Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-03-26
Happy Children.

What is SO rare as really happy
child? and 1t seems to grow more rare
as the years roll on, till by and by, in
the far distant future, some learned
ethnologist will solemnly declare that
the species is extint. The universal cry
in every household where there are
children, seems to be "What shall do,
mammal" until to mamma's tired ears
1t becomes as annoying as the refrain of
Helens Babies, who wanted ''to Shee
the wheels go wound"
Surely there must be a remedy, says
The HOusekeeper. 1t is said 1.-The
proper study of mankind is man" But
/ say, the proper study of mankind is
the child, and that there Is a remedy, II
We would but apply 1t. AS a prepara-
tory step, L suggest that there be made
a giant bonfire of all the toys in the
universe; and next general confagra-
ton of all toy factories.
A great cry would go up from the
outraged children; but soon they would
set cheerfully to work, make their own
toys, and as the fairy tale hath 1t Give
happily ever after"
The toys of this generation have been
brought to such state of perfection,
that they leave nothing for the busy
little hands or brains TO do; they are
too perfect Our grnndfathers made
their own tops, kites, and whistles, and
our grandmothers played with rag
dolls, or made mud pies, and they were
happy. Why may We not try the same
experiment with our little ones?
When next the cry comes for some
thing to do, if you are the fortunate
possessor OF back yard, tie a ging ham
apron over Mary's clean dress, and send
her out with a tin spoon and cup. The
wee woman will not need twice telling,
and nothing worse will come of 1t than
| dirty hands and apron; mamma mean
while will have had an hour of quiet.
Memories of mud pies are among tho
happiest of my childhood, rendered
more delightful, perhaps, by the fact
/ that ours was clay district, and oUr
/ handiwork could be made quite durable
/ by a short exposure IN the hot sun. Ny
/ uncultured taste, at that time, greatly
| preferred the broken crockery picked
/ up IN out of the way places, to the small
! tea ct which | counted among my pos
! sessions. A crooknecked squash, dress
| ed IN flowing garments, would cause me
/ to neglect my own real doll for days to-
gether.
But stormy days must he considered,
and what then? Here Is one more pas
time Of my own childhood, which was a
great source of amusement. My broth
er and / had made a collection of ami
mails, nearly all of which We had cut
from pictures, but where that could not
be done, We transferred the outline of
the animal We wanted, by means of oiled
paper, also homemade. These trans
ferred animals we afterwards cut out
AMI painted in their supposed natural
colors. Then We would go to dear old
grandmother's room, taking our mena-
gerie with us; we would beg of her a
couple of quits, and throwing them
loosely on the floor, form miniature
mountains, valleys and caves. in winch
W placed our animals, as their habits
indicated. BY this simple play, we be-
came familiar with most of the animal
kingdom, and not with their names
alone, but with their forms and ways of
living.
Ny own children have quiet play,
in which from given word, each tries
to form the greatest number of new
words. Examples OF self amIsem nt
could be multiplied; these are merely
given as suggestions.