Arkansas weekly mansion., 1883-07-07
A KINDERGARTEN LESSON.

1t is promised that your readers know
somewhat of the practical play-lessons
which are given to the k ndergarten
children daily, and which inculcatc
moral and religious thought, while af-
fording great pleasure and amusement
to the little waits.
This day, the practical play-lesson
was barrel max NC; standing in II close
circle the children represented the
slaves, their encircling arms the hoops.
and timing his blows by the little song
notes, the wee cooper, using chubby
fist for hammer, drives the hoops into
position with great show of muscular
effort. (How they do love to play"
things are real.)
When this suppos'titiOus barrel was
finished, the teacher remarked:
well, Johnny; now that it is all
ready, what are you going to put into
Your barrel?'
THE answer came with great
promDtness: WhiSky!' - sensation
among the visitors, mostly ladies from
the W. c. L. u.
Teacher. blind to the blank looks
about hcr-wise little woman that
said. quickly: "Oh, Johnny. wouldn't
it b" better to put something into your
barrel that we all like, for you
and some OF us don't like whisky. l
don't like it one hit. so YOU couldn't
give me any well. I'd Just as lieve
ut-appleS-in the barrel. if you'd
rather. pipcd the happy tile voice.
all innocent of the shocking nature
of his first proposition. but very willing
to obi ge.
Another childish voice: Teacher,
Jnhnnv's papa keeps Il saloon!' and in
the chill hush which follows, the scnsi-
tive child learns first of the diShonor
which attaches to "whiSky in barrels"
and keeping saloon;'' he knows now
that this means disgrace, and the prob
able loss of love his hungering heart
has received III this school home.
With face and voice all quivcring
he seeks the teachers s,dc: ''Don't
YOU love III" any more cause my papa
keeps a-saloon- breaking into sobs
VIII ch shook the delicate frame.
Very tendcrly the teacher drew the
weep ny child closer, and said: ''Yes,
dear. we do love YOU ever SO much, but
teacher is 50 sorry papa keeps such 4
place as that. -
Not many weeks after the above
scene, the following occurred:
At the close of a Temperance meet
inc. a man made his way up to the
speaker desk. and asked for a pledge
to sign: his request was gladly met,
and the friends near by fell INTO talk
with this new brother: In answer to
the inquiry. what had led him to take
this important step, he said: I'm
agoin' to put the credit where it be-
lengs; Yer see I've bin keepin' n saloon
fer some time. Id had mighty bad
luck fer years, and seem other men
max n money easy. Sellin' beer and
whisky. i ;u-t locked up my conscience,
and opened a whisky shop; mind We, l
never liked the business. but there's no
tcllin' when I'd Il quit it, if it hadn't
been for them ere free kindergarten
schools. and my little chap. who was all
crs a com n home and talkin' about tte
things he larned from them tcachers that
he nigh about worshiped. Tnihcr day
he got hold of my hand, and lookin'
up INTO my face with his great blue
evcS-iuSt ike his dear dead mothers
aforr she'd cried the shine all out of
EN- and sad-sortso' fra d like: Papa,
won't You please take the whisky out of
ycur barrels. and put su'.tiin' in 'em
that won t do nobody no hurt? Apples
is good. Besides, said he. gittin
fresh GRIP on his courage. L don want
the other boys Il sayin that my papa
keeps salOon-it hurts me here
And I'm blamed if the little critter
didn't put his hand on his heart. and
the tears .ust a stream n down his face.
That fetched me, ard the upshot is.
Eve gin up the miserable bznesS, and
am bound to earn an honest, livin' or
die tryin'. you Just bet ard the great
burly mans eyes were not the only dim
ones. as friendly hands grasped his. and
earnest voices promised helpful effort il,
his behalf.
Verify, "A little child shall lead them"
Mrs. Mary Dye, IN Union Signal.