Milford chronicle., 1924-08-29
TAKE THE TINE WITH A CHILD
Mary S. StOyer

A dear woman OF my acquaintance
spent her childhood amid pioneer
conditions in the Canadian bush. AS
the family sons were all daughters it
soon became her task to bring the
COWS pastured fully a mile away.
One afternoon, as she was running
down the brush bordered lane which
was the last of her route, the
child saw what appeared to be a
very strange animal with dOwnbent
head and terrifying horns. She stop
ped and watched from a safe dis
tance, but it remained in the same
menacing attitude at the side of the
lane.
If there had been some other way
to reach the COWS and drive them
home. Laura would have gone on, but
she felt that no little girl ought to
get any nearer to that peculiar crea-
ture. She ran in panic to the place
where her father was at work.
He assured her that there were no
DANGEROUS animals about and said
she must have taken fright at one of
the steady old COWS. Laura couldn't
believe this, she was certain it was
some monster very different from
ANYTHING with which she had had to
do. but of course it might have gone
away. so she dutifully started back
The creature had not left the lane |
and the early dusk made it appear |
even more formidable than before. /
Back she ran in tears. This time the,
father left his work, took the child |
by the hand and, talking calmly, led !
over the whole way again, so that
she could see with her own eyes how
harmless was whatever had frighten-
ed her.
1t proved to be just a dead tree
that the child had daily passed in un-
concern till something in the atmos-
phere of this afternoon, or the angle
from which she first caught sight of
the gaunt old ruin, stimulated it in
to a frightful beast.
In her womanhOOd, Laura cherish
ed this experience as one of the
most precious memories of her IA
Their He was a somewhat stern man, !
preoccupied with his many tasks, eX-
acting, if judged by modern stand
ards. and she knew what it meant
for a farmer to leave his work and
walk a mile beside a fright
ened child
Yet for him to have gone after Z
those COWS by himself would not
have meant nearly as much. A man
who did that would be likely to say: u
You were scared of just an old d
dead tree!". Such a statement, no
matter how kindly given, back in the :
home kitchen, would have bruised n
he child's spirit. There is no doubt l.
f it could have fully convinced her. ~,
Taking time with child in need II
5 a far more valuable service than L
Investments of time, patience and "a
,ffort merely given for him What
kill is required to impress the or &c
Iinary child with the importance of IL
nything that is merely done for
i'm! Whereas the kindly service un- u
with him to meet a felt h'
eed of his wins both immediate and m
lsting appreciation. Wise, therefore, A
; the parent who is not so cumber- th
d with much serving of a material nj
Ort as to fail the boy or girl in acts be
cOmradely helpfulness. tn
1t was Norman Duncan who said:
''Whoso loves a child loves not
himself but God; whose delights a 1t
child labours with God in His work. ia
shop of the world of hearts; whose w.
helps a child brings the Kingdom of "'
Cod whose saves a child from the IA
fingers of evil sits in the seat with ag
the builders of cities and the pro- x
curers of peace" AA'
In the ideal kindergarten love, de- we
light and help are ever working to-
raF1, Of
child. Is there a free kindergarten az
in your neighborhood? If not. you su
can find out how to obtain one by . Vii
writing to the National Kindergar- . +be
.en Association, West 10th Street.
New York.
da7