The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-09

she played, talked and walked with them
and she personally supervised their diet
and their early struggles with the spelling
book. Apparently she liked it. At least
she seemed to make little or no effort to
shirk the duty.
There are stories still extant OF one and
another grand dame Of Bond and Blocker
streets who often by choice accompanied
her offspring on an airing, walking along
delightedly by the side OF perambulator
trundled by white capped nurse, and who
was known to prefer-actually to prefer
to preside at her baby's morning bath.
But these nursery customs antedated
the era of the New Woman and more
advanced system OF nursery therapeutics.
Not many years later only women of COM
paratively modest social position and still
more modest fortune could find time to
practise these commonplace nursery GUS
toms and cultivate an intimate acquaintance
with their own children. Really smart"
women, whatever their incinations may
have been, were obliged to trust their Off
spring to the care Of others or to accept
one Of two alternatives-to lop off at least
three-quarters of their social engagements
or run the risk OF becoming victims of nerv-
GUS prostration.
AS might be expected, neither alternative
would do, therefore 1t became proper for
fashionable youngsters until they were
old enough to have visiting governess
or go to school, to be mothered and brought
up by nurse or nurses, whose ability to
use a desirable brand OF English and to
practise the lf-control and good manners
commonly associated with good society
was, as likely as not, quite inferior to
their good wishes and desire to please.
A head nurse, an under nurse, and a third
nurse to wait on the other two have for
some time represented the equipment Of
many fashionable nurseries, and a nursery
authority says that the more numerous
the nurses the less frequently does mamma
now feel called upon to set foot in the
nursery. While from one point Of view
this Is delightful, from another 1t is less
satisfactory. Every now and then up-
complimentary things have been said
about the management OF the modern
nursery, and 1t has been broadly limited
that it was detrimental to the best mental
and moral growth Of children; but as these
hints came mostly from persons who are
not fashionable, fashionable mothers have
usually treated them with derlsive shifts.
But some Of these very mothers have
recently had certain undesirable results
Of their own particular nursery manage
ment forced upon their attention. The
other day pretty young matron while on
hunt for a nursery govefness who, she
stipulated, must be fairly well educated
and acquainted with the habits Of good
society, told this story at her own expense:
Il have little girl Of 4 and baby nearly
year old. Ever since her birth nv little
girl has had thesame nurse--a dear, faith
full, sweet tempered Irish woman. who
idolizes her charge and watches her as a
cat does a mouse. trust her absolutely.
Il spent last winter down South by order
OF my physician. taking the baby and his
nurse along, but leaving, the little girl in
town with her nurse. Therefore for the
last year the child has scarcely been with
me at all. The day after got home she
came into my room after breakfast and
Mamma, will you soon be after buying
me big doll2' She also used some other
expressions in exact imitation Of her nurses
speech. Now am very fond Of Mary and
really enjoy her musical brogue, but can't
say that am anxious TO have my child
initiate 1t.
AT her luncheon hour went up to the
nursery, where another surprise awaited
me. There sat the youngster calmly stuffing
baked potato into her mouth with knife, |
Mary making no objection.
Yes, please do send me nursery COVER
ness at once" she finished.
II goes without saying that n nursery
governess Is not newly discovered or
created appendage to the nursery. For year
she has figured more or less in the education
Of children Of well TO do families. but she
has never before been expected TO ALI
exactly the role she 10 now asked to take.
OF the up to date nursery governess