Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-12-10
The Chlldren's Hour.

THE holiday season has become the
Children's Kingdom. For them Is the
clear winter air made fragrant with the
spicy breath of Christmas trees. For
them love labOrs for precedent weeks
and months at manifold creations. For
them the music swells, the tapers glance,
the mummers play, fairy-land Is made
visible. To them all the delight which
unsated childhood can know is offered in
the name of a child.
Best of all is the new atmosphere Of
love which they feel. In some house,
holds the expression Of affection is neg
lected, the little obserVanoes of tender
ness fall into disuse In others, alas /!
the tenderness itself is absent. The
Society for the Prevention Of Cruelty 10
Children might reach its humane hand
into very handsome houses, and rescue
from very decorous parents the wounded
spirit and starving heart of many little
one.
There is a multitude of fathers TO
whom the children are an amusement
for leisure hour, a source of pride and
pleasure when they are pretty and well
dressed and happy. But ii the paternal
humor clianges, or the hlial temper
clouds, then they are boros, pests, dis
turbers of this peace, TO be kept until re-
Pentance in some prisOn-hOuse up stairs.
There are mothers too many whose mh-
ternal instinct is a conscience, not de.
light; who hold that their duty is done
II the child wants for nothing, and has the
proper guardian in nurse or gOveTness.
But they are not interested in the little
individual soul that is daily facing some
new mystery of life. II isnot on their
level, Itwearies and disturbs them.
Yet on Christmas morning and on
New-Year's Day even these fathers and
mothers feel new delight In their chill
dren from having tried TO delight them.
The conventional greeting is warm and
sincere. There are kisses and sweet
words, and the little ones feel that nevor
was day so fair or lot so happy as theirs
In their hearts, and sometimes with
their lips, they wonder why every day
might not be like these enchanted
mornings, And a. this blessed Christ
mas-tide may they not be answered
with the cheerful prophecy that II shall
beP
For every day Is as much the opening
of a new year to as all as the radiant fes-
tivai which we Drown with honor, and
that Joy in childhood and reverence for
IL which Christmas teaches us should be
perennial mood. The ohild's native
air is love and sympathy, constant,
cherishing, unquestloned, as the light,
without which there can be no healthy
growth. Gentlsness breeds gentloness.
II the love Of children be aot strong
instinct within us, II will grow as q vir-
tue by careful cultivation.
Aud perhaps no virtue Is so essential
ly It's own reward. To look deep down
into the sweet translucent soul Of a
child, to put ones self IN relation with
iAs fresh, eager Intelligence, 10 win rs
undivided, generous trust, Il 10 know,
perhaps, the purest felicity which those
mortal limitations permit. Stupid aud
Troublesome and q veXatiOn have we
dared 10 call themP Oh, we OF little
thopghti Where do we 20 in society
that the stupid and troublesome and the
vexatons do not gibe our heartsP How
do we not conceal our wearinegs -
smile, and answer, and pretendJ
like the things We loatheP
And we do this that we
The pain which an hQr
obiurgation, gept
Aict. II, then, WeI