Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-11-21
Keeping Children Busy.

tlO0 is as neeulUl lOI cuiiulSH do Aol
adults. And even more necessary,
since they have so little resource in
retrospect. The busy child1s generally
the happy child, and the happy child
is generally the least troublesome of
the species. Indeed, we have often
thought that the maxim, "'Be virtuous
and You'll be happy might in the
case of children, If not always in that
OF grown persons, b. reversed and
made to read, abe happy and you'll
be vi%rtuous." Certain is it hat the I'M
occupied child is unhappy and often in
donilc and mischievous.
In nothing do children differ moro
than in their ability to amuse them
selves. A child with an active imagin-
alton can play with eager delight with
a thousand trItles that children I'M
blessed with that faculty have 10 con-
ception of utilizing. And we are mis-
taken if those juveniles are not tho
happicst who are compelled by a scar
city of material to invent new and fer
tile Uses Tor what they do have. Ger
tain it is that so much may be done
for a child that he will be dwarfed for
lite by an over-supply OF toys and at
t%ention, while if he is thrown in part
on his own resources he will have tho
JOY of inventing and creating amuse.
ment for himself.
The kindergarten occupants furnish
cxhaustless material for the instruc-
ton and amusement combined of tho
little folk. Though a regular course of
instruction as to the use of these
gifts is certainly desirable, those
who can not take this course may
utilize the kindergarten gifts in their
nurseries with very great advantage.
There are books giving specific IN
struction as to the employment OF each
gift" and any mother Or nurse who
will read them carefully may have tho
means at hand Of keeping the little
brains and fingers happily employed.
Plato in The Laws" saws: Nov a
boy is of all wild beasts the most Diff
cult to manage. For by how much
the more he has the fountain of pru-
dence not yet fitted up, he becomes
crafty and keen, and the most inso-
lent OF all wild beasts. On this &C
count it is necessary to bind HIM, as
it We're, with many chains" The
habit of industry is one of the
best chains with which to bind
a boy, and this habit may be
formed from the cradle and strength
cned through all the growing years.
Little chores about the house and
garden not above the boys strength
to do, he is all the better for doing.
The stimulus of wages may be used
to further him in his Willingness to
work, and these wages may be applied
to the purchase of little indulgcnces,
which the parent would GLADLY give,
but which are more highly priced
when earned than when accented as q
gift.
The reading of suitable books is an
other very strong chain to bind a boy
to the practice of virtue. and a girl as
we'll. The long days OF childhood can
not be better spent than, when crow.
ing vigorously in body, in storing up
the seeds of knowledge and in forming
nuclei about which a cumulations OF
various information may grow. The
rudiments of all the sciences may be
learned before the child enters his
teens. But this depends on the wisdom
and care OF the parents very largely.
and upon the facilities afforded the
child. If instead of being shut up in
a school room five hours every day, he
is made the companion of an active, in
telligent parent and his mental &C.
tivities directed toward interesting
topics, he may advance lar more rap-
iGiy in intellectual growth and attain
ments than his fellows moping through
the dull routine OF the primary school
as it is generally conducted. Horace
Greely's mother told him stories, re-
cited poetry to him and fed his mind
with all the treasures of her own, thus
cultlvatlnG III him q taste for vast and
various reading, a taste which he re-
tanned to the last.
A printing press. q tool chest, q
scroll saw, pet animals. a set of garden
tools, are excellent things for bows to
occupy themselves with, but their Use
requires constant oversight from par
ents, so that habits of exactneSs. of
n%eatness, of kindness, of thoroughness.
and OF order. may be formed. Occu
patton is not intended merely to keep
a boy or girl from mischief, but posi-
lively to form them to virtue. The
knitting and sewing which our grand
mothers did in their childhood, the
samplers they wrought. we smile at
now, but in this work they learned
what we are trying to teach our chill.
dren. Handicraft of all sorts is be,
coming the fashion and childish hands
are now eau;est to draw, to paint, to
model to hammer brass, to embroider,
and in this agreeable work, amusement
and profit combine.-N. Y. Tribune.
"A Davidson County farmer planted
four acres OF watcrmelons. By the
time his melons We're ripe the market
had dropped to ruinous figures,
Adjoining his melon patch is a beau,
tlful grove. He gave a picnic and al.
lowed no water to be brought on the
premises. A large crowd gathered un-
der the friendly shade Of the trees.
The day was hot and the people thirsted,
but no water was in sight. In the
midst of this agonizing state of affairs
the farmer rushed his melons in on the
grounds and they went Oft like not
cakes at high prices. -NasAvWe Ban.
ncr.
The Umbria. the new Cunardcr.
attained a maximum speed of twenty,
f,,,. ,,iln- ~, l.,,,- I:.. l-