Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1886-08-19
Teach the Children.

IeacA iLe Ohlldren,
Too many people living on farms and
ia small Villages. NEGLECT those little
things III their teaching Of their chill
drcn which the children. if not the par
ent~, are sure to depiorc
FL, table j. set with uuinyiting plain
ness. No glass is allowed every dav.
tile children often drinking from tin
dip,ers. The silver forks aud >poous
are wrapped up in flannel and living COM
fortably beside the best table-cloth aud
"snow drop" napkins The steel knives
and forks are used ad i5taa, the
former usually taking the precedent.
Father Is IN too great hurry to wait
On caed onr separately. and every one
help- himself JOHNNY forgetS to comb
has h.ir, and >usie's face j. sadly in
need Of washing Father may notice
these sins 7f omission aud peremptoriIy
orders the offenders 10 leave the table.
Mother IS well n Johnnie and Susie
are made uncomfortable. and the meal
j. rendered far from pleasant to All ex-
cert hungry Tom and Mary Ann, who
are hilarious IN a silent manner because
t..y ver. a1t the Offenders
When -compauv" comes, the cher
ishel liuen and silver. the pretty china
that o4ee belonged 70 grandma, and the
gli>.euu1 crystal Of mothers best set.
make a' array that awe Johuuie and
Susie. Tom and Mary Ann into red
faced, jauGuc-ted ba,htuuess Mother
Is ashamed because they canno; proper
y use ihe table equipments, and father
scowl- because the saving grace pf"sir"
and 'ma ann and the accustomed
''thauk- and II you please" are omit
tel. After the visitors have departed.
long, Seeding lectures are delivered by
oa.r and ster .s~l,1,, 10 the effect
that they. Johnnie, Susie, Tom AID
Mary Aua,oug1t to he ashamed be
cause they have brought ,uch discredit
on the devoted heads OF their parents.
Mother, are afraid that the linen.
china, and silver will suffer al the
hands u the children. think it quite
probable Yes, very probable II mo-
ther wishes TO keep the >uow-drop nap
kiu~ FIR a reserve, she can make nice
oae> fer family use on; Of her old. fine
linen table cloths. make plenty Of them,
10 matter ii they are homelv Let
Susie aud Mary Ann chain-siitch the
hem, down with Turbev-red embroidery
cotton. ana work each of the children
an equal number with his initials in
one corner Thea if napkin rings have
been omitted in Santa Claus gifts, the
initials will answer every purpose. if
folded letter side up.
l recollect Of once dining at city
hotel, where my r.s-a-ejs was good
looking, hu. very bashtul youth OF per-
haps eighteen. and very evidently from
the country. His awkward attempts at
usia. his fork would have been ludic-
rou, ii his extreme embarrassment had
not made the spectacle almost painful.
He .r;ed II in several ways, but somehow
he could NOT handle it easily, aud soon
the detdroued knife had resumed is
sway His napkin was untouched and
l am sure tina, his dinner was in every
respec: unsatisfactory because Of his ig-
norance.
We must not expect our children to
be polite 10 ourselves or our visitors. if
we are impolite 10 them. five should
request them to do a thing instead Of
commanding. perhaps ii would be bet
ter. Ii mother should say. please
Johnnie, get mother pail OF water. =
Then in all likelihood Johnnie would
not forget the prefix when asking a
favor Of Tom.
1t dosen't cost anything to be polite,
and the advantages are many. 1t Is
very easy 10 teach small child these
li.tle graceful manners, and they are
then second nature. We must not
expect too much. either. We must not
chide too iarshly if they forget some
times. None are infallible.
If the family is large and only moth
er's hand, to 10 everything within the
house, some of our suggestions seem to
them almost impossible,as making work !;
but habits of neatness should be the
first lesson taught child 1t is much
less work TO wash aud iron a dozen
napkins. than it is two or three large
table cloths.
Many people use their solid silver for
family use. and nice plated ware for
"best. The silver being good, is
proof against wear and tear, while the
plated being used only occasionally is
just as well. and with this moderate use
will look well and wear for years.
Ifa child is accustomed to using a
tin plate aud cup which he may bang
as he pleases. when china is placed be-
fore him it often suffers. The reason
is obvious. As soon as he is old enough
to use a plate and cup, give him one
that he must be careful of, and thus he
is taught that small lesson at the onset.
He may break one or two, but don't
feel so badly about it, it has probably
fixed the little lesson in his mind, even
if no scolding accompanies the reproof.
Then the price of plate and cup is
small. and how much better the table
looks without those tin ones which al
ways remind me of an asylum.
Let US learn patience. No virtue Is
so essential in family, and I'm afraid
none so rare. We mothers have much
to endure. and then unfortunately ner-
res are not left out OF anatomy. If we
should wait until the impotence had
evaporated I've no doubt the children
and ourselves also, would be no worse
off. and don't you think it would be a
little better.
was amused the other day at a re-
mark made by the mother of a family.