Year: 1873

If one has not genius for amusing little
children, the power to do it seems to come
only after long experience. The difficulty
is, with most people, that they attempt too
much and labor too hard. A very little
thing serves to entertain child long time,
and it requires more care to learn to let
contented child alone than to contrive new
| pleasures for him.


Years ago was in the room of maiden
aunt with baby in my arms. As I walked
to and fro about the room, the little fellows
eyes were stretched wide open looking at
the things which were bright enough to at
tract his attention. You move too rapid
ly," said my aunt my mother always said,
let babies look till they are tired.'" The
hint has been of great service to me since.
and not only |, but the babies have cared
for since then, owe good deal to this piece
Of advice. And, let me add, this is not the
only helpful suggestion which | have receiv-
ed from maiden aunts.


Children are made increasingly restless by
confusion of amusements. Didn't our
great-prandmothers' babies crow just as
cheerily from the quilt on the floor willis
the grown people pursued their ordinary
avocations, as do ours, with an able-bodied
woman to hold them all the time ? 1t is not
part of my creed to neglect the BARNS, but
there may be such thing as little whole
some neglect. Leaving out all the continu-
al irritating fussing, which is supposed to be
necessary to make children behave well,
there is an immense amount of energy vast
ed in the simple effort to please them.


On the opposite side of the desk at which
am writing sits a venerable friend of chill
dren with little grandchid on his knee.
Nothing could better show how to deal with
little fellow than report of the converse
ton. But no one would believe that such
trifling could SO delight the child. The op-
Grafton of sharpening pencil has occupied
long time See / take my knife out OF
my pocket Shall I open this blade? Oh,
no will not open this blade. Shall Iopen
the next blade? Oh. no will not open
that. Turn over, knife; let me look at You.
Is there another blade? Shall open that?'
And the examination of the knife interests
the boy, of course Then each cut of the
wood is made slowly, the shavngs are care
fully put on piece of paper, and the paper
is folded up so that no chips shall be drop
ped on the carpet. All these preliminary
arrangements occupied the child's attention.
Then the simple picture of some object be-
fore him is shown, and every line compared
slowly with the original. No matter how
rude the copy, the child is pleased.


| A fractions little fellow was left in my
care one hot afternoon last summer. Every
body in the house had given the child up as
cross" The heat was intense, and / felt
unat.le to exert myself. My very disinclin-
alton to do anything was blessing to the
child. He sat on chair by my side, with
pair of scissors in his hands, which he
wanted to learn to use. l held piece of
brown paper for him to snip, which he did
| for a long three quarters of an hour, as Joy
Gus at every successful closing of the scis-
sors, and as merry over his failures as child
could be. 1t was shockingly tiresome to me;
but | dared not suggest change, lest it
should be for the worse : and after the time
was past, and the busy little fellow capped
his hands and said, nice time, nice time"
and went pleasantly to his blocks ON the
floor, I did not regret the tedious mo-
ments. 1t is temptation to stop as soon
as we ourselves weary of the shaking of
the rattle. and the clapping Of the hands,
whether baby has finished his contempla-
ton or not Older brothers and sisters
give themselves and baby a world of trou-
BILE by their unfortunate jumping from one
play to another. Little Goldilocks has
just comprehended the play that sister
Lulu has devised for her amusement, and
is just becoming greatly interested in it,
when the things are all pushed aside, and
Lulu, being herself tired, proposes some
thing else. The same result follows, and
little Goldilocks gets cross, and the SIS
tiers are not as loving as they should be.
But Lulu has not been told that if she is
amusing little sister she must be patient to
have stupid time, while little brains are Ia
boriously striving to understand the details
which seem 80 plain to older ones. The fun
does not come to the infantile mind till it
has studied into the matter and comprehend
ed it. ,s,.s.r4


1t is often said that dirt" is healthy,
and that those children thrive who are
sent out to make mud pies. That may be
true but l incline to think that the "let-
ting alone" should have good share oil
the credit of health-giving.


Put comfortable clothing on to your
little one. Give him room to experiment
in the use of his arms and legs where
there are no pitfalls to entrap him. Give
him harmless things to play with, the sim
pier the better, and then judiciousIy let
him alone, and he will be more likely to
be amiable than if you bedeck him with
fine garments and put him into an ele-
ganty furnished room with delcately con-
structed toys to play with, and two or
three grown people to take care Of him.
l-Christidn Union.


QUEEN PUDDING.-Soak one pint OF
bread in one pint of milk. beat
the yolks of eight eggs and whites Of
four with one cupful of sugar, favor with
lemon, add one tablespoonful of butter,
and bake. Beat the four whites of eggs
that were left out with cupfuI of sugar
put it over the pudding as soon as baked
and cook it until the meringue is of a
light brown.


Among the disagreeables OF the great
city of London is its immense fish market,
Billingsgate. Shiny, crowded. foul, and ILL