San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-07-05
CHILDREN AND CLOTHES
To Effect Their Reconciliation IL the
Problem of Lifetime.

Problem of Lifetime.
To mention the two things together
is to scent battle in the ARA battle in
which most mothers spend good part
of their lives. To patch up peace be-
tween the lion and the lamb would be
easier than to reconcile the average
healthy, dirt-grubbing, play-loving
child TO his clothes. There is only one
other sort of child, and that is the
little prinking peacock, who thinks
too much of them; and between the
two what is a distracted mother to do?
Clothes must be worn-both the law
and the climate require it; likewise,
they must be kept reasonably whole
and clean; also, the children must be
kept happy. To cap the climax, they
usually hate pinafores worse than
the clothes they cover, and that makes
things even harder for the children,
the parents, or the clothes, sometimes
for all three.
In Cuba they manage things beau
tifully. There tots under seven and
eight wander about clad in nothing
not figurative, but literal nothing
and the nursery world turns merrily
on its axis. The life of the laundress
is one unending song and mothers have
nothing to scold their children about
But here, (which the same" is not
Cuba, such an insipid state of affairs
will never be brought about while
there are Fauntleroy suits and French
gowns to be bought and put 'on help
less innocents, whom, with the refine
ment of sarcasm, we afterward bid to
run out and play"
What on earth could child play
save possibly the piano-and how could
he run in the elaborate costumes in
which the small unfortunates are some
times arrayed? had started out to
define the duty of children to their
parents and their clothes, but, as usual,
the other side is more interesting and
I must say small something as to the
duty of the parents and the clothes to
the children. 1t is hardly true, either,
that the Juvenile martyrs to fashion
are found chiefly among the Four Hun
dred, who are frequently far more sem
sible on this point than the unelect and
unselect four thousand, of whose off,
spring 1t might be said: by their
frills We shall know them"
Making due allowance for the mother
pride, which SO dearly loves to see fine
feathers on her bantling, and for the
real difficulty of making a person of
thirty or whereabouts understand the
feelings of a person of five, or there
= &c e<s -
disconsolate little mortals in purple too
rich and linen too fine to permit of him
enjoying himself, that the unworthy
desire does not arise in me to entice
him away from his guardian or the
guardian of his clothes-introduce him
and the clothes to the possibilities of
mud-pie making, take him triumphant
~ back to his unnatural parents and
run.
This is, however, far from being
what intended TO say to good little
children, who can this is a fact, not
airy theory and indeed should be
taught to take reasonable care of
reasonable clothes. The youngster
who deliberately wipes muddy hands
on a fresh white shirt, walks
into puddles with new boots, or
rolls down hill in a Sunday froclr, has
the instincts of an anarchist and
should be ''nipped in the bud," like
Boyle's rat. To pnt it tersely, in the
words of one mother / know: .tChil-
dren kick two sorts of holes in their
shoes-those made unintentionally and
those made Intentionally. The rem
edy for the first is a new pair of shoes;
for the second, spanking"
1t isn't necessary to Brighten child
with threats or worry him with the
sharp reminder that CLOTHES cost
money" to teach him respect for prop
erty In clothes, as In other things.
Simply oblige the most destructive of
small rebels to keep on wearing for
day or two the dress or jacket or hat
ne has willfully spoiled or soiled, and
change will come over the spirit of his
dream. Or, If the garment must be re-
placed, quiet refusal of some longed-
for toy or pleasure because mamma
can't afford to buy you new clothes,
and that BESIDES" has wonderfully
salutary effect. They are quick to
know justice when they see it, and
though they would doubtless rather
tear the pinafore than wear it. the
wearing after the tearing is conse-
quence which even the smallest sinner
will appreciate and avoid.-Philadel-