Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-10-03
SETTING THE b

should offer greater attractions, and at the
same time give children useful knowledge,
for she lives in this great city where young
folks nave nowhere else to go when not in
the house. The kitchen garden provides
songs and exercises for almost every sort
of homework. At the Wilson Mission
school, where Miss Huntington's system
first went into operation, there are sets of
toys for each little worker, but the plans
are so adaptable that a part of the system
may be taught, and a single set of toys can
be made to do for a class. That is one of
the best features of the system, for a mod
est mission school can teach the children
of the very poor with almost no outlay,
portion to the expense.
Beginners are taught by bundles of
wooden sticks lessons on wood, its uses,
the care of wooden utensils, how to place
kindlings, and, imagining the sticks to be
matches, where to strike them: imagining
them to be knives and forks, how to lay
them when setting a table. Next each
child is given a square Of paper, with
which she is initiated into the mysteries of
fine folding when ironing clothes, and is
taught many practical facts about the uses
OF paper in the house. A wood song"
and a folding song" enliven these exer-
cises. in teaching which a month is occu-
pied. They constitute the first lesson in
the kitchen garden series.
Then comes what is called the ring
play" a ~favorite exercise, for which a
number of little girls stand in a circle, one
remaining outside. AS the piano plays the
opening chords all move around while
singing:
Here goes a crowd of merry little girls
Who've lately come to school;
They're going to learn to sing the kitchen song,
And mind the kitchen rule,
As they go round and around and around.
AS they go round once more,
And this is the girl, the very little girl,
Who's learning to wait on the door.
All stop, and the girl outside rings a bell
behind the one nearest to her, who at once
turns to face her. The first one asks, "Is
Mrs. Brown at homer" to which the one in
the circle replies: eyes, ma'am. Please let
me show you to the parlor and I'll speak
to her." The visitor is conducted to an
Imaginary room, the maid" standing
aside politely to let her pass in first. Then
the visitor becomes one of the circle, the
n who acted the part Of maid going out
n ringing the bell behind some othef
girl after the song has been sung again.
One of the most attractive lessons is in
breakfast table setting. I saw a class OF
children do this, some of them for the first
time. Two dozen little ones from 6 to 8
years marched smilingly into the pretty
room devoted to the kitchen and cooking
gardens, and around low kindergarten
tables, taking seats in obedience to chords
on the piano. In front of each child was
an oval board on which were two boxes.
One held tablecloth, to wells, knives, forks,
spoons and real little napkins in rings.
In the other was a complete set of pewter
and tin breakfast dishes, even to a meat
platter, a covered vegetable dish and an
extra pitcher for hot water. The box lids
and boxes were used respectively for kitch-
On table, tray, sideboard and support for
the oval boards which formed the table
tops. The cloths-fringed napkins-were
first neatly spread, then the various dishes
were put on the Kitchen tables'' to be
warmed, or on the" sideboards," or trays"
the tots who knew the lesson giving rear
sons for everything that was done, and,
after the table was set. telling what each
article was used for and how it ought to
be placed. This lesson is followed by table