Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1912-09-06
By Imitation


pect when a person without previous
experience steps in and tries to take
care of four healthy children Tor SIX
weeks? The aunt had been there only
two weeks, but such weeks!
What Is the reason" said the aunt
almost tearfully, chat yours are SO
| good, and mine are so bad? why, 40
you know, the twins were actually
fighting this morning, and Edith Is so
horrid and selfish. She won't let Ed
ma touch thing, and Edna cries when
nothing at all is the matter"
Cant you give them something to
do?" asked Mrs. Marsh.
"But what?" said the maiden aunt.
= ooh. anything. If they suggest any
thing, let them do it If you possibly
can. II not, you suggest something.
If your inveation runs out, you might
look out of the window, and see what
mine are doing"
She beckoned the aunt to window.
A hum Of busy voices arose from the
| lawn below.
"Why, they're washing"
eyes, it's the doll clothes, and the
boys, not to be behindhand, are wash
ing their baseball suits"
"But they will get their clothes soil
ed"
Eyes, they're bound to do that In
any case. They have on their rom.
pers and bingham aprons, so it won't
matter. After the washing is dry,
there will be the ironing, so you see
they will be busy all day"
I'm going right home, and ask
mine If they want to wash things"
"They will want to. And then to-
morrow if you can't think of anything,
you might telephone over, and find
out what we are doing"
The aunt departed with hope In her
bearing. Her young charges agreed
to the wash-day program with the en-
thusiasm of children who have been
depressed for two weeks. She took
off the pretty clothes in which she
had been keeping them, and searched
out the despised rompers. Then the
| children, with arms full of doll clothes,
| went out to the back lawn and wash
ed themselves into state of quiet
good nature. The dinner hour was
absolutely peaceful. The aunt took
them upstairs afterward and told
| them stories. Then 1t was time for
the bath and bed.
The next day cautions inquiry
went over the telephone, What to-
day."
They're working in their gardens"
was the answer.
Children, have you any gardens?"
said the aunt.
They had had some, but investiga-
ton showed that they had disappeared
under the onslaught Of the weeds. The
aunt, who was really clever person,
clothed the retaining work in the
guise of battle against insidious dra-
CONS that wanted t" eat up the lovely
flower maidens. With their little tools
and watering pots the children worked
with will When plot was nicely
| cleaned the aunt transplanted some
blooming petunius from the mothers
garden. The petunias stood the trans
planting nicely. They were too thick
in the garden anyway, and besides the
children now had immediate results
| to show for their work
The next days inquiry showed that
Mrs. Marsh's children were playing
milkman with a tub of water and all
the measuring cups in the house.
you'll find that children will play
anything that allows them to splash in
the water" said Mrs. Marsh. For
this you'd better put on their bathing
suits"
"This can be lesson in mathemat-
] les, too" said the aunt as she gave
! them gill, pint, quart, and gallon meas
ures.
On the succeeding days there were
trips to the woods, playing in bathing
suits under the garden hose, day Of
Indian camp in the back yard, rainy
days when they rearranged their post
card albums, strung beads, and used
water color paints, they gathered up
| their despised blocks and laid out an
artistic village on the sand pile, they
organized a telephone system in the
back yard, and gave circus with the
aid of the dogs and cats Of the neigh
| borhood.
The remaining four weeks slipped
away quickly and happily, and the
children's parents returned. Great
was their wonder, and many were the
compliments the aunt received upon
her management.
why" said the mother, they're
heartbroken to have you go, and they.
do nothing but talk Of the delightful
times you had together. l never
thought you could manage children so
we'll. I was really afraid that you
would fairly hate each other by the
time I got back"
The aunt visited Mrs. Marsh before
she went away. She thanked her
quite extravagantly at was you who
saved me from ignominious defeat"
she said. "And I have one golden
motto that I am going to carry with
me for future use. 1t is Give the
children something to do. Mothers
| Magazine.