FROM MY WINDOW.

Shannon News, 10 January 1922, Page 3

FROM MY WINDOW.

i. —KIDDIES

(By “ETERA.”; When God makes a lovely thing, The fairest and cornpletest, I-Ie makes it little, don’t you know For little things are sweetest. Little birds and little flowers,^ Little diamonds, little pearls; But the dearest- things on earth Are the little boys and gills. Their value is . above rubies, and just to watch them is an education: to see the budding intellect developing into the blossom of action is ot iar greater interest. . than to read the greatest book extant. They are lev el* schools, gardens and libraries a rolled lino one, and still there’s more to follow, if you have the seeing eye and understanding heart to add to These -metaphors, \ for children are all that is beautiful, and bring out the best in people. ;( * * ' Once a small hoy of eighteen months was helping to find entomological specimens for his uncle, an enthusiastic naturalist. . Wandering distance away, he came across a treasure under an upturned -log, and being unable to explain what he had found, he came forward and beckoned. The uncle followed and found—a rusty bent iron nail. Wliat did this unusual object look like to the small boy? Something formidable, withou doubt. Perhaps he imagined that it was hiding, four fat legs m the soft earth,. also an elephantine proboscis. To finish the picture, this weird beast when'awake (for it now appeared to be asleep) 'may have, big goggle eje--tliat roll'right around and'make you shudder. An iron nail with these appendages is not to be sneezed at. Why should 1 laugh at his possible conjecture, when 1 myself once A i Australia, on being told to 'ware ol snakes, promptly - jumped away Hum a crooked stick that resembled one? And, another time, 1 mistook a dark object in the distance for a dead Jiving lox,' which in reality piovcd to be an°old battered urnbreila lying on the roadside.

A little child in hospital was in -tnc care of a much-loved nurse. When the mother'was expected on visiting day, the nurse said in fun: “Don i : give your mother all of the kisses or there won’t be any left for me. *oii, ’ but, Nursie,” replied the little gul, “my mouth keeps malwig kisses all 1 the time!” | -:t « * I The other day I saw two youthlul I mothers of five years of age with one ' doll hahv between them. The stoical mother had a sudden happy idea that it would be delight’ully health-giving for that baby to dabble m > l! e 1 assing stream —that is, the clear-flowing gutI ter alongside the footpath. Hie other ! mother did not like the idea, and hug- ' ged the baby-to her breast as it to shei- ‘ ter it from harm. Stoicism, however, ! prevailed, and in the dolly’s toes went. 1 From my window I could feed the nul- ! sat ion of the second mother's heart, ! and left quite relieved when the baby ' was restored to, her tender ministra- • tions. And yet what fine mothers both | of these children hid fair to be. The Stoic is used to playing with hoys,' and is most lovable with her broad-minded outlook. She will take punishment 1 without a murmur R she leels she deserves it, but- is rearly to squeal if she thinks it undeserved. 1 have &ecn hei calmly acting peacemaker when she thinks two hoys have fought long enough, by placing herself neaveen i their fists, and by some miracle she ! escapes unharmed, or else takes no notice if an unexpected -thump comes her way. And the strange part is that the two hoys seem to lose all zest for fighting at this strategic interference, and become friends once more. •* * * * * Recently a little child of four was | taught to say the kindergarten grace: “God is love, . - . God is good, And we thank Him j For this food. J Amen.” ! j She repeated it alter her teacher lor ■ some time, then one day said: “Shut 1 cyesjight, I can say it by myself":— | “God is wuv, I God is nice, j Fankum food Amen, Goodo.” It has been said that God gives us -‘love, something to love He lends us. And aren’t the loans precious? | « * Do not continually repress healthy desires of the kiddies, for a repressed | desire becomes a temptation; and a : temptation sooner or later means some- ‘ thing to fight against, it may seen heterodox to allow them to poke the

! lire, use the garden hose, pick flowers, ' choose cakes .Trom the pantry, ancl| j other heinous wouiti that we are m ! the habit of prohibiting; but it is good - to allow'tiicm with this proviso: that l they do so under the guardian’s personal care. Say to your child who is brimming over with activity, “1 wish you would poke firs'’jufe’Tor me.” Does he need to he asked a second time? Then explain that he can often do this, as long as you are in the . room, hut not otherwise. You will find him coaxing you to come in from the end of tne garden, for this purpose alone—that he may give the fire a poke. One child with a fondness for climbing ihe highest-trees within reach, lived in a home containing two dangerous-look-ing fire-escape. Her desire naturally was to climb these, and she was allowed to do so when her mother was at home “to pray for her safety.” . - • And let the children undertake respon- ! sibilities when they show any sign cf being able to do so. Sooner or later they will he called upon to act independently of others, and if they have iearnl while young to do so they will ! take up the greater work as a matter lof course, one boy told his mother ' that he enjoyed staying with Mrs X, because she let him .paint the fowl ' house! It brought out his manliness; ! A child is so easily trained for good or had, too, in its early, plastic stage. Dickens, in that beautiful poem that lie : left- unpublished in his desk, says, conI cernirig “The Children”:— “The twig io so easily bended, I have banished the rule and tiie rod; I have laugnt them the goudne&s of knowledge, They have taught me the goodTle*^ I of God. ' My heart -is a dungeon of darkness, : Where I put them lor breaking a j ruie; My frown is sufficient correction, j My love is tlic Jaw of the school; j . ’ 1 1 laney 1 see the kiddies trailing aiter ! him’to hear liis words ol wisdom, with--1 God's sunlight still sleeping in then' tresses, His glory still beaming in their eyes. j ones can so easily be taught by tbs meihod'bf mental suggestion m ‘ all that is good. Bet the example m being kind to animals, insec.s, tie., aim they will i'ullow. Teach them that they are capable of doing what others are 1 -doing, -aud a little better if they make ' (he eiiori, and they will respond. Bm teach they that they are buffers ana capable of naught, and it whi be an uphill light for them m tins vvmiu: One motlier used io say oi her boy: , “He la am am mopping' a'nu hieaking cups ami sauceiS; see how e;nc;es.-i,\ he bolus these.” And . the cap and saucer .piompiiy Jell. Tne friend took • the- case in hand, and had him handling oven ihe most delicate china m quite a business-like manner with no fear ol dropping it. Blie did not say, “Don't do this, don't do that,” but instilled into his mind the fact that he was rather a smart fellow (a little praise works wonders: do you object to being thought a smart fellow now* and men? 1 don't.) and that it was wonderful to find the number of things he could uu well. The result showou. in brighter eyes, firmer footsteps, stfaighter hack, and that fine “Boy Scout.” look that comes from this training with an unselfish outlook. Aud even cups and saucers -were Ids friends.

In a Look once read,-I met two characters, “Aunt May” and “Aunt Mayn't.” Now i wish to add to .mem an “Uncle Do” and “Uncle Don't,” and ask lor your promrenee tor owner Slap of these everyday characters if you love the children at all. As their names imply, Amu May and Uncle Do order the kiddies’ lives with love, and when they undertake to expand the children’s views by personal caretaking, they have very little spate lime to look s after their own interests, lor nieces and nephews abound everywhere. On the oilier hand, they need never lear to be allowed to suffer pangs of loneliness; lor sooner or later, unselfish interest in the affairs of the little ones • would bring its own reward in close | companionship. If you enter the lives j of children when Urey need you, they in turn will enter your life when you | need them. Aunt Mayn't and Uncle I Don’t create a lrtgid atmosphere by | their very presence. Can you riot feet ' an icy tingle in the finger-tips when they are introduced? And is tln’ue not | something you waul to buy hi town j before the shops close—something that j must be obtained immediately—that re- ; quires your instant 1 i thought so. That, is my feeling when j they appear on the- scene. What, lliereI lore,, must he their influence over the minds of little human beings who are ' so susceptible to warmth and coldj ness? Gig ves, Mr Cynic, I know life | cannot be a perpetual gathering of roses. There must be some thorns cl . correction, and even a stray gfeen aphis of disappointment here and there; ' but I will not be persuaded to become an Aunt Mayn’t or Uncle Don't for all j ■ „

the trophy and green aphides in creation. I.et us say instead, with real enthusiasm, “Come, let us tij this," and it you are loud of the little ones, you will prove a veritable Pied Piper ,ol' Hamelin. Chiluben. “Ye are hetter than all the ballads Thai! ever were sung or said; Ye are the living poems, And all the rest ire dead.”