Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-18
OCCUPATION FOR CITY BOYS.
A Subject Whose Phases Are Attract
ing Much Attention.

From City and State.
The ordinary yard of an ordinary house
in town is usually too small, damp and
generally unattractve to offer much in
ducement as a playground to any self-re-
speeding boy.
Over the housetop, however. the air cir
culates freely, and the sunshine purifies
and invigorates, and it Is but following the
custom of the Oldest civilizations In the
world to make of the housetops outdoor
centers of rest and recreation.
fiat can be made with wooden floor
ing over the tin roof strong posts with
bars between set all about 1t along the four
sides. and over posts and bars good, heavy
wire netting, such as Is used in poultry
yards: and thus the framework of the boys
roof playground is complete The interior
may be furnished in many different ways
to suit the tastes of the three or four boys
who may compose the family. The boy
carpenter may erect a shed at one end of
the fat, part of which can be used as
receptacle for carpentering and gardening
tools, and in the larger part rabbits may
be kept, and also varieties of pigeons. This
latter interest, both peasurable and lucra
tive. develops in children the trait of kind
ness to animals and causes them faithfully
to discharge duties in caring for their dumb
friends, who are thus dependent upon them,
besides teaching many useful lessons in
natural history which are often means of
d
mysteries of God.
Horizontal bars, quoits. a seesaw and
other games, and the much-prized sand
heap for the younger ones, all find a place
in the list of outdoor amusements, and the
fiat can be made beautiful as well by add
ing to 1t the loneliness of the garden. This
can readily be done with flower seeds and
cuttings, patience and a few soap boxes.
Those family soap boxes Why has no one
written their eulogy when they and their
contents add so much or detract from ones
physical and social well being? The great
army of the unwashed" how often quoted,
and what a picture of restitution 1t con-
Abroad. Monsieur, savon is a necessary
de la vie!' There must, therefore, be
plenty of good boxes in our ordinary we'll
regulated family, and these may be filed
with good EARTH painted, and set along
the sides of the fiat, upon inverted flower
pots, to allow for good ventilation and
drainage, and then filed with simple bright
flowers which do not require a very deep
soil. Geraniums, colas, verbenas and even
sunfiowers will do well, and morning glories
sweet peas and naSturtiums are readily
trained upon the wire netting The boys
can take care of these flowers under par
entail direction, and a deeper interest is
added II each is apportioned his own boxes
or garden On warm summer days an
awning may be put up over part of the
space, and beneath it arranged a hammock
comfortable chairs and table for books or
more quiet games.
The winter days bring also many pleas
ures, as the animals and birds live cozily
in comfortable surroundings and the bovs
have the usual games on clean. fresh snow
In which to play, and better purer at
mosphere. both for their physical and psy-
chical improvement than is obtainable in
the streets of city.