The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1899-03-10
TELLING STORIES T0CHILDREN
There Should be Variety, but Old Fa-

There Should be Variety, but Old Fa-
vorites Bear Frequent Repetition.
when one speaks of telling stories to
the little people prose narratives seem to
be commonly understood and as COM
monty used. but there is no mistake
greater than to suppose that children are
not susceptible to the charms of poetry
writes Nora Archibald Smith Of '"The
Kindergarten Possible to Every Home
and Village" in the Ladies' Home Jour
nal 'They care more for poetry, Oh the
people, whether for the melody, the
rhythm, the rhymes, the short lines, the
simplicity and picturesqueness of expres-
sion, or for all these reasons together,
which makes it thing pleasantly diff
ferent from common speech. Goethe adj
v!sed that every child should see pretty
picture and hear "a beautiful poem every
day, and if we would not Danish the
Charm OF poetry from mature life it be-
hooyes us to follow his advice and SUBJ
ject the child to its influence at the time
OF greatest susceptibility.
I'VE must beware, however, of giving
ohe-sided development by combining
ourselves too much to one branch Of lit
erature. We must include in our roper
tory some well-selected myths, fairy sto-
RES which are pure and spiritual in tone,
and fable now and then. Nature sto-
ries, hero tales, animal anecdotes, occa-
slonal narratives about good, wholesome
children, plenty Of fine poetry, as has
been said, and, for the older ones of the
family, legends, allegories and historic
happenings. A large stock Of stories il
not essential for little children. They
feel, as Bulwer said, the beauty and the
Holiness that dwelt in the customary and
the old; and they are we'll pleased-and
II Is pest that IT should be so-with hear
fsIH f1
ana again, IN song or in story, from their
mothers lips"
Fashion in Gems-Fate of the Earring,
Taste is matter of custom, Two
years ago the earring was barlaric. rem
iniscent of sauaws. One Year ago The
earring was an interesting antique, to tr.
brought forward if of fine jewels or an
inheritance. This winter the earring *
fashion cultivated by exclusives and
looked upon with indulgence by the ma
jority
Diamond drops hang from pearl tears:
pearl centers are trimmed with dia-
monds. The turquoise has another
sphere for its celestial expression. But
DIS the earring comes nearer the face,
than any other baubie the greater care
Is necessary in its selection. Womeu
ought to know the gems they can wear
but few have attained unto wisdom.
Fair women are extinguished by dia-
monds. whose pure ray and blue light
take the gold out of the hair. dim the
brliliancy Of the eyes and teeth and too
often make the skin look yellow. The
diamond lights up and accentuates wrin-
kles. Only to the young and to the brill
iantIy brunette is it becoming
Pearls, pink, white or black. become
all. Women love them because they ar.
the most human of gems. Like women,
they love caresses. If not petted and
cared for they sicken and die. Yet wom-
en- fear them. The pearl is an unluckv
stone. Marie Antoinette, Marie Stuart,
Charlotte Corday, wore pearl necklaces
that were credited with bringing them
misfortune. Pearls bear the divers
curse and the mermaid's tears; yet they
are worn by brides.
The opal is another unlucky stone.
though fashion has advanced it. and it is
dedicated to beauties. Its blue and Or
ange CLEANS are eerie. but women who
love opals-and they are many-can see
equal beauty in no other gem.
The turquoise is an embarrassing stone,
but it suits we'll enough a pink and white
schoolgirls complexion. The deep blue.
of the sapphire is richer but little more
becoming. The blood-red ruby is su-
perb jewel, fit for queenly brunettes:
while the emerald. most fashionable
stone of the season, is out of place ex-
cept on fair northern beauty with lint
white locks and clear gray eyes
1t is a fine taste that is bringing for
ward many of the minor stones. like the
topaz and beryl, and seeking semS-like
fowers-for their beauty and to crafty
the liking of the individual.