St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-09-03
FOOLISH MOTHERS MISTAKE
Dressed Her Little Girl Too Finely 70
Be Happy and Warped
Her Nature. 5

At summer resort. along the shore
Of beautiful lake, we were watching
the children at play. Wading in the
water, digging in the sand, running
along the beach, bareheaded in the
sunshine, full of life and frolic and
health. They were having such a good
time that we enjoyed watching them
What healthful little things they were
Tanned and sunburned and rosy, says
Medical Talk for the Home
The mothers, or some attendant, had
come down to the beach with them,
and with fancy work or book sat near
by on the benches, under the trees,
where they could keep q watchful care
over the children. $500.
The children were dressed sensibly
m some kind Of wash goods. 80 thai
it mattered little if they got splashed
by the waves or covered with the
sand. Their clothes could be washed
and made to look as good as new. The
mothers had undoubtedly dressed them
SO they could have good time with
out bothering about keeping their
clothes clean. There were no shoes
and stockings to be worried about:
they were all barefooted.
What happy, healthy, care-iree little
things they were. How they laughed
and played and ran and jumped and
rolled and kicked
All but one little girl. Her foolish
mother, who sat near by watching her.
haG dressed her in a beautiful, dainty,
pink silk frock, with fresh-laundered,
elaborately-trim underwear, white
stockings and patent leathey slippers.
She was among the children, but she
could not join in the sport. She stool
by and watched them wistfully. She
stopped to dig with them in the sand,
but her mothers voice warning her
not to sit In the sand would spoil it
ALL She tried to sail a little boat
along the waters edge, but the mother
called her away for fear she would get
her shoes wet.
Time after time the mother called.
Daughter, come here" Impatiently
the child would go to her mother, only
to be reminded that she must not play
with the other children or her clothes
would be spoiled. Back to the children
she would go, hardly able to restrain
her childish longing to romp and play.
But the .vigilant eye OF her mother and
her incessant call. daughter, daughter.
kept her at standstill
The child became cross and fretfui
and the worried, anxious mother child
ed her because she. was not good-na-
tured and happy as the other chill
dren.
The mother, instead of enjoying the
beauty of the place, the cool breezes
and the warm sunshine or joining in
the social chatter of the other mothers.
spent her whole time. tired and aerv-
Gus, watching her daughter. for fear
she would spoil her clothes. RS
How much more sensible 1t world
have been to have dressed the ci.iid in
a plain gingham frock. and barehead-
ed and barefooted, to let her join her
little companions at play In her silken
garment she was q beautiful child,
pale, fiaxen-haired, but frail and ten-
der as houseplant. In the wind and
the sunshine she would no doubt have
become tanned and frec.led, but her
little body would have become stronger
and rounder and the whitenes5 Of her
skin have taken on the rudy hue o;
health. Instead OF fretful. peevish.
unhappy shild she would have been
healthy, good-natured lit.
tie girl.