The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-12-17

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Let US not altogether overthrow the
Santa Claus myth, for an immense moral
influence dwells in it, says stHarper's
Bazar.p The belief, which is very gem
eral among children, that his favor de-
ponds upon their good behavior, has an
u%nequalled soothing power over rebels
lious dispositions. If they believe that
the wise saint has his own recording
angel, is there any harm in the quaint
superstition? We ourselves subscribe to
sillier ideas. Gould we penetrate the
symbolism of some childish fancies there
might often come to the light grains OF
wisdom emnan from the religions Of
the ancient world.
The question we are now asking, how
to make a merry Christmas? is not to be
consider it from its own standpoint. Hap
piness is not, even at this season, to be
put in a great sack labelled candy and
toys, We should study our children and
find out what particular thing they are
counting upon. Especially where Christ
mas is the great ~gift-making epoch Of
the year, and the children 1eok to it for
their annual store of games and toys.
But only half our duty toward them
will be lone if we nave not taught them
the pleasure of making gifts to others.
I say taught advisedly, for the moral
nature of a child is not conferred upon
him at birth; it exists then only in the
germ, and it has to be cultivated just
as his faculty for Intellectual work has
to be cultivated. But the great differ
ence between moral and intellectual train
ing is, that whereas in the last one may
attack the understanding and lead on to
desire. in the first all our approaches
must be made to the heart. No restraint
upon conduct is of any account unless
We succeed in getting the child to want
to be good. He will then try to be good
under all circumstances. when he is away
from us as well as when he is in our
sight.
Martha Washington was then FORTY
five years of age. and those who went to
the camp and expected to find her ar
rayed in the gowns which they had sup
posed would he worn by the Generals
wife were disanpointed.'. writes william
Perrine of "Wasaington's Christmas. at
Valley Forge, in the December Ladies'
t1CfLG JGnIII1l. =f WHILST or lisSbdiLNIS
and brothers are examples Of patriotism,
she would say 10 her countrywomen, we
must be patterns of inGustry.' She did not
hesitate 60 wegr a brown dress ard q
specified apron when receiving fastidious
and elegant visitors al Morristown- 1t
was said afterward that she acquired her
inveterate habit Of knitting in her zeal
a. Valley Forge to relieve The barefootea
fsan AROUND her. On cvery fair day she
might be seen walking through the rude
streets Of The town of nuts with a bas6et
IL her hand. Entering h hut Of q
sergeant, she found him dying on a pallet
Of straw, his wife BESIDE him in the
anguish cf fnal separation. She minis
tered 70 his comfort Nth fooe prepared
by her own hands. Then knaeling she
earnestly prayed with her sweet ard
solemn voice for the stricken couple.
All day long she was busy With these err
ranas eff grace. or il the kitchen at the
stone house, or in urging other women
to lend a he1-4 ng hard. And when she
passed along the lines Of the troops sac
would sometimes hear the feTvent cry
God Bless Lady Washington! or Lofs
live Lady Washington.' We'll, indeed
might the men feel that they could fight
to their very last drop Of blood with a
commander whose wife. who was fos Taer-
~ the belle and leader Of her set @ 'rG
the DANES and danssels Of Virgins. was
not ashamed to be seen darnirg his and
her own stockings"
For the improvement of the whole body
| there sis nothing Ike vocal culture,
whether it be the singing or the speaking
voice. a y .Harper's Bazaar
The major part of vocal instruction
consists in teaching the pupil how to
breathe.
This act, though the very first enc in
life 10 be employed, is acquired the least
| perfectly.
The use of the diaphragm, the expan-
sion of the ribs, the control Of the breath
as it passes over the vibrating vocal
| chords, require a knowledge of the
mechanism to do it properly, and it is the
rarest thing to find a person who rightly
| understands it.
/ have known great singers who under
| stood, to perfection the use of the sing.
ing voice cause great strain to their vo-
cal chords by the improper use of the
muscles which control breathing, as well
as those tndl cOIlfOl the iaiSiiA' - No
ing their speaking voice.
AS a means of promoting health and
maintaining it. the lung gymnastics are
among the most potent, and II mothers
who put their children at an early age
to the piano for daily practice should
| substitute for it the training Of the voice
| for singing, if the child has talent, Tor
the right use of it in speaking and read
ing if not for singing, it would be OF the
creates advantage physically.
In piano practice the child is kept IN a
! cramped position.
The muscles of the fingers and the
hands are increased in strength and
| suppleness, but that does not improve the
general physical condition, and often the
lungs themselves are injured by the con
tinued constrained position.
The voices of children are restrained;
the tired nerves of the ears of the family
| cannot endure the shrieks and cries and
the loud halloos and the uncontroiiapie
laughter of the child.
But nature is exercising the lungs, ana
the whole is one of those instructive pro-
cedures for bodily development. II the
requirements Of civilization are such as
to preclude these natural gymnastics,
provision should be made for replacing
| or suppiementing them.
Take the children out into the open
on the ton of a high hill or by the sound