The Jersey City news., 1892-01-13
Light FOR LITTLE ONES.
Is 1t Cruelty or Kindness TO
Compel Children to
Sleep in Dark
Rooms 4?
FANCIES FEARFUL AND CHEERFUL
Their Effect Upon is All-House-
hold Hints 10 Home
Workers.

The question has often occurred to me,
if it is wise for parents to compel imagin-
ative children to sleep in the dark. OF
course, when they are once asleep there
can be no danger, but in the interval be-
fore the blessed sleep comes what horrible
thoughts might trouble them and make
their dreamland, anything but restsul,
many of us older ones will never know.
|. myself. believe firmly that good well
COO ked food aiding digestion, effects our
lives materially. So also, a good nights
rest makes the following day happier.
The child learns more quickly, plays more
actively ana the whole world it moves in
is frightened by it. A happy child is a
wonderful power for good.
Many children are put to bed in the
upper stories of our houses and the light
is put OUT they are told TO ''go to sleep.
Many of as nowadays have little time to
talk and sing with them and few youths
of the future will remember "The Songs
My Mother Used to Sing" To their
fears of the dark we answer Nonsense"
But it isn't nonsense. A word, a sound
Or a shadow will start a child's imagina-
ton into wild activity. Fears and dis
NAL possibilities will suggest themselves.
Fear of realities is bad enough. but fear
of , we know not what, Is horrible. A
glance at our own childhood days will
teach us to sympathiZe and humor chill
dren more. Great warriors have been
known to be afraid of the dark. They
nraved all open, seen foes, but were fear
full of what The darkness might hide. 10
punish child by putting him in dark
room alone is cruel. Smarting bodily
punishment is preferable.
LIGHT.
In a story of years ago. we read of an
infant asking for light. His mother,
anxious to conquer his fear of darkness
enters into philosophical discussion
with him, and by series o.. artful ques-
tions she entrapped him into the ack-
nowledgment that the candle he craved
was nothing but wax and cotton. "And
how can waX and cotton help you?' was,
il we remember right, her triumphant cou-
clusion as sne left him, il lot reconciled
to the darkness, yet beguiled by the
sophistry Into delusiye submission We
doubt not, however, that presently he
was quaking a gain with all his former
fears, which, perhaps, were no worse,
after ALL than the spurious comfort he
had been subjected TO.
Weakness, fancies-the strong minded
may say. Fancies these fears may be, but
in our lives aud you must murder the in
nocent, pleasant. cheerful ones as we'll us
the fearful ones. The latter, If humored.
would die natural death. Would you
give up the fancies you find in the open
fires? Would You give up the fancies of
Fairyland? Would you give up Santa
Claus?
CRUEL PRACTIcABILITY.
heard or a child who came home from
| school and informed her parents that her
| teacher had told her class that Santa
Claus was all nonsense; that he was q
Fictitious person." How could shef 1t
was positively cruel. There is Santa
/ Claus. He exists in the hearts of all low
| ing mothers aud fathers who sacrifice so
| much to give their children a merry
| Christmas. Take care how You treat
him. Don't extinguish the jolly light
which he brings to the children any more
than you put out all light for them at
| bedtime.
| While at the seashore last summer
became much attached to little child of
| three years. Her mothers room adj
| ioined ours. One evening it stormed aud
murdered and lightning frightened
| even the older ones. heard plaiDtive
cry OF mamma" and went to baby 5
room. She was alone. The awful sounds
ana the darkness had frightened her ter
ribly, lifted her up. She resented this.
| SAYING that her mamma had forbidden
her to leave the bed Her mother, on
hearing OF Baby's fear, dressed her and
brought her TO the lighted room, but
Baby's constant remark Ihat evening was
| ~ was so afraid" Her mother was try
ing to break her of her fancy against
darkness Do you think it paidf AT a
cruel price, think.
IL is so easy to comply with their fancy
| Get one of these little lamps and put it
where the light will not strike the Sleep
er's eyes. Let them have consciousne IS
| hot ir is