The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-10-30


again. but when once ne held them IN his
hands there was no Denying that II was
wise head tina; regulated the luncheon
time In the kindergarten. There is & like
lihoOd that some wise commissioner or
school trustee viii rise up in the early
future. VINO win institute = kind Of free
lunch counter, upon the principle that the
old saw. "A full stomach and an empty
head" is farce. and there are public
school teachers IN the kinderKartens who
viii bless the day
To children who have a home ard IA
Vorable environment the kindergarten
means but few hours OF healthy amuse-
ment. but to others the frs, glimpse OF
the pretty. sunny school room. with It's
lots OF little chairs. low. polished tables.
pleasing walls covered with well-ehossn
pictures; the white muslin-cur aimed win
dows. with a gay flower on the ledge. and
All the time the low hush OF music and
sweet courtesy, IL is more like glimpse
OF heaven. One teacher says that fra
gle little child. who duekes and divef
Ike frightened beast at every motion
OF her hand. stole up TO her when the
mornings work was ended and timidly
asked II she might come again some
time When told that she could como
every day her Joy was unbounded. She
had no father. worse than no mother. and
the environment OF public school kin
dergarten seemed like glimpse OF HEAVIER.
Most OF the children OF the kindergartens,
both for white and eolored. have work
ing mothers. who cannot care for them
during the day. and before the kinder
garten was instituted left them as best
they could 10 the care OF older children
or neighbors. II there we're no kinder
garten they would remain In the environ
ment OF the gutter from the time they
could walk until six years old. II Is theE
no wonder there are sore babies In the
kindergartens who are scarcely biz enough
to play come TO see" II IL worth
stretching the age point In order to gain
such abiding good for the babies. ARD
no one minds.
Effect Of the KInderGarters.
However. the best results will be felt
in the next five years, when Il will be
found that the expense Of the kinder
garten has lessened the expense OF tn
reform school The whole atmosphere IS
healthy, putting good. clean thoughts
into the Idle. receptive little brains. and
teaching cleanliness and order where
vice reigned. The storytelling time *
Wv hniiNA WIN utllAiN Nv bUl0 boNN an
girls. though there Is a bit of the Greek
and Trojan about It when Il comes 10
the question OF whether 10 shall be a story
OF girls and dolls or boys and dogs. But
somehow, just when the conflict Is about
TO assume startling proportions a low
whistle from some preOccupied boy who
does not care much for stories or a
motherly bit Of discipline from some 1T
tie girl who undertakes 10 button her
neighbOr's dress or comb the snarls out
of her hair with her fingers brings them
all back 10 peace. During the story hour
these children all clock UP their lips
and put the key under their chairs Then
the quiet is something less than bedlam.
But aside from the philanthropic phase
of 1t, the real good Of the kindergarten
Is felt and appreciated by every first
grade teacher who afterWard handles the
children. for they have been taught order
and neatness, application 10 a task and
close attention. After tina. II is little
trouble TO start them with boy" dog"
and "cat," the very same words your
great-grandfather was first coached In a
hundred years ago. II a kindergarten
teacher had a highly developed sense OF
humor and did not love children she
would likely lose her position In a mar
velously short time and as II is there are
moments when childish wisdom grows so
startling that she seeks the kindly shell
ter Of the ClOakroom.