Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1879-06-03
NEW SERIES, VOL. XIV, No. 22.

| faced with light silk, spotIess and unrumpIed,
aud thought, regretfully, of the marks of ten
chubby fingers upon her own, printed there,
when her boy baby. her darling Mark. bsd
succeeded In forcing piece of his sweetest
candy into mammals mouth. She noted the
dainty order of the sittiug>room. where every
chair stood primly in its appointed place, aud
not even thread reste,l upon the carpet,
aud remembered Mark s stable for his "spress
cart" and horses under the lounge, and
Bessie keeping house on the lower floor OF
| the bookcase.
Visions haunted her also of snippings of
| paper, bits of string, and odds and ends of
dolls inery upon the table.
Drifting from one scrap of matronly talk
to another, the ladies came naturally 60 the
| care and management of children. and Mrs.
Turmoyle eomplimented her neiehbor upon
the appearance of her house and the pro-
ficienoy of her little ones.
Il 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 rs they can walk.
and are trained to perfect silence when older
persons are present"
Mrs. Turmoyle thought of the noisy chorus
of shouts, the euger recital of the days
| pleasures or accidents, that greeted papa,
| aunties or nucles in her own nursery, and
wondered if Tom. Bessie and Mark would be
trained to sit quiet in one place for hours at
q timo.
"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 nt private school aud at five at
a public one. In the intervals of school
hours my boys have geographical puzzles.
spelling games and problems, aud my girls
are taught sewing"
"And when do they play 7"
Their games aud puzzles arc sufficient for
| the boys, and allow the girls to cut out and
| fit clothing for large wax doll.
"Bu; do they not have any hours for run
ming. balls, kites aud other ont door play 7"
II disapprove entirely of outdoor play
1t ruins clothing aud makes children rude.
They have outdoor exercise 10 long walk
TO and from school"
AS she smoke the hall door opened quietly
and fall of footsteps crossed the hall to the
sitting room. Five children. three girls and
two boys. came in with languid footsteps and
pale faces, from which all childishness seemed
! stricken. Spotlessly clean, with shiny hair
aud polished boots. they followed ia orderly
| fashion the lead of the eldest, who stood
before his mother, waiting for permission to
spoak.
"well, my son ?" she said quietly.
s.There is no school this afternoon. The
senior class is to be examined" he said
| wearily.
"No SCHOOL, Very we'll. will set you
some sums after dinner, and ind you some
words to study in the dictionary"
Silently the Eve sat down until the visitor
departed. uncomfortsbly conscious of ten
weary eyes and FIVE palIid pinched faces.
Crossing her own doorway, Mrs. Turmoylc
was greeted by merry duet.
mo school! No SCHOOL,
Then the tenor solo.
"Won't you make some bobs for my kite.
mammal There's a splendid wind!"
Followed by sweet soprano.
"And oh, mamma, you promised the 6rst
holiday you would trim 10Y dolls bonnet"
81 ant kite, tool" struck in Mark.
oh, let me get my BREATH" cried the
! little woman. "Where's your hat, Tom 7"
"Ob, forgot" Tom said. sweeping it of
with q profound bow. "Here, take this
chair And let me take your bonnet and
sacque up stairs. You are tired. Never
mind bobs If you tired"
"Tll help make them" said Bessie; "aud
I'll go watch Tom, mamma, if you don't feel
like making the bonnet"
DWELL see after dinner" said Mrs. Tur
moyle, looking from one round. rosy face to
the other, marking the sturdy limbs aud
dancing eyes. To be sure the hair Of all
three must be reduced from state of rebel
lion before they were presentable at the ta-
BILE, and soap and water we're pleasant sug-
gestions in the maternal eyes. There was
perfect health aud happiness. if the voices
were shrill aud the boots noisy.
when washed and combed. her children
gathered around her to wait for papa and
dinner, "and l wondered if I could ever
make my children as quiet and orderly as
hers are"
"WilIie Stone is a milksop," said Tom,
contemptuUusly. "alwsys crying because his
head aches. He can't play anything, and
dare not move. for fear of spelling his
clothes. Wouldn' play football for fear he
would get dust on his boots. There's nice
boy for you! He might as we'll be girl at
once"
"And mother, the teacher had to write a
note TO Mrs. Stone the day John Gray spill
ed the ink on Maud's apron. She was SO
afraid to go home, it was awful She said
her mother would whip her, and keer her
upon bread and water for whole day. Mrs.
Leo told her to say it wssn' t her fault. but she
said her mother would not believe her"
"Dinner! and here comes psps," cried
Tom.
"Mr. Turmoyle came in with grave face.
He made no comment on the holiday, but
stopped to kiss the rosy faces with unwout>
ed tenderness. After dinner he sent the
children to the nursery. and said to his wife.
who had aDxiously watched his clouded face:
"TilI;e. met Dr. Holmes on my way
home, aud be tells me that there have been
three cases of scarlet fever from the school.