The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-01
BY THOMAS G. VISK.
Copyright, 1903, by Thomas @. Visk.

1 to another section of the room and seat
ed them on a bench. After he had
| helped bring up the family's bundles,
he returned and took up the interrupted
talk.
That boy said. I'm going to be a
good citizen And he was so much in
earnest that I'm willing to wager that
he'll make good his words. Why, he's
actually begun punching the other boys
because they won't take off their caps
to and salute the American flag that
he got for a Christmas present"
When the Girls Get Dolls.
The guides paused to reflect.
Maybe the missionaries didn't
mean it to have that effect, but the
tree that they had here Christmas has
stirred up a lot of trouble for me.
That tree was indirectly responsible
for the squabble I've just settled
Near as l could make out, it began
over an attempt of one of the daugh-
tiers of one family to steal a. doll from
the daughter of the other woman.
Every girl here got a doll from the
tree, but many of them have since
tried to become mothers of larger
families, with the result that their
days and their mothers days and my
days especially have been full of
trouble
But that tree has showed me one
thing-how quickly and easily the
children of all nations-even the
roaming Arabians-take up with
American ways. Until Christmas day
the boys had never played with mar
bles-had never seen 'em, so far as
l can find out-but an hour after they
had received their bags of marbles,
along with other gifts of apples, or
anges and candies, they were playing
with them just like a native born
would. And the girls-well, the dear
little things seemed to understand
what the dolls were, for the minute
they saw them on the three and when
they were handed around the first
thing they did was to clasp the china
babies to their breast and Groom
childish lullabieS to them in fifty diff
ferent tongues. They also stood the
dolls on their heads and critically ex-
amined the clothes, just as my little
daughter does. And whenever one of
the girls has happened to break her
doll, it has almost broken her heart,
just as with my little girl. Why, that
mite from Poland cried all day yes
terday and wouldn't be conforted
until sleep overlook her because her
doll, in falling. lost the bigger part
of its face. Poor little girl, it was a
great loss to her, because it was her
first doll. Since then she and her
older sister have been sharing the lat
ter's doll between them and lavish
ing all the love on 1t that any two lit
tie American girls possibly could.
All Know "Ring-ArOund-a-R
The only plaything that the boys
seem to have in common with our
youngsters when they land is the
pocket knife, and this is exhibited in
all states of imperfection. The girls
don't bring over a toy of any sort
not even miserable rag doll. Fact is,
I've. gathered from my talks with
their mothers that their daughters
never knew about dolls in the old
country
But there's one game that all the
children seem to knowing -around-a-
rosy. No one has to teach them that,
no matter where they hail from. Let
a shipload of boys and girls come into
this room and, before they've been
here half an hour, they'll be dancing
around in circles and singing in their
native tongues the same song that
your babies and mine sing when they
and their playmates gather in the sit
tirrg-room or the yard and play that
good old game of 'ring-around-a-
rosV."
The keeper looked at his watch.
Thine to let in some of the fathers
to see their families" he said. ''We let
'em in in patches for. ten or fifteen
minutes once a day"
He left the room, returning in a few
minutes with half dozen stolid look
ing men behind him.
"Araby, Russky, Polack. Italy" he
shouted, "pop-dad-fadderH
On the instant a hundred children
| tore towards the men, and those
whose fathers We're in the group
shouted and laughed as they scram-
bled around their parents legs and
! held on to their hands as they moved
| towards their wives. But the others,
openly showing their disappointment,
sought the keeper-their refuge and
adviser in all sort of trouble-and re-
! preached him in childish jabber. The
keeper waved his hand.
| Next" he said, kindly; "next-in a
minute" and Immediately the little
faces frightened and little legs scam
! pered away to tell mothers of the
good news.
Wonderful Love for Parents.
"They all show. wonderful love for
their fathers,H said the keeper. Look
how the men are letting the kids crawl
| all over them and pull their hair and
whiskers. Those fathers could give
| some Americans I know points on
fatherly love, and as for children,
haven't seen single sign of attempt
| ed disrespect toward either parent
| Why, young Italy over there-that
bruiser 1 was telling you about-is
a most mild hammered and cheerfully
| obedient son when his mother or
father commands him to move the
family bundles, or to take care of bis