Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-09-22
9aaies' Column.
HINTS TO MOTHERS.

l really cant talk to my children and
amuse them the way you think we ought
to. | don't know enough T.
Do one-half of US suspect how little
the other half know ?--how few thoughts
they ever have? My friend is bright,
chatty woman, as well read as the aver
age young mother 1--WE all know what
slight need that gives herr, and good
listener. The great trouble is that she
has frittered away her mind. She ac-
knowledges that half the time she is
really thinking of nothing at all; that
when she is taking walk or drive with
her little ones, she lets her mind float.
But now she is really anxious to rouse
her boys to earnest thought, to gil their
minds with facts and beautiful fancies,
so that there may be no room for impure
or lowering thoughts.
"If we went different drive every
day." she continued, al might get along;
for Frank has real love for beauty, and
can speak of the trees or any particular
view-but I've exhausted that subject"
"Do you ever talk of the earth itself
its shape teach little simple geolo-
gy, or refer to the wonderful law of
graVltation 2"
"Wenr' and the little woman gives
deep sigh and looks excessively asham-
ed, 81 know about those things, in a
way, but I'm sure | couldn't make it
clear to them. To tell you the truth,
the minute l try to begin to tell the boys
anything, I'm just astonished to find
how little I really know ]"
All isn't that the very first thing a
teacher Of children finds out? How per-
fectly we must understand matter to
make it clear to child To help my
l told her how l had managed; and
with the same idea of helping some 9TH
er mother, will tell you how have
learned by experience.
Fortunately for me, began to talk to
my first baby and to try to tell him facts
long before he could answer before any
one but his foolish mamma thought he
'took notice." So l learned my utter
ignorance early, and began to educate
myself for my boy. willie must learn
about this and that" so mamma would
read up on the subject, and great deal
Of reading can be done when one has the
care of baby. The little one soor
learns to associate his mothers lap will
book, and my baby often would pull
some book off the table, and creepin,
along the floor, bring it to me as sigl
he wanted me to take it.
Every mother should make list o
bright, instructive books for children
and at any sacrifice get one or two nov
and then. If you are poor, so much tn
better, am tempted to say; for if tn
children earn book by self-denials, the
will value it tenfOld. Anything dramati
most children of even five and six year
will thoroughly enjoy. First of a.
comes the Bible; its stories should b
daily food till, perhaps, after while
your older ones will say they know theI
by heart and want something new. Don
be shocked. but give them something els
-Browning's "Pied Piper of Hamelin,
and "How they Carried the Good New
from Client to AK" Never fear; the
will turn back to their Bible stories wit
fresh appetites. Longfellow is pc,
children take pleasure in; and eve
Shakespeare, if you tell the story an
read bits here and there, will stimula
their appetites. There is an old boo
called Evenings at Home" and anothe
1.-The Fairchild Family; if they a
One-half as delightful as, seen throue
the twilight of memory, they are to m
any child will enjoy them. Such book
read aloud-not once in while, but d;
after day, always beginning with a lit
history, Dickens "Child's History"
Higglnson's "United States"-will
sure to give you and your children som
thing to talk of.
For my part, when l consider VIII
beautiful and interesting books are wit
in our reach. wonder at our talking
much and often take book in {
carriage, and while Willie drives, al
Dick croons in his corner, l read the
an account of some man who has ris
above his poverty and hard circumstar
es. and made himself an authority amo
scientific men. Let your children lea
very early in life the true value of mon
that it is good thing so far as
keeps us out of debt, but that the b,
joys. the most endearing pleasures, me
ey can neither buy nor take from US.
If you are poor, take comfort in I
fact that your children are more like
to be strong, earnest men, than if
were very easy thing with them.
friend who, at fifteen years old, left
fathers farm with fifteen dollars In
pocket, and who now stands at the v,
head of his profession, earning his tho
ands a year, said to me, "My boy sh
be"-and then followed a great plan