Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-06-22
CHILDREN AND CLOTHES.
To Effect Their Reconciliation is the
Problem of Lifetime.

VI u Llet1me.
From the Philadelphia Press.
To mention the two things together is to
scent battle in the ara battle in which
most mothers spend a good part of their
hves- To patch up a peace between the
lion and the lamb would be easier than to
reconcile the average healthy, dirt-grub-
Ting, 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 distracted mother to do? Clothes must
be worn-both the law and the climate re-
quire 1t; likewise. they must be kept rea-
sonably 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 beautifully
There tots under seven and eight wander
but literal nothing -and the nursery
world turns merrly on it's axis. The life
OF the laundress is one unendng song and
mothers have nothing to scold their chill
is not Cuba, such. an insipid state of az
fairs will never be brought about while
there are Faunt)eroy suits and French
gowns to be bought and put on helpless
innocents, whom, with the refinement of
sarcasm, we afterward bid to run out
and play WV
What on earth could a child play-saye
possibly the piano-and how could he run
IN the elaborate costumes in which the
small unfortunateS are sometimes arrayedo
had Started out to define the duty of the
children to their parents and their clothes
out, as usual the other side is more in
terestnE ana i must say small some
thing 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 hundred
this point than the unelect and unselert
four thousand of whose offspring 1t might
be said, BY their frills We shall know
them" Making due allowance for IT,
mother-pride which so dearly loves 10 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 Whereabouts. still 7
never see one of those disconsolate LITTLE
mortals in purple, too rich and lien. too
fine to permit of him enjoying himself
that the unworthy desire does not arise in
me to entice him away from his guardian
f-or the guardian of mis- clothes-introduce
MN ana the clothes to the possibilities of
nud-pie making, take him triumphantIv
back to his unnatural parents and RIM
This is. however, far from being what
intended to say to good little children who
can Unis Is fact, not airy theory and in
deed should be taught to take reasonable
care or reasonable clothes. The youngster
who deliberately wipes muddy hands On a
fresh white skirt, walks into puddIes with
new boots, or rolls down hill in Sunday
1rock has the instincts Of an anarchist and
should be ''nipped iE the bud" like Sir
Boyles rat; To put it tersely, in the words
OF one mother l know: Children kick two
sorts of holes into their shoes-those made
Internationally and those made Intention
ally: The remedy for the first is new pair
OF shoes; for the second, spanking"
1t isn't necessary to brighten a child with
threats or worry him with the sharp re-
mfnder that CLOTHES cost money! to teach
him respect for property In clothes as in
other things. Simply oblige the most de-
structive of small rebels to keep on wear
ing, for day or two, the dress or jacket
or hat he 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 af-
ford to buy you new clothes and that be-
side" has wonderfully salutary effect.
Children are quick to know justice when
they see it, and though they would doubt
less rather tear the pinafore than wear it,
the wearing after the tearing is conse-
Quence which even the smallest sinner will
appreciate and avoid.