New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-04
NETWORK DAILY TRIBUNE SUNDAY DECEMBER

promise of trae play; they have all become
work playing" croquet is made means OF
sport by enterprising girls who hlrt through tne
exercise but they could do it just as well over
sewing machine, counter or church pew.
There seems to be fatal tendency of habitual
diversions to become serious tasks. Pleasure
refuses to be captured by those who delib-
erately pursue her; if her capture is not
happy incident and surprise, the captor pres
emily finds that she has vanished out of his
hands. These forms of conventional pleasure
are sometimes covers for real spontaneous sat-
sfactions but it is not easy to see that they
help to enjoyment, and it is easy to see how
they hinder the free play of the froward
child" Is there no remedy7 According to
writer in the December number of The Century,
President Garfield had invented some home
sports that greatly refreshed him after severe
tolls. Mr.. Smalley says:
Dropping in at hs house, morning in The cam
pagn summer OF 1880, just as breakfast was over,
found tho family lingering at the table while the Cen
eral read from little dictionary Of words frequently
mspronounced. He would spell the word and then ask
each in turn what the correct pronunciation should be-
The elders about apt to make mistakes as the
children and great deal of lively chat and merriment,
and not little instruction. resulted from the exercise
This he kept every morning after breakfast until TIE
was exhausted At another time he read the deni
tons words and the others endeayOred to hit upon
the words deaned-nOt easy task one would
imagine at first thought. This exercise in which
the children greatly delighted. When they came near
the right word, tho father would say Now you are
citing warm" and when they vide of the mark.
he would say "Cod," or Very cold" lie had the
natural gift OF teacingthe faculty Of making diver
sion Of study and developing the thinking powers OF the
student family always school, and yet there
was nothing formal pedantic in his OF
converting the breakfasttabe the evening fresde
circle INTO a classroom. 1t interested the children more
than play. Whether the exercise Obiectleason,
or a study in mathematics language, or talk on the
science Of familiar things the father illustrated 1t
with his own fresh thoughts that became an entertain
mont"
This sort of play is more common than 1t
used to be. The best play-hOuses in this coun-
try are happy homes. where intelligent and
conscientious parents amuse their children and
refresh themselves by agreeable and often in
structive games The healthiest sport for the
child in the man is that which associates bin
with living childhood, and teaches him Ivy its ex-
ample how TO renew his youth and gambol az
he did when he also was young. tits a bad sign
for the play of it that the conventional amuse-
mcnt dismisses the child to his little bed before
it begins. The wholesome pleasures "set
little child in the midst They are such as
cannot dstort or corrupt his young heart or
weary bis naScent intellect; such as encourage
him to laugh with child'o enjoyment and to
learn with child's curious eagerness.