Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1885-09-10
A Quiet Home.

as burst of shrill, childish laughter
sounded from the nursery down the
hall stairs and into the sitting.room
where he was making ont some ac-
count. ~ wish those children would
be quiet Amt it almost bed time,
Tillie ?"
"They are probably undressing, "Mrs.
Turmoyle replied quietly. "I'll 60 and
see il they are ready for bed"
.sDo keep them quiet until they
are -
There was al interval of profound
silence, and In about half on hour the
mother returned.
sThey are all asleep now" she said,
'sTom had dressed the kitten in Bes.
sizes doll ciothes."
The accounts finished. Mr.. Turmoyle
leaned back In his chair.
ST wish you had some management
with those children, Tillie," he said.
81 went over to stones on business last
evening. and you would not know
there was child in the house, and
Stone has five while we have only
three"
'Perhaps they were abed."
tThey were all In the next room,"
was the triumphant reply. 'Stone is
proud of them, and well he may be.
There is Willie, just the age of our
Tom, studying Latin, instead OF Dress
ing q kitten in dolls clothes !; and
Amy, who will not be four years old
for three months reads well and knows
the multiplication through. Look at
our savages 70
"They are getting along well at
school, dear. / think Mark is too
young set to study: the others did
not go to school till they were five."
"And Tom just manages to write
letter at twelve, Willie is at Latin
grammar. And as for manners, why
Tom will make, more noise alone than
all five Of stones children together.
Mrs. Turmoyle, being woman OF
sense, did not continue the argument,
but mentally resolved to see Mrs. Stone
the next day, and talk with her about
the wonderful secret Of having five
children and quiet house.
''I am sure cannot do It," the gen.
tie loving mother thought, with q sigh.
Seated, the next morning. in close
conversation, the ladies presented
contrast as marked as the atmosphere
of their two homes. The tiny, blue ey-
ed woman, who had no heart to sup
press Toms merry whistle or Bessie's
laugh, had left home where constant
care only secured cleanliness. and
where childish disorder was manifest
everywhere except In the best parlor.
She looked at the tall dark.haired wo.
man opposite her. noted the exquisite
morning dress, faced with light silk,
spotless and unrumpled, and thought
regretfully Of the marks of ten chubby
fingers upon her own, printed there
when her baby boy, her darling Mark,
had just succeeded in forcing piece of
bis Sweetest candy" into mammals
mouth. She noted the dainty order of
the sitting room, where every chair
stood primly In its appointed place and
not even thread rested upon the car
pet, and remembered Marks stable for
his 'tspress cart" and horse under the
lounge, and Bessie keeping house on
the lower shelf Of the bookcase.
Visions haunted her, also. Of clip
pings of paper, bits of string, and odds
and ends of dolls finery upon the table.
Drifting from one scrap OF matronly
talk to another, the ladies came natur.
ally to the care and management OF
children, and Mrs. Turmoyle compli-
mented her Deighbor on the appearance
of her house and the proficiency of her
little ones.
81 cannot understand how you ac-
complish it. I" she said frankly.
s'By system" was the reply. "The
education of my children begins, may
say, in their cradles AS soon as they
can walk they have their own proper
place in their own room, and are train
ed to perfect silence when older persons
are present.
Mrs. Turmoyle thought of the noisy
chorus of shouts, the eager recital OF
the days pleasures or accidents, that
greeted papa, aunties or uncles, In her
own nursery, and wondered If Tom,
Bessie and Mark could be trained to sit
quietly in one place for hours at a
time.
.'At two years of age I teach my
children their letters, and after that
they are sent to school. All OF them
were entered In private school at three
years of age, and at puhlic school at
five. In the intervals Of school hours
my boys have geographical puzzles,
spelling games and problems, and the
/ girls are taught to sew.'