Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-01-19
Children,s Companions.

"Tell me who are your friends, and | will
tell what you are" is an old Spanish prov
erb. This saying should be, if applied TO
children, Tell me who are your compan-
ions, and will tell what you rW be;" aud
there eau be no better test Of the probable
future Of boy aud girl, than the character
and conduct Of their ordinary associates.
Children can hardly be said TO choose their
companions, for they generally accept such as
the circumstances Of their position may offer.
There is nothing so characteristic of child
hood as its ready fellowship. Solitude is its
greatest aversion, and the child will fly to
the embraces of the first companion, "a a
refuge from his own unsociahlc self. Ex-
cluded from the society of his fellows, he
shows his love of companonship by at once
personifying the inanimats objects around
him, and surrounding himself In Imagination
with the outward life so needful to his hap
piness. The very sticks and stones are viyi-
fed 10y his social fancies, and he strides a
horse Of stick, and with a dagger OF lath
leads whole troops of imaginary followers to
the attack on banditti of trees and lurking
robbers of rock. When no longer the spsrt
Of illusions, and he awakens, as he surely
will do, TO the difference between fancy and
reality, his longing for the genuine comran-
ionship Of substantial flesh and blood be-
comes 50 intense that, il refused what it de-
sires, he will suffer all the serious conse-
quences OF an dissatisfied natural want. His
body will not be more certainly starved by
Withholding from it its daily food, than will
his mind and moral nature by depriving
them OF the natural sustenance supplied by
the compauionship Of those OF his own age.
The attempt, so common among oyerfoud
and timid parents, TO bring up their children
at home in manner by which they are iso-
lated almost entirely from association with
others, Is an experiment full of danger. II
| is, however, frequently made, especially in
! the case where the risk is the greatest, as
when there is an only child. II the family
/ should be large and the children many. thsy
may become, of course, TO a great degree
sufficient companions to each other, and will
be able to dispense, to some extent, with the
society of others but these are ordinarily
those upon whom less restriction is imposed
1t is the single child, upon whom the fond
ness Of parents is 50 concentrated that they
must keep him wholly to themselves who is
the common victim of this peruicious isola-
tion. Ii is usual to attribute the generally
observed physical weakness OF such to ex-
cessive indulgence, especially of their ap-
lhAlltt, bAL IL Is Not eeiiohl thN thtNt VI
pining for suitable compaLionship, depress-
ing the strength through the sympathetic
influence of the mind upon the body; aud
the youngest children are much more sen
sible to this sympathy than is commonly
suspected.
Children must have and will take com
panions whenever aud wherever they can
| get them aud since the influence of theil
associates, especially during their early years
is so great upon their characters, it behoove:
parents to be ON the constant watch to oh
serve and scrutinize the conduct of thosI
whose companionship may be sought. Lac'
aud broadcloth are as ofteu, if not oftener
| the drapery of vice, than homeSpun, aud we al
wise parents to scrutinize the surface less anC
the texture more, of their children's society
There is in the simple rule that no chile
shall be permitted to have an associate
whom he is not willing to bring To his home
a great security for good companionship. 4
parent, by the strict enforcement of this rub
and kindly encouragement of the visits o
the companions OF his children, will do
| great deal toward providing them with sucl
society as will best oonducs to their adran
! tage.-Bdsdr.