The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-10-29
How Childhood May Be Much
Frightened and tho Little
Ones Helped.
BY Granting Flu lllfnent of Some
Of Their Innocsnt Little
Fnucies.
A Household Free Frsm tho Terriers Of
tho sunday Dinner Girl In
keF Den.

II Is often said, How little 1t takes to
please a childr' and, when we think of 1t,
healthy, happy youth also, not that exotic
growth, fostered into discomfort by lux
urious indulgence, but the boys and girls
we daily meet, for whom life Is TX full OF
promise.
BY granting fulfllment to sone Of their
innocent little fancies we can d much to
their happiness and content, for often an
nnbecontnK dress, an ~outgrown garment
or attire. inviting ridicule, has spoiled the
sunshine for many a yoiE4 heart.
/. One OF Amy March's troubles in Little
Women" was being Obliged to wear her
cousins outgrown frocks, and her budding
artistic taste rebelled against purple, which
should have been blue.
lido not think l should have liked being
n Puritan child, though doubtless they
found much happiness, even with the stern
repression the lengthy tasks and sobriety
Of their lives, for they developed into peo-
pie of sterling worth.
think we elders often fail to realize the
weight of the little crosses we lay upon the
young with the best Intentions. l recall a
little girl who will always remember disa.
greeably a winter in her childish life, and
it was all IN account Of a pair of shoes. Her
little feet, with much swift running, peeped
so often from their coverings that her fa-
ther took her to the village shoemaker and
had her measured for a pair of shoes. Oh,
how ugly they were when they were fin
ishedl The coarse, stiff leather, the great
squar toes and buckskin lacings. And she
had to wear them even to Sunday SCHOOL,
There the child failed to find the heaven
ly messages She could but think Of her
dreadful feet and t.y to cover them with
her short skirts. Every litter or whisper
among her classmates sent the hot blood
rushing through her veins. The time was
one long misery.
How they were! No stones cut them, no
rough ground hurt them, and the careful
father failed to realize the hurt to the sensi.
tive nature which would be remembered
when she was IN old woman.
When we give presents to Jul needy
young girl friends, while we remember the
Substantial things for warmth and comfort,
can we not add the pretty ribbon, the deli
cate pair of glovesi How delighted the
young girl will be, who has longed for some
thing pretty, something new of her own,
not secondhand or made over. In our selec
ton Of gifts to such, let us try to change
places and recall what we would have liked
IN the lays when the Shop pos
sessed q fascination like unto the mines Of
Golconda.
AS we grow old we care less for the trifes
Of personal adornment. The affairs Of life
press too heavily upon us to cause any pair
from being obliged to forego some pretty
fancy, but by the young these things are en-
joyed and longed for.
There is to mo something pitiful in tn,
young girl trying with her faded trim
mings to remodel her old hat or much
worn dress, which must do anyway, and
long and wish that l could give her all thu
bright things that belong to youth.
"You would make them vain and frivo
lous," perhaps you tell me, but no, the in
nocent desire for beauty gratifed will hav'
an influence for good, with no more harm
than comes to our mother earth when sh'
revels in the beauty of the springtime.-
Marie Allen Kinbell in Housekeeper.