The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-19
A LOST ART.


but we are in danger now of losing
something more valuable than all Of
these-namely, the childhood of our
children, the maidenliness of our maid
ems. Where are the children, as we
knew them in days gone by, when
simplicity and innocence We're part of
their character land to be child meant
to be fresh, unspoiled, and free from
the faint of dangerous knowledge!
Gone with the dream of the things
that were and are not. They are not
to be found in the precocious fledglings
dragged about the Continent on autumn
tours, or sitting at tables.d 'hote with
the governess at Nice while the father
and mother are killing time and some
thing more at Monaco. They are not
among the miniature men and women
who honor us with their presence
when we give Juvenile entertain
ment, who come to criticise our Christ
mas tree, which they seldom find good
enough to praise, to pronounce our
dance bore, and our supper a sell
not among those unhappy little ones
whom fond parents dress up in pictur-
esque costumes for fancy balls, teach
ing them a self-complacency, SELF
consideration far beyond their years,
and only too easily learnt; and least of
all are they among those still more un.
happy little ones who act plays for the
amusement of grave and grown-up
audience, and are stimulated by ap-
plause and excitement, into state of
moral intoxication wherein all that
makes youth lovely is lost forever.
For the cleverer they are for their
years, the more disastrously their tai
ent works on their natures; and one of
the saddest sights known to us is that
OF bright, pretty, vivacious little
girl acting her saucy part with aplomb
and assurance, failing in all that makes
childhood most lovely just in proper
ton as she succeeds in her attempt to
be some one else than herself.
by the very nature of things it is
difficult for the children of the fash
ionable world to preserve their inno-
cence and childishness, victims as they
are, now by association and now by
exclusion, to the fast social life of
their parents. From their cradles
they are subjected to the closest inter-
course with nurses highly recommend
ed by ladies anxious to get rid of them,
and whose relations, are to be found
mainly in doubtful circumstances and
shady quarters. Admitted to the cues.
tionable gossip of the monthly nurse
when she enters the nursery circle on
authorized occasions. and to the con.
tinued condolences of the resident
nurses, who perhaps are gross through
ignorance rather than through vice,
the children are reared from the be.
ginning under the shadow of the
Tree of knowledge, and are made free
of the blossoms before their time comes
to eat of the fruit. But if the nurses
are not the wisest or best rearers OF
our children, fine lady mothers are not
much better; and the dressed up dolls
whose velvet and point-lace are shown
off to visitors in the drawing-room not
unfrequently hear there more than is
good for them of what, if they do not
understand it to it's fullest extent now,
they think of hereafter and mediate
on till they have found out the riddle.
One kind of fine lady mother certainly
leaves her children to be brought up
by nurses, without much assistance
from her even. for the show:hour in
the drawing-room. They are circum.
stances of her existence which she
takes care shall give her no trouble
conditions of her married life which
represent a certain loss of time, and SO
much personal annoyance, reduced by
a wise management to a minimum
and she has no desire to inflict on her
friends a corvee, repudiated by her.
self. So far her visiting world has
cause for gratitude. But the mother
whose maternal instinct is large, and
her reasoning faculties small, who
prides herself on her love for her off,
spring, and insists that. her acquaint.
ances shall. partake in her glory,
adopts the foolish plan of having the
children brought down to see ali her
visitors, and Of converting her draw
ing-roo1n into . small beer-esrden.
where every one 10 uncomfortable
alike. The children are the axis on
which the conversation turns. You
are expected to be interested when
you are told Of their gifts and graces-