Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-02-19
AN ESTHETIC EXPERIMENT.
BY SUSAN ARCHER WEISS.

"Oliver," said Mrs. Maxey, looking up
from knitting q sun-f over tidy. as her hus-
band conf rtably seated himself in his arm
chair and unfolded the evening paper.
"Well," responded Doctor Maxey, per-
ceiving that she bad something of impor-
tance to communicate.
.I,ye had a; visit from Mrs. Lucas to-day
Nothing extraordInary-unfo tunate-
w. murmured he.
"She's very clever and superior wom-
an" letorted his wife, quickly and some
what defiantly.
SIN her own opinion-granted Well,
what new-fangled-I beg her pardon!-
clever and superior notion is she up to
now?'
81 IS about chill 'ren," replied Mrs. Max
| ey, solemnly-'sab children and their
aesthetic cultivation"
"Bother! If she wonld allow her chill
dren and herself, too a little more culinary
cultivation, it would be greatly for the good
of the family. She's the poo est house
keeper in town. from all accounts. and we
all pity Lucas"
~ ell we've nothing to do with that" said
Mrs. Maxey, lofiily.- "What l haveto say is
that ] age with her, i'll considering the chill
| "-NAA VI tAe ePiNoeA Aiu N"J 90 ACo oohOSiA'Ay
educated, so far as aesthetic principles are
concerned. Their intellectual and-ahem!
Mrs, Maxey looked as if endeavoring to
recollect sOmething-s'moral education are
made objects # exclusive attention, while
the appreciation of art and love of the
beautiful, are wholly overlooked"
"Go On!' said the doctor, assuming an
Expression of intense interes., and putting
his hand to his ear.
'Of course" said Mrs. Maxey, descend
ing to more common place tone, as she
smoothed out the petals Of the sunfower
- of course, if we wish our childlen to be
really elegant and refined, we must culti-
vate refined tastes in them. AS Mrs. Lu-
cas- says Just as the tree is bent, the
trunks inclined.'''
"1t she said that" remarked the doctor,
deliberately, ''she certainly said something
original, besides improving upon Pope. Of
course, she added something about teach
ing the young idea how to shoot.
"Dear me-no! Why she wonldn't for
the world think of trusting her boys with
a gun or pistol. Neither would I I'm
sure you've heard me say SO Thousand
times" said Mrs. Maxey, reproachfully.
Her husband chuckled quietly to himself.
as he turned his paper.
"What mean," resumed Mrs. Maxey,
half Indignantly, sis simply that children
should be trained in love for, and a pre-
citation of, everything beautiful, especially
in art.-Now look at their toys, for instance.
| What can we expect except coarseness and
low tastes from a boy, whose earliest, asso-
Citations are with saws, spades, and wheel
barrows 90
Nonsense! Those are the very things
to teach him practical industry and useful
neSs'
'.And the girls ?'' pursued his wife.
"All that they have are dolls-painted and
frlzzled coils. Is there anything more cal
culated to inspire them with vanity, and
frlvolity, and a love of finery, than the per-
petuai dressing-up of these barbara GUS little
images?"
There may be something in that" her
husband admitted, I. f1ectively, as his
thoughts recurred to the last dress-makers
bill.
"Now,' pursued his wife triumphantly.
what propose is to give our children
more refined and artistic amusements.
we can begin with scrap-books and paints
both Oil and water cnlors ~
what ale they for?''
"lhe scrap-books are for pasting pictures
|
and magazines, and the choice of these will
teach them to discriminate between what is
good and Indifferent. They can paint these
with the watec-colt rs. The oil paints
cheap, common ones at first, you know
the boys can use on various things, such
as their little carts and other toys. I've
promised Eddie to let him paint the nursery
oalskuttle, when he has learned how to
handle the brush. Little Tot apd Toddle,
would like something pretty in the nurse
ry, in place Of the plain, black coal-hod. "
| 81 don't see how daubiDg old coal-scut-
ties is to inspire love of art or apprecia-
ton for the beautiful, said Doctor Maxey,
sarcastically.
sob. they'll improve! And them" said
Mrs Max-y y. artfu,ly, ''it's such nice way
of keepiug them quiet. Especially on rainy
days.,
THAT might be worth considering. If
aesthetic culture will preserve them from
breaking their necks down the balustrades,
or Grazing people with yelling about the
house, as they did all yesterday, then l
went object to any reasonable means of fac-
coinplishing that result"