St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-05-24
The Coming Man.

CHILDREN SHOULD BE EITHEk-HANDED.
To make children as either-handed
as our Creator intended, first fix the
word ''either-handed in the minds of
the whole household, and never let
day pass without using it aloud to de-
note the only perfect child. Next i'm
press the word "lop-handed," applying
it equally to the mere right-handed
child and to the mere left-handed child,
and declare them both to be equally
imperfect, and ON the road to deformity
Language, that great instrument OF
truth or falsehOod, being thus cleared,
| offer a few crude but practical hints.
Infants are Overhandled. Their live
pets pine before our eyes from that very
cause, and it is a caution. More fiOOl
and less. lap more safety chair, with
both arms free, and less hugging, cud-
ding and carrying, with one little arm
crippled against nurses body. Chill
dren must be carried Out-0f- doors fol
air, but even there the nurse must car
ry them an equal time on each arm. 1t
is necessary to her own body, and to
the child it is vital. Nothing will re-
quire more parental vigilance and de-
termination than this. Carrying for az
hour on one arm and five minutes Oh
the other makes the nurse lop-sided
and the infant lOp-handed. In his chair,
or so placed under a watchful eye that
both arms are free, bring pretty things
opposite his hands, and never let him
stretch out either hand across his body
Teach him to throw things down with
either hand alternately, and by-and-by
with both hands at the same time. LIE;
him be a quadruped and a sucking
rather longer than usual, not shorter.
When those tender limbs will bear the
erect body without the injury parents
loving impatience has sometimes caus-
ed, let him toddle, not to anybody's
apron, but to horizontal bar held
across for him, and teach him to seize it
with both hands exactly at the same
time. Throwing is a great matter in
itself, and the road to efficient striking,
which is great part of labor, sport
and war. Throwing with either hand
can not be commenced too soon nor fol-
lowed up too diligently. Taking these
few hints as the mere basis of system.
those atfectionate and intelligent pa,
rents who have written to me will very
soon expand the matter and go beyond
! their counsellor in their training of in
fants.
l now make a jump, and go to chill
dren. When it comes to reading, writ
ing, and sewing, the centre of the pape
or book should be opposite to the nose
indeed, all objects should be so looket
at to make the sight even and correct
A little girl in threading her needle
should hold it we'll out, opposite he
nose, and thread it sometimes with ont
hand, sometimes with the other, anI
should use needle or scissors with eth
er hand also throw and catch ball
and play battledOOr with either hand
Have no mercy on her if she plays he
bass notes inaccurately, or thumps then
and only plays the treble. Writin,
should be taught thus: the centre O
the paper opposite the writer's nose, tn,
letters exactly vertical-the slope bein,
a mere disease to which we owe illegi
bility. The writing should always b,
from left to right, because we-write fo
readers, not for ourselves; but it shoul,
be done with either hand. Short-han,
writing ditto. l advise parents to hav,
their boys and girls taught shOrt-han,
writing and type writing, but perhap
a boy or a girl would find it as easy
handwriting. A shorthand writer VIII,
could type-write his notes would b
safer from poverty than great Greel
scholar. Boys and girls should all bt
taught to swim three times earlier thai
they ever are. Many life has beel
literally thrown away for want of thi
easy accomplishment, that can be learn
ed in week and it is an either-hand
ed practice invaluable to the growing
body. So is rowing, especially witt
sculls. At present the most either
handed game is 'fives.n 1t can be play
ed in almost any courtyard by makins
the pavement smooth. But, as th,
hand drives ball feebly, racket bat
must be substituted, with the handle
reduced to four inches. The game thu.
played, which suppose is much th,
same as hand-ball in Ireland, would be
invaluable, and could be played by girl
as well as boys, which ''fvesn can hard
ly be; it would be too hard upon a
girls hand. At cricket advise field
ing with either hand, batting right
handed, and bowling left-handed. 1
would be an abuse of good thing t.