The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-03-18
THE TASTES OF CHILDREN.

Hhoro They Have q Preference.
A great many good people in the
world are inclined to look slightingly
upon childish tastes and childish pref
erenoes. as though they were in them :
selves SO frivolous rs to be unworthy of
oil notice. Yet there are few grown
up people to-day who can not recall
acute suffering in childhood because of
a 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 Victoria's eldest daughter, whose
9ueenly mother kept her under some
what rigid discipline. oven after sho
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 a large amount Of dainty,
attractive garments, which were en-
tirely different from the stiff, oldfash-
toned linen which the queen had al
sooner were the garments sent homo
than the royal mother returned tkem
in spirit of indignation, and ordered
for her daughter a duplicate of the
nueer, 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
sn allowing little girl who has ideas
of her own to have considera BILE 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
stsnctively disfflses 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 ease of manner of the
1weller Of the city may DE, after oil,
but a consciousness of appearing well,
while the swkwardness of his country
brother may just as naturally be due
TO a consciousness of ill-6tting attire.
Tho term urbanity, which originally
meant city bred, has in its natural Sc
4uence come to mean tranquil and
polished demeanor. Now. if you wish
to make little girl awkward, dress
her against her own protests in clumsy
attire. Not all the teachers of deport-
ment can overcome the shyness that will
be bred of her young impressions. No
wise persons can fail to appreciate the
value of ease and polish of manner 1t
takes years sometimes to overcome the
self-consciousness which begins in
CnliGEOCu rs the TeSul OF Ln1S KING or
petty household tyranny, which utter
" overlooks the individuality and
tastes Of the child and ccnsults 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 incon sistent
with economy, to their tastes. Sc that
the room may be their very own.
Let them bring their friends there. Do
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 daughters
and sons in such home usually find
home the sweetest piace.-N. Y. Trib-
Nnc.