical puzzles, spelling
games and problems, and my girls are
taught sewing"
But when do they playf"
Their games and puzzles are sutfi-
cient amusement for the boys, and | al
low the girls to cut and fit clothing for a
large wax doll"
1T But do they not have any hours for
running balls, kites and other outdoor
plays"
"I disapprove entirely of ut.door
play. II ruins clothing and makes chill
drcn rude. They have outdoor eXer-
else in long walk to and from school. ."
As she spoke the hall door opened
quietly and fall of footsteps crossed
the hall to the sittingroom. Five chill
drcn, three girls and two boys, came in
with languid footsteps and pale faces, from
which all childishnoss seemed stricken.
Spotlessly clean, with shiny hair and pol
ished boots, they followed in orderly
fashion the lead of the eldest, Who stood
before his mother, waiting for permission
to speak.
"Wen, my SOM" she said quietly.
"There is no school this afternoon
The senior class is to be examined" he
said wearily.
mo school! Very well, l will set you
some sums after dinner, and find you
some words to study in the dictionary" ("
Silently the five sat down until the
visitor departed, uncomfortably con-
scieus Of ten weary eyes and five pallid,
pinched faces. .4 -
Crossing her own doorway Mrs. Tur-
moyle was greeted by merry duet.
No school! No schoolI'
Then the tenor solo: --..
Won't you make some bobs for my
kite, mamma9 There's splendid
windn
Followed by a sweet sopranos;
And oh, mamma, you promised the
nrst holiday you would trim my dolls
bonnet"
al ant a kite, toop struck in Mark.
"Oh, let me get my BREATH" cried the
little woman. "Where's your hat Tom :"
"Oh, forgot" Tom said, sweeping ii
off with a profound bow. Here, take
this chair. And let me taks Jour bonnet
and sacque up stairs. You ara tired.
Never mind the bobs II you are very
tired"
"In help make them,n said Bessie,
"and I'll 30 watch Tom, mamma, if you
don't feel like making the bonnet"
wen see after dinner" said Mrs.
TurmOyle, looking from one round, rosy
face to the other, marking the sturdy
limbs and dancing eyes. TO be sure the
hair of all three must be reduced from a
state OF rebellion before they were pre-.
sentable at table, and soap and water
were pleasant suggestions in the mater
nal eyes. There was perfect health and