TACT WITH CHILDREN

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, Cal. · Jun 6, 1906

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 32, No. 22.

TACT WITH CHILDREN.

THE mother was sewing busily, and Josie, sitting on the carpet beside her, and provided with blunt, round-pointed scissors and some magazines, was just as busily cutting out pictures.

"It will litter the carpet." So said Aunt Martha, who had come for a cosy chat.

Mama knew this; but she knew that a few minutes' work would make it all right again, and Josie was happy.

All went well until the little boy found that he had cut off the leg of a horse he considered a marvel of beauty. It was a real disappointment and grief to the little one.

"Mama see!" and, half crying, he held it up.

"Play he's holding up one foot," the mother said, quickly.

"Do real horses, mama?" "O yes, sometimes."

"I will;" and sunshine chased away the cloud that in another minute would have rained down.

It was a little thing, the mother's answer; but the quick sympathy, the ready tact, made all right. The boy's heart was comforted, and he went right on with no jar on nerves and temper, and auntie's call lost none of its pleasantness.

"I am tired of cutting pictures mama," said Josie after a while.

"Well, get your horse and wagon, and play those bits of paper are coal, and you are going to bring me a load. Draw them over to that corner and put them into the waste paper basket; play that's the coal house."

Pleased and proud, the little teamster drew load after load till the paper was all picked up, without his ever thinking that he was doing anything but play.

"Well, I declare," said Aunt Martha. "Old as I am, I've learned one thing to-day, and I wish Emily would come in and take lessons as I do!"—Selected.