The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1900-12-07
The Children's Playmates.

mates. Happy is the mother who
can choose her childrcn's friends
tor them; although, even when
choice IS possible, it is difficult to
discriminate. 1t is not ALWAYS the
| hlld who comes from the home Of
culture and refinement who has tho
finest character neither is it inva
r'ably the child who has the most
| pleasing manner or the most cor
rect habit of speech, for these
things may hide an inner rudcncss,
n even vuIgarity, which is con-
amlnating. These arc children
Nho learn early to appear quite
differently when they arc with their
elders from what they do with their
rlaymatcs, and the one way 20
choose is by knowledge, and, hay
'ng that, what qualities shall de-
crminc choice?
| Said Il mother who was on one
Of the lower rounds of the social
ladder: "Aly little daughter plays
with the children of the wcalthicst
people in town." Every effort was
made to have that childs dress
equal that of her playmatcs; she
Mas sent to their school, she at
tended their church. BY dint of
much judicious pushing she finally
married one of their number and
became Il fashionable and worldly
| minded woman. The mother had
ncr regard; her daughter was fixed
III the very place where she most
desired TO sec her; but the beauty
ot 1t was turned to ashes in that
mothcr's heart, for she lived to see
the day when her daughter was
ashamed to be in hcr company.
! SIld auothcr mother who had
| been born to an assured social posi-
ton 81 make it Il rule that my
| child shall never associate with
children who arc beneath her, be-
cause when she is older and comes
out IN society, it would make hard
feelings to discriminate.
That mother has daughter who
IS Il very gentle, we'll bred girl, but
has no more knowledge Of human
nature than if she resided on an-
| other planet. She Is narrow mind
cd and ignorant, quite unable to
| be force in life either beneficial
or otherwise.
Surely it is not the part Of wis
dom to choose by any artificial
standard. Goodness is as valuable
Il quality in children as it is in
| adults, and it is the chief thing by
which choice should be determined.
The onl y way to become ac-
qualntcd with Il child is to be with
II. Sometimes the mother says:
"Lcavc the children to themselves,
they will en- JOY the play spell much
hcttcr.' But that is not best for
The children. 1t is not wise to have
The play-room in the fourth story
and the sitting-room on the first
lioor. 1t is better for the children
when mother is near, and they will
DC happier for her presence. True,
they will interrupt her. There are
some things she will not be able to
DO II she stops to mend the broken
dolly, or to find the proper bobs
Tor the tail Of Il kite; but she will
DC guarding, training, developing
her children, and is there anything
IN the world of equal importance
But sometimes 1t is not possible
tor mother to exercise il choice of
her childrcn's friends. She may
DC obliged to live in Il ncighbor-
mood or to send to il school where
The children as Il class are not what
she would desire. Under such cir
cumslanccs what can Il mother do?
Shall she isolate her children and
deny them the compromising which
is their natural right, and without
which they cannot hculthfully de-
| vclop. That surcl y is not the best.
II she is brave woman, with Il
heart full Of love and wisdom, she
mas an opportunity given her for
| hclpfulncss that an angel might
envy. The object lesson of one
good mother who is training her
children successfully is worth a
thousand years Of preaching in
such ncighborhood. But in order
to hcl p others without injuring her
own, she must live very near to the
chlldrcn's hearts, she must possess
their full confidence. Few moth
crs do that, yet the moment child
has thought which he wishes to
conceal from his mother he is in
danger.
We speak often of the great in
flucncc for evil which Child
wiclds. We do not think SO much
as we should Of what tremendous
power for good sweet, pure
minded: unseIiish child possesses.
Other children cannot be with such
child without longing to be like
him and trying to initiate him.
Therefore, the mother of such Il
fchild need not fear to let her chill