Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1894-07-20
LITTLE ONES AT THE TABLE.
A Mothers Plan OF Obviating the Dangers
OF High Chairs.

o.; High Chairs.
With the birth of my first baby ]
made it rule that none of my children
should ever eat at the table with their
elders until their table manners were
quite safely developed. TO carry out
my rule and still have my children
under my eye at meal times was a
problem which | solved as follows:
got a carpenter in the ncighborhood to
make plain table of white wood.
think he charged me three dollars, and
this included shellacling the natural
wood. The length corresponded to
that of our regular dinipg-room table;
it was two and one-haf feet wide, and
twenty-five inches in height. This
was placed alongside the ''grown-up"
table where its surface could be easily
reached by either of the parents with
out rising.
My first infant had a beautiful black
walnut high chair given him by low
ing relative. You can, perhaps, mag
inc the dismay of the donor when he
found had cut off the four legs, until
! the seat of the chair stood but fourteen
inches from the floor! The next child
had a small chair, wooden, and with
wide-sprcading legs; being so built it
could not be easily overturned. Horri-
BILE and pitiful- accidents are being
daily reported at intervals of greater
or less frequency, all over the world,
due wholly to the pernicious habit OF
seating little ones in high chairs.
Broken backs, lifelong invalidism, in
jured spines, brain disorders, idiocy
resulting from conclusion of the
brain-thesc are the chapters which
make up the awful story of warn
ing. 1t is possible your baby would
use and outgrow his chair without acct
dent; but not without the constant dam
ger of it. BY way of substitute for
such danger am suggesting a condi-
tion of things which will be of most
positive benefit to the children brought
under its rule. set the little table
with its own table ware, small china,
diminutive knives, forks and spoons
these are not expensive. One of the
latest acquisitions is set of World
fair souvenir spoons, with gold-platcd
bowls, which cost twelve cents each.
bought in connection with a certain
kind of household cleaner. They
brought endless delight to the chill
drcd, and we should remember that
prcttily figured china, bright silver
ware, pure, clcan-cut glass and clean
table linen, exercise refining inilu-
cnce on the minds of the small mem
bers, of which we may i'll afford to de-
prive them.
Again. the child which is but four.
teen inches from the floor may get out
and into his chair without aid from
others allow my fve-ycar-old to
wait upon his table whenever possible
and it is possible nine days out of ten
to permit this with benefit and without
accident. of course, at the very first
we had to caution again and again
and few spills" took place. but tho
results of our efforts justified them
and none can deny the advantages tc
the child when he is taught to become
independent and self-hclpful. The
four-year-old girl has cleared off hel
little table herself. and in the last si>
months venture to say has not broker
as many dishes as n hired girl woul(
have broken in the same length of time
And. finally. if you have thoughtlcsSly
advocated the high chair relic of bar
barism heretofore, put it aside anC
try my plan for a time. 1t will east
anxiety, rest your back, and help thu
little ones, all at the same time
I Eleanora II. Wady, in American Agri
, cuituriSt