The times., 1899-12-17
our Littlc Observation-Disclosures.

The hCme-Iife OF our ancestors are more or
less familiar with The work OF this writer,
and thcy VIII find that her latest book is
even more charming than Home Life in
Colonial Days and other records OF the
same sort. AS She remarks in her pref
ace. little is known about the child of the
uld-time oolouist. because The people Of
that day considered him of comparatively
small importance. ytt, when all the gar
rets and old homestcads have been ran
sacked. and all The old folk interviewed,
much may De discovered concerning this
unconsidered little being.
The froatispieoe is a curious little picture
Cf John Quincy. One Year and a Half
Old" from a portrait made IN 1880. and
owned by Chares Francis Adams. Of Bos-
Iou. u Is followed 10y preface which is
uot The least attractive feature of tire book.
TIE day Of dry Vrefaces seems 20 have gone
by. Then follow chapters dealing win
The oId-fashioned child's life In babyhood.
~ home and ar school. his dress, his books.
lis religious and social training. all that
made up the life OF The wee people Of three
hundred years ago ira this new country. 1t
is d most fascinating record, and must
have an interest even for those who are in
20 sense autiquariaus. There are pictui rs
of cradles, TOYS. and furniture for chill
Lrgu.s use. reproductions Of family por-
traits ard Of pages Of Children's books
and very small and curious affairs Were
the latter.
The first chapter, on the babyhood OK
colonial children. contains some bl0od-chiu-
ing information Oh he 0Id-time rite OF bap-
gism i appears that very small infants
We're baptized by immersion, in cold water
after having been carried through the
streets in the depth Of winter-this was in
Massachusetts,. And from some OF the con-
Jex3 it seems probable that this religious
bath was almost the only one some chill
dTeu enjoyed Bathing was not as fash
i0usble in the seventeenth century as il is
now. and, as Mrs Earle justly remarks
there was some reason why il should not be
so. The people Of those times lived in
houses where water sometimes froze on the
hearth IN front Of a blazing fire ard they
had 10 bring all OF that precious fiuid from
a well in the yard. Possibly the abundance
of water in our N5Il-warmed houses has had
something TO do with this particular change
OF customs.
There are several quotations from the
diary Of little Anna Winslow, which was
edited some time ago by Mrs. Earle and
$ one OF the most delightful records ot
old-time chiId-life But the book does no5
confne itself TO New England children by
anv means The Southern colonies have
their fuH share q attention
This book might be useful as Well as in
fgresJing as an adjunct 90 any school ii
hraly since Il would undoubtedly convince
The children OF today thar they have very
easy time compared with the drill 10 which
their ancestors were subjected. II seems
nor 10 have been uncommon fer children
OF from FIVE TO ten years TO b. taught Latin.
and 81 is recorded OF one clergyman that he
used TO hear his fye-year-old sen repeat
Latin decleHsions each mOrHiug-the faith
er meanwhile being engaged On the bust
ness Of shaving-aud that the yOungster
sometimes had the book thrown al his head
il he chanced TO be dull. Extracts from
The arithmetics Of colonial times show that
their rules were considerably more COM
plicated than those found IN school books
of the present day. The old Pixies Arith-
metic which was studied by many persons
now living had three hundred and sixty
three rules. without any explanations. and
This Is an example q one OF rhem-Jhe
rule in Tare and Trett.
Dcdac. tHc Tarc and TIett Divide thc Sutus
ltv amount given fHr euliiert Wiil be the tloti,
vhiel subtract from the Suite tle ReIa1inder
F-iIl IT. tlr Neat
IN this arithmetic says Mrs. Earle
Tie tables q measures were longer than ours
t9day, iI measuring liquids were used the terms
anchors. SUMS butts tie-res. EiIderkrs rrkius,
puueheous ETC. lH dE2 measure were potlles-
strikes. CoaW~. glsTLeTs, Weys, ls-ts. Examples
~ cuErtusE Vefe Iu pounds, sHllllugs. and pence;
and dourIlr-s helped 70 retain the usr Cf these
Terms iu daily Frads irrE -r,er dol!ars asd been
coined 3D. America
And here Is an example from "Wingate's
Ari-hmeJic. printed 10 1920:
This Problem is usually pIoprunded in tlis
1UaIHer- VIZ Fifteen Christians add fifteen Turks
le5ug 4t So if aue and The same shin iu q terri
q. D.. .|a.f o. #.-.a r
casting rle are-h-lt " fngsa Persons into the
"a. th-- tle rrsi might De- saved. theg al agreed
f-.st t-r persons rr Doe cast away should be sci
ul- bE l1t alter ri1- manner viz, The thirty
HrrE.n- -Iu.ld b. placed IL round form ike q
9sUF aId then beginning 60 count ~ one % the
la -Haeer-- afI proceeding DifeulaIly- every ninth
pers1u should be casi into Tue Sea uuu! q the
tHrtE persons there remained only fifteen The
question IS Law shes thirty persons ought 20 be
placed. Jl-r tine lor might iuiaIlihly fali upon
IIe nf-'tr Turks sHG uuf upon any ~ the fifteen
fLri~ftars. For rhr more easie remembering Of
Sic u'r ~ rers.lyr tAis question shall presgppose
t9e fve voTels. o. q, i. o. tu signify I'VE NUM-
brrs. 90 Rfr tay one. fe} two, t) three toJ four
clmH.asraded iu these two following verses:
From numbers. aid aad art
Never VIII fame depart.
i- u.l.l verses Sou are principally to observe
fHe yoTe.s. with fheir correspondent numbers be
fore assigned. aud then beginning with the
thIis+isus The vowel lH iromB siguiheth that
four 'fTls3iaIa ere fo b. placed together: next
unto them, Tire vowel ,ia uumJ Siguiheth that
Are TURKS ere T. be placed. lu Ike manner 2
sin beIs3 deHate,l 1vo Christians ON add one
Turk. 3 .iH add rt7er Cl.risriaas fin sndi one
IlTk. iin sIll ole Christian, sin Hel two
Turks. tEu verB tEF8 christians. tlu v5ll three
fuf+s tiu fame} oHe Christian. jiu f4mel
Two TURKS ln cel 1850 Christians, . 1in p4rtj
one Turk.
Tie invention Of .i.a said raIs and siaH like.
Gepeudeth upon the subsequent demonstration
VIZ. 81 tie number ot persons be- thirty let
tlrtF figure o. egp1efs be placed eIglIarlr ~
e.ss iG q f7zft iiue 81 y68 see.
at5J1ys54l 4lggy5@sJgylJ9Jg5gJ3
Poor Turks. and poor little bemuddlcd
Christian brains that puzzled over such
problems as these,
IN the chapter on schools d Is also re-
corded that some Of the masters com
plsined because parents made "a poor ink
Of vinegar. water and INK powder which
The child could not use, and permitted 10
dry up while he borrowed from the teach
eI. Then The inksfand was used for q
candiesleE in Tie evenings, and The grease
did not lWDrsTa 81 Tor use In school next
GAY.
one curious custom which prevailed in
England as late as hundred and fifty
years ag0 seems not 30 have been brought
TO the new country. and that is The Gus
tom VI Chiid-marrlages Mrs Earle saws
that as late as 1929 6 little English lass OF
nine years was taken from boaTdinE-sc
hy her guardian and married 20 his son
IN America, children of from fourteen ia
sixteen were considered 20 be responsible,
persons Governor Winthrop made n VIII
The executor OF which was his son John
then but fourteen years old-and the Gov
ernoT himself was but seventeen when ht
was married-but the child-marrlages o
England seem never 90 have occurred IN
the new country, and almost from the
FIRST, women have had more rights and
privileges than in England