Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-05-05
TIE CITIZEN.
a VANITY BOOK.
Personal Record Keeping whose In
feresf Excuaea Its Vanity.

/ Personal Record Keeping Whose In
| terest Excuses It's Vanity.
In the beginning ones parents must
| be the authors, or il the parents will
pot, then some devoted aunt may win
/ for herself the warmest thanks In years
| to come. When Hearts Delight came
to earth, some Is years ago, substan-
4 tial volume was bought TO be her book.
Into this went first the genealogy Of
/ the family on fathers and mothers
I sides az far as there was knowledge of
It. Photographs Of great-great-grand-
parents, grandparents and parents were
| Inserted The wedding dress of the
paternal grandmother was shown by
small piece, and the maternal side was
rich with bits Of the wedding dresses Of
mother, grandmother and great-grand-
mother. Photographs Of father and
mother, at the time of their marriage
md when Hearts Delight was born,
were also added. To these We're added
one Of the house and the room which
the little maid made blessed by her COM
Ing. The announcement card went in,
and letters written for her welcome.
Mamma wrote 4 description of the Won
der, and papa took her photograph.
All this was for the beginning, but
as months went on there was more TO
chronicle. Baby's ways, the coming OF
her first tooth, her first word, and when
II was spoken, when she began to creep,
and then to walk. all these were record
ed. Into the book went, too, such treas
ures as the first sock, the first little
shoe, a piece of her first colored dress.
Everything of whatever kind that
marked beginning found a permanent
place in the Vanity Book, and the story
Of the child's life may be read therein.
As the child developed the character
Of the items naturally changed. When
she went 10 school her early efforts sup
piled more material, sometimes in the
shape of school work, and sometimes as
stories Of childish temptations or griefs
and joys. Hearts Delights first letter
Is entered in the book.
There are so many tokens here that
are treasures, more valuable as they
grow older. The first invitation to a
party, the first ti.eater programme, and
with this are other programmes of
those things which have impressed the
child Her first party dress, of course,
was shcwn In the book. Throughout the
book are photographs of Hearts De-
light herself as she grew toward girl
hood, and Of the girls and boys who
were her friends.
Long ago the book-making fell into
the hands of the girl herself, and she
adds to 1t all that points to the story
she is making. Everything Of pleasure,
of special benefit in her life is to be re-
called from this book, and even now she
prizes 1t above all her possessions.
What will it be TO her when she is so?
What will 1t be worth to her son or
daughter when some one writes "Finis"
to ii for her? What would you not give
for such book left you by your mother
or father? 1t would be worth more than
money.
There Is great deal of pleasure to be
found In making such book for ones
self, though II one begins it after child
hood he loses much that went into the
little ones book. 1t will become filled,
however, with the important things of
life, each making these for himself. A
vanity book is one of the best things in
the world to show how ones ideas OF
values change, and how life's horizon
expands. 1t records life with some
of those which preceded It, and gave 1t
its bent, and those which accompanied
and developed it. Though it may be
vanity, IT is yet vanity with lesson.
N. Y. Sun.