(Blackboard)Clean your Slate with a Damp Sponge, and Dry with a Slate Rag, not with a Pocket-handkerchief.
123. Guessing Rhyme.[21]
You have me in your pocket,I'm square and white, 'tis true,And many things I'm used forBy children such as you.
(Let children guess answer.—Pocket-handkerchief.)
There is moisture in the nose as well as in the mouth, and we keep a handkerchief in our pocket to take the moisture away, when it makes us uncomfortable. A nice, clean child will never be without a pocket-handkerchief, and he will use itwithout having to be told.
In using a pocket-handkerchief, as in coughing and sneezing, we should make as little noise as possible, and we should try not to have to use it at table. If it is necessary to do so, we must turn our head away, as we should do if we were obliged to cough or sneeze.
(Blackboard.)Use Pocket-handkerchief Without Being Told,Making as Little Noise as Possible.
(On Sitting Still at Table.)124. Phil's Disaster.
Phil was a little boy, and sat on a high chair at the table. He was very fond of tilting his chair backwards and forwards, which was not well-mannered, you will say. One dinner time, just as all the dishes had been placed on the table, and Phil was tilting back as far as ever he could, it happened that the chair lost its balance, and fell over backwards, taking Phil with it; and as he grasped the tablecloth in falling, he drew it with all the dishes on the top of him. Many of the dishes were broken, and the dinner was all scattered and spoilt. Surely Phil would never tilt his chair again.
125. Fidgety Katie.
Have you ever sat at table with a child who was never still? Such a child was Katie! Instead of waiting quietly until every one was served, she would fidget about on her chair, put her little fat arms on the table (which you know is a very rude thing to do), and move from side to side all the time. When at last she was served, her dinner would be quickly eaten, and then she was impatient to be gone, and kept asking mother if she might not leave the table, and go to her book or her play.
Now if Katie had thought a little of others, she would not have made everybody uncomfortable by being so restless. When she was waiting to be served, and when she hadfinished, she should have sat quietly with her hands in her lap. These two stories teach us that
(Blackboard)We must Sit Still at Table.
(Thinking of Others at Table.)126. The Helpful Little Girl.
A very different child from restless Katie (Story Lesson 125) was Hilda, whose mother had died, and left her little ones to the care of auntie. When the dinner-bell rang, Hilda would run into the room, and see that all the chairs were in their places round the table, especially baby's, for he was much too little to bring his own chair. It was Hilda who lifted baby into his place, and tied on his "feeder"; and when his plate was passed, she prepared his food, and took care that it was not too hot for him.
Hilda's bright eyes were always ready to see anything that was needed: "Shall I pass you the salt, grandpapa?" "May I give you a little water, auntie?" No wonder auntie said that Hilda was just like sunshine in the house, and the reason was that she thought so little of herself, and so much of those around her. Let us try to be like Hilda; she was much happier, I am sure, than restless Katie, for there is nothing nicer than to bring sunshine into the lives of others, and this we do by being helpful.
(Blackboard.)
Think of Others when you are at Table;Pass Things and Help all you can.
(Upsetting Things at Table.)127. Leslie and the Christmas Dinner
We heard of people who were clumsy in another Story Lesson (No. 102), and I am afraid Leslie was a little like them.
It was Christmas Day, and there was a large family party at grandmamma's, to which Leslie and his mother were invited. The dinner-table looked beautiful with its snow-white cloth and shining silver, and its decorations of Christmas roses and red-berried holly.
The dinner-bell rang, and the guests took their places at the table. Leslie bounced into the room, and was sitting down on the last chair, all in a hurry, when he somehow caught the tablecloth, and by dragging it upset the gravy, and sent it streaming all over the nice, clean cloth. Leslie was very sorry, and his mother was so uncomfortable at the thought of his clumsiness, that I am afraid the dinner was spoilt forher. From Leslie we learn to
(Blackboard)Sit Down Carefully, so as not to Upset Anything.
128. Cherry Stones.
If you were eating plum tart or cherry pudding, how should you manage with the stones? (Let children try to answer.) When a little bird eats a cherry, he drops the stone on the ground; the bird has no spoon and fork to eat with, so that is the best thing he can do.
One day a boy, named Kenneth, was invited out to dinner, and one of the dishes was cherry tart. There was a custard pudding as well, but Kenneth thought he would like cherry tart better, and he did not remember that the stones might be a difficulty until he began to eat it. He felt sure that it was not right to drop them out of his mouth on to the plate, and he could not think what else to do. He looked round the table, but no one else was taking cherry tart, or he might have noticed what another person did. At last he determined that he would keep all the cherry stones in his cheek until dinner was over, and put them out afterwards, when no one was looking. But presently some one told a funny little story, and, as Kenneth could not help laughing with the rest, out came the cherry stones, to his great dismay.
The best way is to separate the stone from the cherry on your plate with the spoon and fork, but if you cannot manage this, take the stone from your mouth with the spoon, and put it gently on the edge of the plate. Everybody has to learn these things, and as no one had happened to tell Kenneth, of course he did not know.
129.
Key E.
Chart 1
2. Food should be carried to my mouthUpon the fork, I see;The knife is used to cut, and oughtNot near the lips to be.3. When pudding comes, thepointof spoonWithin the mouth may go,But soup or broth is taken fromThesideof it you know.4. Without a noise I eat and drink,I must not spill my food,Nor scald my mouth, nor make complaint,"This is not nice, not good".
130.
Key E.
Chart 2
2. If handkerchiefs we use,Or sneeze or cough, we try,When seated at our food,To do it quietly;And don't forget, I pray,To turn your head away.3. When we have finished, thenThe knife and fork should lieTogether on our plate,And hands rest quietlyWithin the lap,[22]this wise,Until mamma shall rise.
(Explain that children should not leave table until mother has done so, unless she gives them permission.)
(Explain that children should not leave table until mother has done so, unless she gives them permission.)
131. How another Queen Builded.
A great many years ago, a little girl played in a garden in London. Her father was dead, but she had a dear, good mother, who taught her to build for herself a good and beautiful character, for the mother knew that this would be a better thing for the little girl to have than gold or diamonds, because as the Fairy Queen told us, itlasts for ever.
As time went on the little girl grew up, and became a great queen. She has been a queen now for more than sixty years, and I do not think there ever was so good a queen, and we are sure there never was one so dearly loved. The queen has a beautiful gold crown, and beautiful castles and palaces to live in, but these are not the things she values most. Best of all, she has all those lovely jewels in her character that we have been speaking about, with "Truth" for the foundation, and it is all woven round with the pure gold of "Kindness"; these are the jewels that are more precious to the great queen than crowns and costly stones.
Do you know the name of this queen? It is our own Queen Victoria.
Why do we love her so much? Not because she is a queen, simply, for queens have sometimes been wicked, but because she is good, and true, and kind, and these jewels make up the something that we call "character," which when built like this is more beautiful than the Fairies' Temple.
And just think of it:everylittle boy and girl may build up a good, true character, which is the most precious thing you can have.
The Story Lessons in this book have been written to help each one ofyouwho hear them to build up this beautiful Temple of Character.
The queen believes that agood"character" is the best thing in the world, and I want you all to think so too.
A man who was put in prison for preaching wrote a beautiful book,[23]which you will read when you are older, and in it there is this story.
The story tells of a man who spent all his time raking up rubbish on the floor to find gold and other things, andnever once looked up. But all the time there was an angel standing behind him with a beautiful crown in her hand, which she wanted the man to have, but he never saw it.
That is like the people who think of nothing butself, instead of "looking up" and thinking of the beautiful "stones" that build up the "Temple," which is such a good thing to have, just as the crown was, which the man did not see. Let us look up and see all that is beautiful and good, so that we may become like God who made all these things.
FOOTNOTES:[1]Animal Intelligence, Romanes.[2]Games Nos. 16 and 20 in "Games Without Music" illustrate above Story Lesson.[3]Kindergarten Guide, published by Messrs. Longmans.[4]Romanes'Animal Intelligence.[5]Romanes'Animal Intelligence.[6]Smiles'Life of Edward.[7]Romanes'Animal Intelligence.[8]Ibid.[9]Romanes'Animal Intelligence.[10]Heads Without Hands.[11]New Recitations for Infants, p. 41.[12]Kindergarten Guide, Boat, p. 158, No. 35.[13]Kindergarten Guide, Nest, p. 174, No. 12; Basket, Plate 6, opposite p. 129, No. 9 in Fig. 79.[14]No. 21, "Washing One's Self" inGames Without Musicmight be appropriately used with above subject.[15]See No. 3New Recitations for Infants, p. 8.[16]Romanes'Animal Intelligence.[17]The guessing rhymes, Nos. 74 to 82, headed "Natural Phenomena," inGames Without Music, would follow this Story Lesson appropriately.[18]Nos. 15, 18 and 19 inGames Without Musicare games that might be used in connection with above Story Lesson.[19]No. 13, inGames Without Musicillustrates above.[20]Nos. 12, 27 and 28 inGames Without Musicmight follow above.[21]Games Without Music, No. 55.[22]Fold hands in lap.[23]Pilgrim's Progress.
[1]Animal Intelligence, Romanes.
[1]Animal Intelligence, Romanes.
[2]Games Nos. 16 and 20 in "Games Without Music" illustrate above Story Lesson.
[2]Games Nos. 16 and 20 in "Games Without Music" illustrate above Story Lesson.
[3]Kindergarten Guide, published by Messrs. Longmans.
[3]Kindergarten Guide, published by Messrs. Longmans.
[4]Romanes'Animal Intelligence.
[4]Romanes'Animal Intelligence.
[5]Romanes'Animal Intelligence.
[5]Romanes'Animal Intelligence.
[6]Smiles'Life of Edward.
[6]Smiles'Life of Edward.
[7]Romanes'Animal Intelligence.
[7]Romanes'Animal Intelligence.
[8]Ibid.
[8]Ibid.
[9]Romanes'Animal Intelligence.
[9]Romanes'Animal Intelligence.
[10]Heads Without Hands.
[10]Heads Without Hands.
[11]New Recitations for Infants, p. 41.
[11]New Recitations for Infants, p. 41.
[12]Kindergarten Guide, Boat, p. 158, No. 35.
[12]Kindergarten Guide, Boat, p. 158, No. 35.
[13]Kindergarten Guide, Nest, p. 174, No. 12; Basket, Plate 6, opposite p. 129, No. 9 in Fig. 79.
[13]Kindergarten Guide, Nest, p. 174, No. 12; Basket, Plate 6, opposite p. 129, No. 9 in Fig. 79.
[14]No. 21, "Washing One's Self" inGames Without Musicmight be appropriately used with above subject.
[14]No. 21, "Washing One's Self" inGames Without Musicmight be appropriately used with above subject.
[15]See No. 3New Recitations for Infants, p. 8.
[15]See No. 3New Recitations for Infants, p. 8.
[16]Romanes'Animal Intelligence.
[16]Romanes'Animal Intelligence.
[17]The guessing rhymes, Nos. 74 to 82, headed "Natural Phenomena," inGames Without Music, would follow this Story Lesson appropriately.
[17]The guessing rhymes, Nos. 74 to 82, headed "Natural Phenomena," inGames Without Music, would follow this Story Lesson appropriately.
[18]Nos. 15, 18 and 19 inGames Without Musicare games that might be used in connection with above Story Lesson.
[18]Nos. 15, 18 and 19 inGames Without Musicare games that might be used in connection with above Story Lesson.
[19]No. 13, inGames Without Musicillustrates above.
[19]No. 13, inGames Without Musicillustrates above.
[20]Nos. 12, 27 and 28 inGames Without Musicmight follow above.
[20]Nos. 12, 27 and 28 inGames Without Musicmight follow above.
[21]Games Without Music, No. 55.
[21]Games Without Music, No. 55.
[22]Fold hands in lap.
[22]Fold hands in lap.
[23]Pilgrim's Progress.
[23]Pilgrim's Progress.
Transcriber's Notes:Obvious punctuation errors repaired.The remaining corrections made are indicated by dotted lines under the corrections. Scroll the mouse over the word and the original text willappear.
Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
The remaining corrections made are indicated by dotted lines under the corrections. Scroll the mouse over the word and the original text willappear.