The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1895-10-25
Honolulu kindergarten as Seen
by a Mother.
TINY FINGERS TAUGHT TO WEAVE.
Merry Children Happy in Their Play.
Morning Prayer and Then Follows
work--Portuguese school Full TO
Overlooking Japanese Ability.

1t was a warm, sultry morning, no
in the least inspiring to industry, anC
the sight of the heaped up sewing.
table was positively oppressive.
groaned aloud at the thought of stick
ing in a needle only to pull it out
again, and growing sleepy before moon
in such employment, when conscience
came to my rescue and reminded me
/ of my promise TO visit the kindergar-
tens 1t was an inspiration. Con-
science is not always so entirely in
sympathy with ones inclinations, SC
/ joyfully made ready and set out to
olive with the children" for one
morning, thanking Froebel for his
motto, and profoundly grateful to my
mentor for suggesting that / could
substitute pleasant duty for tire
some one.
Emma Hall was the goal of my am
bition, and l arrived in time to see
the children on the play ground before
school began. Miss Ozawa was
watching her little flock of japanese
boys and girls. How merry they
looked! There is speck of boy in
his first trousers. He stands alone to
display his new garments to the best
advantage, and To avoid too close q
contact with Hawaiian soil. Here is
another small boy, who seems to be
inspired with benevolent desire to
entertain the stranger, so he marches
out into an open space on the lawn,
eyeing me all the time, and solemnly
turns several summersaults. His
efforts We're successful; l was enter
tanned.
Leaving the playground, l made
my way to the Hawaiian room, where
Mrs Taroell, assisted by young Hs-
wa,!an girl from Kawaiahao Semi
nary, has in charge some two dozen
small natives There are still some
children debarred from attendance by
whoopiDg cough, but the room looks
full to me, though more have been
and will be accommodated. Promptly
at nine Miss Lizzie took her place at
the organ and the march began.
He was tiny boy who led that day
and seemed to feel his Importance.
How the eyes sparkled, and what per
feet time they Kept. Now it is time
for the morning song. II is prayer,
aud hands are folded and eyes closed
as they sing, Father, We thank Thee
for the night" The baby voices are
sweet and true, and, though wsyward
eyes will fly open in spite of vigorous
efforts to shut them tight, / am sure
the prayer went straight up to tue
heart of the All Father. The children
are evidently happy. 1t is hard to per-
suade them when they have outgrown
the kindergarten to pass on to the
schools. There is girl
back to Emma Hall She has the pro
verbal objection of the sex to advaDc-
ing years, and resolutely proceeds TO
throw sand in the eyes of the old gen
tlemeu with the scy the and the hour
glass. Twenty three children Seem to
fill this room full enough, but how
about the hundreds who need just such
care and training and for whom there |
is neither room nor teaching force, nor /
funds 10 provide the same?
Let US look in on the japanese class |
and see how our young hero of the /
trousers and the young acrobat appear
ia the school room. Que trial of this |
class is the frequent changes of resi-
ience among tue Japanese. One set
Of children has hardly time TO be
into trim, when it is
moved away and new set comes in.
In this way the teacher is forced to
keep going over the beginnings. No
)ther school has TO face this difficulty.
The twenty four lite folks present
his morning are mostly new schol
lrs What restless, eager little things
hey areI So full OF good natured
mischief that one is reminded of the
monkey cage at the "Zoo," they are
70 quick and funny. But there is not
cross face in the room; they all look
lappy and interested, in spite of sly
ricks when the teachers back is
urned. There is the acrobat, he is
ewing the outlines of clock in red
they are learning of clocks
md time this week. The iufant in
rousers is on the other side of the
oom with the babies, and is distin-
,uishing himself by sticking parti-
olored pegs in board-a color lesson.
be remembers his new
lothes, and stands up on the seat till
veryone has had the opportunity to
ee him, if they chose to avail them
elves of the privilege; then he sits
own and continues to "peg" away
With the rest. They look as earnest
$ if they were producing master
,ieces, but are by no means so en-
rossed as to ne oblivious to other
Nothing escapes them.
Iiss Ozawa is temporarily assisted by
Irs. Crabbe.
But the morning is going and we
ave not seen Miss Alexander's little
ock. She has twenty-one today, and
er assistant is one of the girls from
who the children call
Hiss Carrie. An interested mother
lso gives her time and helpfulness.
Iere the baby fingers are being
rained to use the weaving needles,
nd "upder one over one " is patiently
epeated again and again by the
eachers till in front of each pupil lies
little paper mat with regular squares
D two colors. Time has come for
ecess, and the children go out in :
rder as 8 spirited march is played.
ii, except the little one who is de-
rived Of recess in the interests of 4