The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1878-05-09
Let Him Seen.

Don't call your boy in the morning
with a sudden shake and a loud voice,
dragging him out of some fairy land of
dreams to strain sleepy eyes open, with
the first impression on his drOwsy
senses of the blackness Of everything
outside the dream and the necessity Of
a struggle to keep from falling asleep
again. If It need be that he shall get
up early, send him to bed early. He
can not sleep for ever, any more than
he can hurt himself sleeping just as
long as his two eyes will remain closed.
Let him sleep till his sleep be finished;
till he can't help waking up. The time
will come soon enough when all night
long he'll lie awake; or when troubled
dreams will rouse him at the cock crow
ing, though he should not shut his eyes
till after midnight. Let him wake up
slowly, too, and never get up till he's
wide awake. Though he be but two
years old he will be happier child all
day for it; and happier man his life
long, if through the morning Of that
life he sleeps enough and wakens easily.
Watch him some morning while he is
waking. Take time enough, for he will
be good half hour about it, and it will
be safe venture to say thatneYer again
will you awake child in the morning
unless the house is burning, or some
like contingency. Sit by the bedside.
Do not take your eyes off or you will
miss something. Two little arms are
thrown up above his head; one little
foot outside the blanket is crossed upon
the other underneath. He is flat upon
his back, his head thrown over and nose
tucked under his night-gOwn sleeve, a
picture of perfect ease, with rosy lips
pouting, and chubby fingers half clutch
ed. Watch for the first sign of Nor
pheus lOosening his grasp, when the
little fingers slowly straighten till rigid
and far apart each trembles to its tip;
the under lip quiYers, and naked toes
are stretched just as far as the foot can
carry them, while he holds his breath
for an instant, and then with such a
long, comfortable sigh, turns upside
down and is sound asleep again, with
the soles Of two little feet turned up
ward, and two little palms far apart
upon the bed.
Over and over again he will go through
the motions, each time a little more Of
a stretch than before, until his face is
puckered and wrinkled as it will be in
three-score years and ten indelibIy, and
becomes fairly purple with the strain
ing. And by-and-by his eyes will open
just a bit, and fall on you. All! the
sleepy smile, that only uncOVers the tips
OF the teeth, and the whispered Papa"
will repay your half hour Of waiting,
and when the drOwsy deity sweeps over
the lids and shuts them again the smile
will remain. The heart is too happy
to sleep, though the blue eyes slunber.
A child is hungry in the morning.
Get a Graham cracker, or an oatmeal
cracker nothing better in the world for
lunch before breakfast), put it under
the edge of the pillow where the little
hand will strike it, and watch the sleepy
Idbble, and MUNICH and smile. If he
have a favorite toy, a rubber doll or
lamb, put that on the other side and see
his recognition and welcome when he
feels it and hugs it up in the folds of
his night-gown while he takes a last nap
with his papa, his cracker and his lamb.
Thon he is ready to wake up (wide
wake) and kiss you and laugh without
even a cause for it, and long for his bath
and breakfast. And you? You are
ready to swear that the house shall be
as still as the Sandy Sahara thereafter
at morning, till the little king chooses
to call for noise.-Hd,ffOrd Post.