St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-05-31
How to Make Children Happy.
Little things, on little wings,
Bear little souls to heaven"

hoW 20 MAKE Cnuoren Happy.
Little things, on little wings,
Bear little souls to heaven"
1t is very usual with us, who have
advanced to the time of ''the sere and
yellow leaf,n who are burdened with
the increasing weight of years and re-
spOnsibilities, and who realize to the
full the poets assertion, that this is
'Changeful life
So manifold in cares that every day
Brings its own burden with it,"
| say, it is very common thing for us
to say to our children "Ah nO,c is
your happy time, nOaU is your season of
enjoyment, noap you have nothing to
trouble and nothing to annoy you, only
to sing, dance and play; oh if I could
but be young again !" etc., etc. To a
great extent this is tue. God in his
infinite mercy has constituted childhood
with capacity for receiving pleasure
from every trifie; and who can doubt
this as he watches it's free, dancing, joy
GUS movements, hears its melOdiOus
laughter, or gazes on its sunny face
The cunning little rOgues seemed to
have found out the long-desired secret
of setting trap to catch sunbeams."
Still, it has often struck us that the
daily life of child is not so happy as it
might be. 1t stabs us to the very heart
to see little needless offender roughly
chidden, or even personally chastised,
for an accident caused it may be by the
superabundance of its joyous activity.
Perhaps a curly-pated urchin, goaded
on by the excess of his infantile curiosi-
ty, makes tiny stab in his drum, to
find out where the Emusic comes FROM"
or surreptitiously gives prick to his
| elastic ball, "tO see what makes it
jump" The toys are spoiled, it is true,
which is great pity, but still worse is
it to hear the upbraidings which are
shOwered upon his defenseless head by
mother or nurse. How much better
would it be to reprove him gently for
what can hardly be called punishable
act, or to take advantage of the same
opportunity to give him simple lesson
in natural philosophy, which would
never be forgotten. Or again, we have
known severe correction to have follow
ed the spontaneous confession of fault,
when the little culprit, at the expense
OF vast amount of sensibility and
timidity, has stammered forth the bur-
ben that has been lying on his mind for
hours, only to be met by harsh and in
judiciOus severity. What can such
parent expect as the result of his dis
cipline, but future falsehOOds, or sly
attempts at cOncealment This reminds
us of an incident that happened to us
the other day. While walking in the
street, we passed two or three children
in earnest conversation their looks and
tones attracted our attention, more es-
| naoialIu thn nffnra1 hx-
we passed, "My mother never spoke
rough word to me.n We involuntarily
turned and looked at the boy. There
he stood, a sturdy-looking little fellow,
in fustian jacket corduroy trowsers, but
with such beaming, happy face as is
not often to be seen in poor mans
child. And who can wonder at the look
of care and depression that is often Wis
ible in children who are snubbed, and
twitted, and snapped at from Monday
morning till Saturday night, and from
Saturday night till Monday morning
OF course we do not wish to imply that
children are frequently placed in such
unhappy circumstances yet, how few
parents can claim the compliment that
Cowper pays to his mother, when he
speaks of her
|
| Ne'er roughened by those cataracts and breaks,
| That humor interposed too often Makes
When we think of the trifles, the very
nOthings that will make child happy
for days and weeks, it makes one sigh
to think how seldom they are bestowed
on them. ''Little things please little
minds," we sometimes hear uttered with
a half-contemptuOus smile. Fathers
and mothers, be thankful that it is so
Be thankful that handful of wild
flowers, a ripe and ruddy apple, few
blocks of wood, or peacock's feather,
will make your child shout for Joy, and
cause his dancing limbs to bear witness
to the lightness of his heart. We have
known a child amused for a long win
ter's day, when cold and sleet have con-
fined him to the fireside, by half an
hours patient instruction, some paper,
and pair of scissors while his bright,
intelligent eyes have borne testimony
to his triumph over the miniature boats
and ships that he has constructed. An
addition of one or two cOlors and a
paint-brush have made him as happy
as king, and sent him to bed with his
head crowded with visions of Lilliputian
fleets and naval engagements. We re-
peat, that no work is easier or so well
paid as the amusement of children.
Theirs is the sunshine of the breast;"
and many a gentle word, or encourag-
ing caress, is treasured in their hearts,
to be repaid at some future time by
simple attentions in illness.