The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-02-28

remain printed on my memory as
lovely picture of childhood. A
father, returning home from dis
tant city. had brought his wife q set
of handsome French china plates.
He took them carefully from their
packing and piled them one By one
on chair. Finally he took out two
tiny bisque figures, little boy and a
little girl. and set them on the chair.
AS he gathered up the wrappings his
wife touched his arm and pointed to
their two-year-oid son, who had stood
quietly by, watching the unpacking.
The baby stood with his little hands
clasped in front Of him, his little
body bent forward, his eyes glued to
the bisque figures, and his little face
shining with look of perfect Joy and
delight, which positively irradiated 1t.
The figures had in reality been bought
for the mantelpiece, but without a
word he adopted them as his own.
They suited his taste. though his
father would never have thought so,
and they were given to him. No
child satiated with playthings could
have shown that quiet rapture with q
new toy.
Split pictures are a great delight
to children, because they can con-
stantly be taken apart and put to-
gether again. Split maps are splen-
did for older children who have be-
gun to study geography. Children
love to take to pieces and put to-
gether again. 1t is for this reason
they love to build in sand and mould
in clay. This is the reason they are
thought destructive. In reality they
are often surprised and grieved when
they find they cannot put together
what they have destroyed. The child
gets the same development of social
intercourse in play which we get from
society. Il he plays alone he does
not get this development.
Ideal Nursery.
1T is most desirable that the child
from the first should have a room OF
his own, where he can play without
hurting things. Formerly the least
desirable room in the house was al
ways set aside fer the nursery, and
furniture which was not wanted any.
where else in the house was put into
1t. Nowadays in the best home the
nursery is the most carefully planned
room In the house. 1t should always
have sunlight, for the sun vitalizes
the air and kills germs. The win.
dows should always be open, for ven
tilation prevents disease. To keep
out dust stretch cheesecloth over the
netting, and to prevent drafts have
ventilating board nailed across the
foot of the window. Have small fur.
niture, with rounded corners. I'm.
a'glne our discontinue il we were
Obliged to live among furniture de.
signed for the use of giants twelve
feet tall, Have no unwashable cur.
tains or draperies. Keep the room
simple. In a millionaire's home on
Fifth avenue the nursery has tiled
walls, and on each tile is painted
scene from Mother Goose 1t ia
enough to weary and distress the
mind of any child. The tiles are
beautiful for hygiene, but very ex-
pensive. Leave the walls bare, tinted
in some plain, delicate shade, per-
haps. Have few pictures which
are truly artistic, for the child's taste
for the good in art can be trained
from the very first. 1t is a curious
thing that little children often choose
copies of the Madonnas of Raphael
and Murillo in preference to pictures
of child life"