Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-25
child's prattle,

~ AoA % NC AHOWb VI CdTco. many
degraded woman lost to every other decent
feeling will passionately love her child and try
TO save 1t from the knowledge Of its mothers
character and the influences of her own miser-
able life
Years ago used to walk the streets some
times with tiny golden haired lassie, now In
paradise She had witching way Of smiling
conndingly up into the faces Of strangers as we
passed, and wonderful it was to see the stern
faces OF hurrying business men, the sad faces
OF ured looking women break into answering
smiles as this human sunbeam danced across
the dark surface of their weary lives.
No surer test of the sur vival Of the divine
spark could be applied to humanity than this
Tor the man or woman incapable Of feeling the
lnenable charm OF q sweet child or OF listening
unmoved to its cries Of fear pain may be
safely set down a. fit for treason, stratagems
and spoils and looked upon with dread ana sus-
picion.
PURE LITTLE CHILDREN.
When 1 speak Of children, mean little chill
dren-the little creatures whom Christ so
loved-before contact with the world has
brushed the heavenly bloom from their pure
hearts, before the sweet Inconsistencies of in
fancy has been destroyed and the gates Of that
beautiful garden where they wander, and where
they let US wander with them if we will, have
been closed forever.
The mother who deliberately or thought
lessly gives her little into the entire charge
OF hired servants, no matter how Trustworthy
does herself and them grievous wrong. She
little knows what a priceless treasure of de-
lightfui and elevating companionship she is de-
priving herself Of to bestow upon Indifferent
and uncomprehending persons.
Inns close, constant, loving association with
little children Is one. of the most potent and
valuable Of formative influences, and no mother
can afford. for her own sake, to relinquish it,
The loss to the child can never be estimated.
foo tha,, fhoy
OF the unfolding of human character at the
earliest period The glimpses one gets into the
pearly recesses Of the child's SOUL
knew one sensitive, loving little grille in
whose character conscientiousness and pity
we're remarkably prominent. The slightest
fault committed, the lightest reproof caused
| her intense suffering, and the pain or distress
OF others affected her still more deeply.
One evening she monrnfully announced that
she could not repeat her prayers-it was useless.
She had been naughty. God was angry and
would not listen. Where she had received that
idea OF an ''angry" God her mother was at a
loss to know, but it was probably imbibed from
unconscious listening to reading or converse
tlons which was supposed to be over her head
| and unnoticed. As earnestly as possible her
mother tried to dispel this thought, telling
her that God was not angry when His chill
dren did wrong. but, like a kind earthly parent,
grieved and was sorry The child listened
thoughtfully; it must have finally occurred to
her that the Heavenly Father would have agood
deal of occasion to suffer, for her eyes filed
with tears and with look Of infinite compass
| sion she murmured:
| "Poor God"
| Blessed child, who could even find room in
her loving pity for an aggrieved Deity!
EFFECT OF A SUMNER RESORT
| The same child, finding herself in the rather
forlorn surroundings of an alleged health re-
sort. again proposed to omit her evening PRAYER.
On being pressed for reason, she declared:
| God is not in X-towni When we go home,
| then I'll say my praSers!'
Another little one had seen that terrible sight
the chain gang-working in the street. and
| asked for an explanation of the striped clothes
and the iron letters. She was told that the
men had been naughty. and were being pun
| lshed. The next time she taken out the
| child escaped from her nurse, and running up
to hulking negro convict, looked up into his
brutal face and asked piteously:
| did 90 steal oo's mammal sugar."
Alas. for those far-off days, when stealing
mammals sugar was the most heinous crime
| known to our souls!
| And the humor, usually unconscious Of
| children-there Is no end of it.
tiny boy OF my acquaintance was taken
| some years ago to the Corcoran Art Gallery.
A large painting representing the death of
| Moses made very powerful impression upon
| his mind and induced questions which were.
perhaps, rather carelessly answered. That
evening, when the little fellows father came
in, the child rushed up to him, crying in awe
stricken tones:
bad news, papa! Bad news! Moses is deadr'
little girl know was caressing her adored
and adoring .ather, whose nasal organ is not
his handsomest feature.
Papa, she remarked, ''somebody must have
been bothering God awfully when he made your
nose!'
Another little girl know is possessed of a
4 To-,
| One lay, being in a neighbors yard, she noticed
some heavy wool socks hanging on the clothes
line and inquired Of the lady Of the house to
whom that unusual footgear belonged. The
| lady told her that they we're the socks furnished
by the United States government for the use
| Of soldiers, and belonged to her son, who had
then just enlisted in the signal service. The
| child gazed at the uncouth objects with curling
lip.
'"Does he have to wear them?" she INQUIRED.
'Yes," answered the lady, to keep up the fun,
che is obliged to wear them"
The child's eyes flashed fire.
81 wouldn't wear emil" she declared. "I'd
sass the government!'
And SO she would.
HOW THE BABY LOOKED.
Another, who had been attending kinder
garten for some months, on being introduced
to the new baby, regarded it critically for some
mcments, and remarked: cts nose il an
| oblate spheroid!
Still another, though am fast getting away
| from the enchanting realm of infancy, had
come, in her school studies to grapple with that
| awful subject, latitude and longitude. Getting
completely tangled up, poor child, and no
wonder. she exclaimed: "why couldn't they
have just left the earth as il was instead Of
| dra wing lines all over itr
have felt that way myself frequently
Another interesting thing about children is a
way they have of taking up and dropping what
| is called in people "fads." A passionate incli-
nation for doing some one thing will seize them
| and the fond parents are often led thereby to
construct upon this himsy basis future artists
poets and scientists. only to find themselves
gazing in rueful astonishment upon an array Of
very commonplace boys and girls later on
| In family know two of the children passed
| through what may be called q literary period
which might well have aroused strong hopes Of
future luster to the family name tn. boy for
several months kept up 4 running fire Of rhymes,
hardly ever expressing himself in any other
| form. The following il a verbatim record Of
one OF the four-year-old improvisatore's per-
formances while playing on the door with train
| Of cars:
"A train was standing on the track;
bird lit on the smokestsck.
e: s si:in VAS .:: s Ds:s:, i.H s:'"
The train moved along,
And the bird began his song.
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