Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-04-02
A Quiet House.


into the sitting-room where he was making
out some accounts. 81 wish those children
would be quiet. Amt it most bedtime,
Tillie ?"
"They are probably undressing" Mrs.
Turmoyle replied, quietly. "I'l go and see
if they are ready for bed'.'
"Do keep them quiet until they are.'
There was all interval of profound silence,
and in about half an hour the mother re-
turned.
"They are asleep now," she said. "Tom
had dressed the kitten in Bessies dolls
clothes"
The accounts finished Mr.. Turmoyle
leaned back in his chair.
" | wish you had some management with
those children, Tillie," he said. al went
over to Stones on business last evening, and
you would not have known there was child
in the house. And Stone has five, while we
have only three"
Perhaps they were all abed."
"They were all in the next room," was
the triumphant reply. "Stoue is proud of
them, and well he may be. There is Willie,
just the age of our Tom, studying Latin in
stead of dressing kittens in dolls clothes,
and Amy, who will not be four years old for
three months, reads well and knows the
multiplication table through. Look at our
savages "
"They are getting along well at school,
dear. | think Mark is too young yet to
study. The others did not 60 to school
until they were five."
"And Tom Just manages TO write decent
letter at twelve, while Willie is at Latin
grammar. And as for manners, why Tom
will make more noise alone than Stones
five children put together"
Mrs. Turmoyle, being woman of sense,
did not continue the argument, but men,
tally resolved to see Mrs. Stone the next day,
and talk with her about the wonderful secret
of having five children and quiet home.
I" | am sure | can't do itl' the gentle,
loving mother thought, with a sigh.
Seated, the next morning, in close con-
versation, the ladies presented a contrast as
marked as the atmosphere of their own
houses. The tiny, blue-eyed woman, who
had no heart to suppress Toms merry whis-
tie or Bessie's silvery laugh, had left a
home where constant care only secured
cleanliness, and where childish disorder
was manifest everywhere but in the best
parlor She looked at the tall, dark-haired
woman opposite her, noted the exquisite
morning-dress, faced with light silk, spot
less and unrumpled, and thought, regretfully
of the marks of ten chubby fingers upon her
own, printed there when her boy baby, her
darling Mark, had succeeded in forcing
piece of his sweetest candy into mamma's
mouth. She noted the dainty order of the
sitting-room, where every chair stood primly
in its appointed place, and not even thread
rested upon the carpet, and remembered
Marks stable for his "'spress cart" and
horsao updar tba lnunoa ap1 Raaaia taapiper
house on the lower shelf of the bookcase
Visions haunted her also of snippings of
paper, bits Of string, and odds and ends Of
dolls tinery, upon the table.
Drifting from one scrap Of matronly talk
to another, the ladies came naturally to the
care and management OF children, and Mrs
Turmoyle complimented her neighbor upon
the appearance of her house and the pro-
fciency of her little ones.
81 cannot understand how you accomplish
it," she said frankly.
"By SYSTEM" was the reply. "The edu-
cation of my children begins, may say, in
their cradles. As soon as they can walk,
they have their own proper place in the
room, and are trained to perfect silence
when older persons are present"
Mrs. Turmoyle thought of the noisy
chorus Of shouts, the eager recital of the
days pleasures or accidents, that greeted
papa, aunties or uncles in her own nursery,
and wondered if Tom, Bessie and Mark
would be trained TO sit quiet in one place
for hours at time.
"At two years of age teach my children
their letters, and after that they are sent to
school, All of them were entered at three
years of age at a private school, and at five
at public one. In the interval of school
hours my boys have geographical puzzles,
spelling games and problems, and my girls
are taught sewing"
"But when do they play 2"
"Their games and puzzles are sufficient
for the boys, and | allow the girls to cut and
fit clothing for a large wax doll"
"But do they not have any hours for rum
ming, balls, kites and other outdoor play ?"
"l disapprove entirely of outdoor play.
1t ruins clothes and makes children rude.
They have outdoor exercise in their long
walk TO and from school,"
AS she spoke, the hall door opened quietly
and fall of footsteps crossed the han to
the sitting-room. Five children, three girls
and two boys, came in with languid foot.
steps and pale faces, from which all child
ishuess seemed stricken. Spotlessly clean,
with shiny hair and polished boots, they fol
lowed in orderly fashion the lead of the eld-
est, who stood before his MOTHER waiting
for permission to speak.
"Well, my son p she said, quietly.
"There is no school this afternoon. The
senior class is to be examined" he said
YEARLY.
"No school Very well. will set you
some sums after dinner, and find you some
words to study in the dictionary"
Silently the five sat down until the visi-
tor departed, uncomfortably conscious of ten
weary eyes and five pallid, pinched faces.
Crossing her own doorway, Mrs. Turmoyle
was greeted by merry duet
"No school No SCHOOL,"
Then the tenor solo;
"Won't you make some bobs for my kite,
mammal There's splendid wind'
Followed by sweet soprano;
" And oh, mamma, you promised the first
holiday you would trim my dolls bonnet"
81 ant kite, tool" struck in Mark.
"Oh, let me get my breath " cried the
little woman. "Wheres your hat, Tom 2"
"Oh, forgot" Tom said, sweeping it off
with profound bow. "Here, take this
chair. And let me take your bonnet and
sacque upstairs. You are tired. Never
mind bobs ii you are very tired"
"Ill help make them, said Bessie !" and
III go and watch Tom, mamma if you don't
feel like making the bonnet"
"We'll see, after dinner" said Mrs. Tur.
moyle, looking from one round, rosy face 10
the other, marking the sturdy limbs and
dancing eyes. To be sure the hair of all
three must be reduced from state of rebel.
lion before they were presentable at table.