Smyrna times., 1885-11-11
A Quiet Home.

"Dear me !" sighed Mr.. Turmoyie, as
burst of shrill, childish laughter
sounded from the nursery down the
hall stairs and into the sitting-room
where he was making out some accounts
" l wish those children would be quiet
Amt it almost bed time, Tillie p
"They are probably undressing,
Mrs. TurmOyle replied quietly. In
60 and see if they are ready for bed. !"
"DO keep them quiet until they are !"
There was an interval of profound
silence, and in about half an hour the
mother returned.
They are all asleep now," she said,
"Tom had dressed the kitten in Bessie's
doll clothes.
The accounts finished, Mr.. Turmoyle
leaned back in his chair.
81 I 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."
"They 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, study
ing Latin, instead of dressing a kitten
in dolls clothes; and Amy, who will not
be four years old for tn. 'e months
reads well and knows the multiplication
through Look at our savages ="
They are getting along well at
school, dear. think Mark is too young
yet to study; the others did not go to
school till they were five"
And Tom just manages to write a
letter at twelve, while Willie is at Latin
grammar. And as for manners, why
Tom will make more noise alone than
oil five of Stones children together"
Mrs. Turmoyle, being a 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
1 am sure 1 cannot do it, " the gentle,
loving mother thought, with a sigh.
Seated, the next morning, in close con-
versatiOn, the ladies presented con-
trast as marked rs the atmosphere of
their two homes. The tiny. blue eyed
woman, who had no heart to suppress
Toms merry whistle or Bessies laugh.
had left a home where constant care
only secured cleanliness, and where
childish disorder was manifest everv-
where except in the best parlor. She
looked at the tall, dark-haired woman
opposite her, noted the exquisite morn
ing dress, faced with light silk, spotless
and unrumpled, and Thought regretfulIy
OF remarks of ten chubby fingers upon
her own, printed there when her baby
boy, her darling Mark, had Just sue
ceeded in forcing piece his " sweetest
candy" into mammals mouth. She
noted the dainty order of the sitting
room. where every chair stood primly
III its appointed place and not even
thread rested upon the carpet, and re-
membered Marks stable for his "spress
car" and horse under the lounge. and
Bessie keeping house ON the lower shelf
of the bookcase.
Visions haunted her, also, of clippings
of paper, bits of string, and odds and
ends of dolls finery upon the table.
Drifting from one scrap of matronly
talk toanother, the ladies came naturally
to the care and management of children,
and Mrs. Turmoyle complimented her
neighbOr on the appearance of her
house and the proficiency of her little
ones.
." 1 cannot understand how You ac-
Gomplish it, she said frankly.
"By system, was the reply. 1.-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 trained
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 ono place for hours at a
time.
"At two years Of age teach my
children their loiters. and after that
they are sent 10 school. All of them
We're entered in private school at three
years of age, and at public 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"
"But when do they play ?"
"Their games and puzzles are sufi-
cient amusement for the boys, and 1
allow the girls to cut and fit clothing
for large wax doll"
"But do they not have any hours for