The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-05-15

were not possessed by their parents
and grand parents. Nature studies and
instructive books have been written
for children by authors who seem to
be equally at home in the realm OF
, cbild-life or in the animal world.
The fairy stories OF old have given
place to tales which tend to develop
the heart and mind of the child. ard
tc create tenderness and reverence for
dumb creatures. be they denizens OF
! the woods and fields or sharers of and
, contributors to the comforts and pleas
ures Of home life. If child can be
taught 10 look upon the jewellers of
forest and field as little brothers who
have been denied many of the attrib-
utes and much of the understanding
which makes human life safe and hap
Ply, he will begin to have a sympathy
for the most humble creatures, and
sympathy is very near akin to love.
When child becomes interested in
animal life he will soon make a Won
derful advance in his tender treatment
Of the helpless creatures dependent
upon him, at least for comfort and
, care.
! The boy who is taught to consider
the ant. and who steps aside rather
| than demolish its mound. when he
comes to mans estate. will not be like
~ 10 lash his horse cruelty.
| There is q sort of a free masonry
between children and animals that is
interesting to study. cat or dog will
be tolerant of treatment from child
/ which It would emphatiCally resent e
! given by an adult. Animals seem to
understand that the child does not
know any better, and so patiently en-
! dure, though it would seem as If they
must often wonder why the mother
does not tell her boy not to be so rough
In his play, and why his sister is al
| lowed to whip the kitten when it tries
/ to get away and hide from its tormen-
! tor.
The spirit of the hunt and chase,
which has always seemed to be inhe-
| rent in boy nature. that ambition
| which prompts him to get a gun and
find something to kill is not so con-
spcuous a characteristic as 1t was
formerly Hunting with a camera has
taken its place to a degree, and now,
instead of with shotgun and game bag.
| II is not uncommon for him to set out
on a tramp through the woods with
his picture catching box and roll of
films. The more he studies the habits
| of birds and beasts, in his endeavors
to get good pictures, the more inter-
ested he becomes in animal life, and
from different motive. He is no
longer Seized with an uncontrolla Die
desire to kill when he sees a good
shot," but takes aim with his camera.
The poor cat, summing itself. or pick
ing its way along the top of the fence,
| no longer presents TO the boys mind
target for stone, but instead he
wonders if it will not make a good
subject to add to his collection Of
photographs.
The stray dogs tail and the tin can
no longer intimately associate them
selves in his mind and he wakes in
dignant when he catches Tommy next
door chasing the chickens. Then, too,
he has a desire to administer punish
ment in his own way to the boy who
torments the grocer's horse standing
at the door by polSing his fingers at
him and otherwise insulting the dumb
brute until the horse snaps at his tor
mentor.
Lessons of mercy and kindness are
not lost upon children, not even upon
those OF them who have never before
been brought to an account for cruel
acts. And the lessons should be APP
piled in time, If the child is to be
father of a man who is kind to his
beasts.