The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-09-17
A Talk to the Little Folks.

DEAR CHILDREN Since l wrote
to you last l have been given a new
way to press flowers, and \ want TO
give it to you while it is fresh il
my mind.
A friend says her plan is to take
a sheet of thin cotton batting and
lay the flowers carefully on it, COW
ering them with another sheet and
then putting the whole under slight
pressure. Sometimes, when the
flowers are thick and contain good
deal of moisture, she puts them in
fresh cotton the next day, and after
that does not disturb them. But
in pressing nearly all the small flow
ers, the cotton need not be changed
at all, and not even opened until the
flowers are preserved. Green leaves
and ribbon grass may be treated in
the same way as the small flowers
they will keep their color perfectly.
My friend says she has often made
pretty pictures-fower pictures
for hanging in the window, by ar
ranging her pressed flowers and
leaves prettily, and laying them be
tween sheets of thin glass, fasten the
corners tightly together with bits of
tin, such as come for preserving the
corners Of books when sent through
the mail, bind the edges with ribbon
and hang in the window where you
will like best to see them.
nj NOW LOT rive Won n
"short rules" which l promised you,
fOr "long comfort at home" l hope
you have a small blank book in
which you will copy them for your
selves:
Put self last.
Be prompt at every meal.
Take little annOyances out of the
way.
When any good happens to any
one, rejoice.
When any one suffers, drop a
word of sympathy.
Tell of your own faults rather
than those of others.
Have a place for everything, and
everything in it's place.
Hide your own troubles, but
watch to help others out of theirs.
Take hold of the knob and shut
without slamming every door.
If the door squeaks, apply a drop
of oil at once.
Never interrupt any conversation,
but wait patiently your turn to
speak.
Look for beauty in everything,
and take a cheerful view Of every
event.
Always speak politely and kindly.
Carefully clean the mud and
snow from your feet before entering
the house,
When inclined to give ar angry
answer, press your lips together and
say the alphabet.
When panied by an unkind word
or deed, ask yourself, "Have l never
done as i'll and desired forgiVeness"
One of my friends says, tell the
children to write underneath these
rules in their blank books: eff we
did but love each other, how easily
the least thing-the shutting of
door gently, the walking softly,
speaking low, not making a noise,
or the choice of a seat so az to leave
the most convenient for others
might become occasions for its ex-
ercieeqs
Now let me give you some good
rules to follow in the school-room
and elsewhere. The atmosphere of
a school-room is as dependent upon
tri4es as is thai Of home. Pupils
should be polite to each other as
well as to their teacher. They
should not pull and push and ridi-
cule each other on the school ground
or in the building. They should
obey their teacher and in answering
her should always GaY,!"Yes ma'am,"
mo, ma am" and "What, ma Fam"
or something equally polite; never
Eyes, no, or what" If pupils should
ttahk6 pains to bid a teacher good
morning" and good night" they
would appear well in so doing, and
easily give pleasure te another.
Among a child's first words should
be "please" and "thank you" l
hope, dear children, that when you
inconvenience others at school, at
home, anywhere, you will say, II
am sorry" or excuse me-. Be
kind in manner as we'll rs in heart.
1t is certainly true that one of the
best recipes for going through life
happily and with beautiful manners,
is to feel that everybody, no matter
how rich or how poor, needs all the
kindness they they can get from
others in this world. Keep kind
ness in your heart. Don't hurt
your playmates; always play fair
when you take part in games and
insist that your companions play
fair also. Boys, when you are trad
ing marbles, or knives, balls or any
of the treasures dear to your hearts
be sure you trade fair. The dispo-
sition to trade often is one that had
better not be INDUCED, we think.
You are pretty sure boy wants to
get the best of the bargain some
way, if he offers to trade. 1t is not
generally for simple mutual accom-
mediation and, therefore, gain to
both, as it ought to be, but for gain
TO one at the cost of the other. We
do not believe in it, because we
think it arOuses a spirit which leads
to bling-the habit of speculat-
ing for ones own gains and taking
advantage, often unfairly, of your
unsuspecting playmate.
There are worse faults a boy can
be guilty of than indulging in a
square fight for just cause. "We
want in our boys the spirit that
knows how to give up when it is
wrong, but hold on when it is right"
with resolution" said Aunt Betsy
to David Coppertield, shaking her
cap at him and clenching her hand.
with resolution, with determine
ton, with character, with strength
of character that is not to be infu-
enced except on good reason, by