Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1893-04-06
THE TASTES OF CHILDREN.
They Ought to BE Consulted In Matters
Where They Have Preference.


Where They Have Preference,
A great many good people in the
world are inclined TO look slightingly
upon childish tastes and childish pref
erences, as though they were in them
selves so frivolous as to be unworthy of
all notice. Yet there are few grown
up people to-day who can not recall
acute suffering in childhood because of
total disregard of these same tastes
and preferences. The tastes of the
woman are quite likely to be the tastes
of the child modified only by years and
experience.
A story to illustrate this Is told of
Queen Victorias eldest daughter, whose
queenly mother kept her under some
what rigid discipline, even after she
had arrived at the age when young
ladies usually have somewhat of their
own way in the matter of dress
and surroundings. The marriage
of the princess royal had al
ready been agreed upon, and the prin-
cess, when visiting an attractive lingerie
shop, ordered large amount of dainty,
attractive garments, which were en-
tirely different from the stiff, old-fash-
toned linen which the queen had al
ways insisted upon for her family. No
sooner were the garments sent home
than the royal mother returned them
in a spirit of Indignation, and ordered
for her daughter duplicate of the
queer, old-fashioned trousseau which
she had had made for her wedding so
many years ago These the princess
must be content with, though, if re-
port says true, she shed many tears
over them, and after her marriage she
disposed of them as quickly as possible
and bought dainty clothes to suit her
taste, which had something of the
French chic and air about them.
The old-fashioned idea that there
was something sinful in pretty clothes
or that one was pandering to
vanity and folly in consulting
the taste in matters of dress has
passed away. There is no possible harm
in allowing little girl who has ideas
of her own to have considerable free
dom in the choice of her belongings.
She should be guided, of course, by the
means at hand and by the judgment Of
older people as to the utility of what
she chooses. But it is cruelty to COM
pei her to wear anything which she in
stinctively disliles as old-fashioned
and ugly when it is just as easy to get
her something that will please her
fancy and in which she will never feel
i'll at ease.
The proverbial case of manner of the
dweller of the city may be, after all,
but consciousness of appearing well,
while the awiwardness of his country
brother may just as naturally be due
! to consciousness of ill-fitting attire.
The term urbanity, which originally
meant city bred, has in its natural Sc
quence come to mean a tranquil and
polished demeanor Now, if you wish
to make a little girl awkward, dress
her against her own protests in clumsy
I attire. Not all the teachers of deport-
ment can overcome the shyness that will
be bred of her young impressions. Nc
wise persons can fail to appreciate the
value of ease and polish of manner. 1t
takes years sometimes to overcome the
self-consciousncss which begins in
childhood as the result of this kind OF
petty household tyranny, which utter.
ly overloolIs the individuality and
tastes of the child and consults only
the convenience of the moment
Let the little daughters and sons Of
the house have rooms of their own
as soon as they are able to take proper
care of them. Let them be consulted
in the furnishing of the room. Yield
something, where it is not inconsistent
with economy, to their tastes, so that
the room may be their very own
Let them bring their friends there. Dc
not buy clothes for any girl of an age
to have tastes of her own without con
sulting her. Even boys sometimes have
decided ideas in the matter of dress
though they are proverbially more in
different than girls. The daughter!
and sons in such home usually fine
home the sweetest place,-N. Y. Trib.
1ne.