The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-04-14
THE CHILDREN OF THE SNOW.

81 wonder what the arctic boys and
girls do when the nights are so long and
so cold? They don't sleep all the time
do they, Aunt Martha?"
Inquisitive little Bonnie looked up
from the arctic picture in the book open
in Aunt Martha's lap, and there was IT.
resistible force in his appeal.
"No, indeed, Benny" answered Aunt
Martha. "You must know that some of
the nights in the far North are nearly SIX
months long, and the little children OF
the snow could not sleep all that time"
"But what have they to play with2 On
Gle Toby told me once that they have no
skates, but he did not tell me much more.
1t would not be very fine to live where
there is ice and snow all the time, and to
have no fun"
Aunt Martha smiled.
"The arctic boys and girls see some
merry times if they do live in bleak
cold country" she replied. "While they
have no books with which to pass away
the hours of the long nights, as other
and more favored children do, they have
toys and games"
"Tell me about them," cried Benny.
Every well. Some years ago Elisha
Kent Kane, the arctic traveller, wrote
much about the children of the regions
which he visited. Since then other ex-
plorers have added to DIR. Kane's account,
until we know good deal about the
boys and girls of the snow. The igloo,
which is the funny name of the ice-house
of the Eskimo, is the narrow playground
of the children when the snow is deep
and the weather is bitter cold.
"The girls amuse themselves with
queer-looking dolls whose heads may
have beer carved out of walrus ivory;
for there is no wood where the long cold
nights are. They dress these dolls in
soft deer. skins, and take the ears Of the
arctic fox for doll-hoods. Sometimes
these little ladies ot.the cold will go Wis,
itmg just like the little misses Of our
country do; and when they go. they all
ways take the doll along. Dolly rides
in sled which the girls, wrapped in their
garments of bear-skin, pull over the snow
in high glee. These visits are often made
at night, and for hours group of
Eskimo girls will make an igloo re-
sound with childish talk and laughter.
They don't know anything about the
great world that lies warm and pleasant
beyond the boundaries of their ice
locked homes,-nothing about the May
parties, the forest festivals. and the mer-
ny nuttings. They have no knowledge
of the handsome dolls that fill the win
dows Of our stores. An Eskimo girl
would hold her breath if she could be
transported to one OF our toy-stores
stocked with grand things for the holt
days. They know nothing about these.
"When they learn TO sew, it is with
sharp piece OF ivory for needle, and
sinew for thread. 1t is slow work over
the poor fire, which is never allowed to
go out, on the hearth of the igloo, and
the stitches are not very even; but the
little seamstress works patiently, and the
hours pass away. When she has dis
missed her callers, she may think she can
improve the looks Of her doll. One of
her visitors may have shown an improve
ment in doll-fashions, and forthwith the
arctic girl adds something to the COS.
tune of her own pet. And thus it goes.
The Eskimo girls do not know the wilder
sports INDUCED in by the boys; but for
all this, they have very merry times
for God has designed that children shall
be happy wherever he has placed them.
"The minds of the boys of the polar
world run TO sports that suit their ma