Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1928-04-27
Home Education
BY THE PLEASANT ROAD OF
PRAISE
Jessie L. jackson.


Mrs. Kingsland looked up with a
smile as Mrs. Matthews, worried OF
face, came around the corner Of the
house. Suspecting the cause of the
frowns, she asked as she placed a
chair, "How's Dorothy's ironing
coming along?"
"Oh, dear!" groaned Mrs. Mat
thews, Il made her rinse the things
out and hang them on the line
again. Now she's in her room cry
ing. 1 don't know what to do. She's
been six weeks doing a little sew
ing-had to rip two garments and
do them over"
well, well, poor child! She's had
a hard time from start to finish.
Maybe you're too particular, my
dear" Mrs. Kingslandis kind old
face was fairly tremulous in her
desire to attack her neighbor's
methods and yet give no offence.
81 am particular. l want her to
be superior in every way"
"But one must remember, you will
agree, that superiority in child is
very different from superiority in
you or me-"
yes, but-the essentials! Look
at your Margaret! You trained her.
1 wish you'd give me your method"
Eyes, taught her the essentials.
l also taught her what the essen
tials are-two very different
things"
81 don't -"
"That is, 1 painstakingly taught
her what to slight and how to
slight it."
Mrs. Matthews gasped, You
taught her to slight -"
Yes, to slight the non-essentials.
You asked for my method -"
Yes, begin with sewing"
almost from babyhood, Margaret
wanted to run the sewing-machine."
$50 did Dorothy; but, of course,
hand-sewing comes first"
81 didn't insist upon it with Mar
garet. When she was twelve 1 let
her make an apron. 1 cut it out
and showed her how to run the ma
chine. That was all, except that
when she asked for help, 1 gave it,
and I made the buttonholes. The
result wasn't the superior work you
insist upon; but I was well pleas
ed"
"By the time she was sixteen she
had made three complete sets of I'M
dergarments, two dresses and many
other things. She had learned to
sew and had been happy through it
all. Wait" and Mrs. Kingsland
hastened into the house.
"These tell the story" she said as
she came back breathless, a book in
her hand. "Her brother took these
pictures for me. Here she is in her
Irst apron. See, her age is written
beneath"
What a sweet little dear!"
Here she is wearing the dresses
she made before she was sixteen.
And here" Mrs. Kingsland's eyes
glowed, there is a picture Of the
machine her father gave her on
her sixteenth birthday. I remember
she threw her arms around his
neck and cried, she was so happy.
She has that same machine in her
own home now"
"Oh, 1 wish 1 had tried some such
way" cried Mrs. Matthews. Il won
der whether 1 could make it work
now!"
"Of course you could. Begin with
those very things on the line. Iron
Them yourself. Tell her you thought
she'd worked hard enough. Then
praise some of those she did. I'm
sure some of them must be all
right"
"They are" Mrs. Matthews face
luivered.
Nov, my dear, my whole method
was this: 1 didn't ask for perfec-
lion, and I praised when / coulO.
When couldn't, 1 remembered that
she was just little girl preparing
herself to do the hardest, but also |
he noblest work in the world, and |
{ encouraged. Praise and encour-
agement will carry one far toward |
you yourself say
hat my Margaret is a perfect
She is. She keeps !
Ter little home in charming condi-
ion. Her three children are clean
md sweet and well-behaved; she
herself is cheerful and in good
health, and she finds a little time
o keep up her music and painting.
lust praise, nothing else. You go
lone and try it."
81 willard thank you" There
we're tears in Mrs. Matthews eyes,
,ut her voice was full of hope.
81 believe that school earlier in
ime than the ordinary first grade is
demanded in order
hat an extension of school-train-
ng may be secured not only up
Yard but also downward in chron-
logical age."-Iwar S. West3r-
erg, director, School of Education,
of Redlands, California.
Don't fail to see that the children
f your community have the advan-
age of kindergarten training In
0rmation and leaflets on this sub.
oct may be obtained free of cost
rom the Nationa, kindergarten As