The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-23
By
A
CLUB
WOMAN
G. A s u AL
G. 9 NJ M f N L

good sisters were Frustrated by fear. They
gave up all school exercises and devoted
themselves to sprinkling holy water and tell
ing their beads till the danger had passed.
I know perfectly WE'LL he said. that dam
ger from lightning is practically almost
nothing, but that makes no difference.
cannot get over that early sympathetic inn
preston of terror
Fear of thunder is taught by mothers
as well. Every mother that wakes up
her children in the night. because ii 10
laundering, and puts them between two
mattresses in what she fancies the safest
corner, will have them all suffering all their
lives from it,
For my part" said the Young Mother.
Its the flowers and weeds OF speech that
trouble me. Children learn by imitation.
We are told but although in the speech Of
their parents and teachers and in the books
they read. they usually find reasonably
correct grammar, yet that Is not what they
initiate. They don't need to play with other
children ten minutes 20 acquire such ex-
pressions as L seen, L amt got none and
i have went
Consider yourself lucky" said the Crid-
cal One, "if they don't say youse."
do you find it best to keep them away
from other children asked the Elegant
One Mrs. Brown is determined her Carol
and Earl shall never learn any naughtiness.
and she doesn't let them play with other
children at all. But they NOPE and fret
and quarrel and drive her and the nurse
distracted-and I believe she is making q
mistake in being strict about it
Indeed j never should bring up my chill
dren on the plan of seclusion- There is
nothing so good for children-so good for
their nerves and their pleasure, or worth
SO much to them i'm education and disci-
pine of character, as the society OF other
children" said the Young Mother, earn
estly.
"But they learn dreadful things. some
times
"Oh. one must watch their playmates OF
course One must guard them against ac-
tual moral contagion one would against
measles But mere ordinary naughtiness,
like their own, temper and selfishncss and
mischievousness. the sooner they learn to
meet ii and get along with IL the better.
An only child kept away from other chill
dren, may turn out little Lord Faunt-
leroy, 1 suppose, but he is much more like
ly to be a conceited, selfish, intolerable lit
tie prig."
Especially IL she's a girl, instead: a
boy brought up i'm that way is too often
learning secretly to be a regular little
tough. We've all known toe many in
stances"
But children will quarrel so.''
Eyes that's part of the education of 4.
Their quarreIs do harm, unless their
parents are foolish enough TO take their
part. They make it up next day IL you let
them"
my trouble is to get them to play.
sometimes wonder if children have for
gotten how."e
"The unfortunate children living in fats
do not have much chance TO learn to play
or to learn anything about practical life.
One of the teachers told me that the COM
monest things have TO be explained 10 them
before they can understand their reading
lessons. They don't know what gimlet is.
or a poker, or any of a thousand ordinary
things. But people i'm more normal cond-
| tions ought to have a place that Is the
| childrens own. to do with as they please
| a back yard, or a garnet, or a barn. I'D
rather see a playhouse and canal and a
! furnace i'm back yard, II there is a child
in the family. than the most immaculate
turf and flower beds.
THE children on our street." said the
| young mother, have had the most fun
playing stock farms this summer. They
. built barns and they cut cut horses and
! COWS and pigs from cardboard; they
stacked hay when the lawn was moved,
| they made a creamery of an old bicycle
| pump, they carried a brisk business
| selling stock 60 each other. they had a feed
store and trolley line and a telephone.
| Johnny had been out I'm the country for a
| month and he showed them how"
Eyes, that IS what 1t needs-one child or
| the inventiveness TO think of things to do.
| and the energy 10 make them go 1 have
| known one little girl to keep all the chill
dren of a neighborhood playing together
| happily all summcr-using just the same
gifts and tactics that would make a wom-
an social leader