his imagination and his feelings. This lack of reason to guide and temper his emotions leads to extremes. He either loves intensely or not at all. The same is true of what he hates. He either craves sympathy and clings to the strong, or shrinks from that person or thing which gives him unpleasant impressions, and often from those who have given him no apparent cause for dislike. The "unaccountable waywardness" of children is generally due to this fact. His imagination often creates unpleasant feelings and he acts accordingly. But is there nothing to which resort may be made with any certainty of successfully combating these conditions before reason comes to the rescue? Yes, sympathy-and we believe that sympathy only can undo the mischief wrought by the child's imagination. This craving for sympathy is strong, native and universal in children. It must be noted, however, that it is more intense in girls than in boys. It often shows itself in a tendency to exaggerate ailments. Girls, more than boys, often feign ailment to beget sympathy, there being a dearth of it under normal conditions. In other words, this feigning sickness is often due to the fact that only has sympathy been shown when the child was ailing. It too often happens that while it has a monopoly of sympathy at such times it seldom gets it under healthy normal conditions. All this should be reversed if we wish to contribute in the highest sense to the mental and moral growth of the child. It is neither proper nor wise to add to this tendency to selfconsciousness on the part of the child during the ailments peculiar to childhood by giving them undue importance. What the child nature requires is that sympathy which puts itself into the spirit of its plays and work. Sympathy affords the best conditions under which the child may create its highest ideals. Sympathy alone can unite the soul of the child to that of his associate-be it playmate, parent or teacher. L. W. FIKE, Nebraska State Normal.

Aug. 21, 1899.

SCHOO

CLOTHING FOR CHILDREN.

CHOOL children especially should be properly clothed -warm woolens in the winter and dresses comfortable, graceful and neat. If the hands, feet and head are properly protected they will be saved many a cold that sometimes ends seriously."

For the coldest weather woolen stockings of a light weight are to be recommended. Shoes of medium soles. are better than clumsy, extra thick ones. Gossamer rubbers should be provided for all seasons, save midwinter when the heavier storm rubber is worn. Their shoes should fit well. Too large as well as too small shoes are apt to, and do cause all manner of painful affections of the feet. Great care must be exercised that they never go about with wet feet or damp clothing. Every precaution should be taken to guard against cold, which is many times the origin of terrible diseases. Do not allow girls to wear Oxford ties in the street as they need the support of shoes around the ankles. When cool enough for gloves get the jersey woolen ones that fit so as to allow one to hold a book or umbrella comfortably. In a cold, bleak country give girls hoods and keep their ears warm, though many now object to hoods as being old-fashioned. Even with a cap, ear mufflers should be worn, or cover the face with a thick veil -in any case, protect the ears. Be careful to dress growing girls sensibly, giving them room to grow and not retarding their growth by tight fitting, uncomfortable garments. Keep everything as light in weight as is compatible with warmth; hence the advantage of all-wool clothing, which gives warmth with the lightest weight. The waterproof cloak must be large enough to slip over the fall or winter wrap, and thus prove practical for both rain and snow, affording no excuse for leaving it at home.

In choosing clothes for a boy remember that they have to stand hard wear and should be of the color and material

that will endure this with the least detriment possible. A boy's clothes should have expansive pockets made of some very stout material. A hole in the pocket may mean the loss of some boyish treasure of great value to the owner. A boy should be taught to take care of his clothes as far as possible. This is not difficult with some children, and persistent training will have an effect even on the most careless. Leather and cloth knee protectors or leggings do good service when long stockings are worn with short trousers. Uneven exposure of the body is of course inconsistent.

For the good of our children let us lend our influence toward simple garments. They should never be conspicuous in cut, trimming or richness. Simplify in all these matters or we shall be swallowed up in the details of civilized life. However, it requires an all-round common sense to adjust the clothing to varying conditions of climate so that the body shall abide in perfect harmony, which is health. Clothing should serve the threefold purpose of warmth, protection and adornment.

CLUB DEPARTMENT.

ONE of the best family clubs in existence is the Oakland

Culture Club of Chicago. It is a club for profit as well as pleasure. On each alternate Monday evening the members of the club assemble in their beautiful hall in the Hampden Building for the critical study of Shakspare, under most competent leadership. The meeting every other Monday night is devoted to special topics. For example, there are on the program an "Irish night," with an illustrated lecture by Hon. John F. Finnerty; a Scottish night with Highlanders in costume, Scottish songs and poems, and everything else to remind one of the "Land of the Thistle." Recently the special topic was "The Religious, Social and Club Life of Chicago." The program was prepared by Mr. David S. Geer, whose remarks, so well conceived and so admirably expressed, greatly enriched the evening's exercises.

Professor Graham Taylor of the Chicago Commons spoke in his characteristically straightforward and earnest manner of "Churches and Charities," and plainly showed the difficulties in the way of the churches in the management of practical charities. His admirable address, which voiced his own large-hearted, broad minded, deep-chested manhood, was a convincing argument for the social-settlement idea-the idea to which Professor Taylor and his associates are devoting earnest thought and zealous activity. Professor Taylor was followed by Miss Lillys M. Ringland, to whom had been assigned the subject,

"LITERATURE, SOCIAL AND CLUB LIFE OF CHICAGO," and the chairman in presenting her said that while the subject was well worthy an entire evening, the committee had limited the speaker to ten minutes.

Among other things, Miss Ringland said:

In that celebrated book, "Through a Looking Glass,"

there is is an interesting personage called the White Queen, who practiced until she was able to believe as many as three impossible things before breakfast. Interested as I am in the subjects I have, "The Literature, Social and Club Life of This City," I have had to practice very hard to deceive myself into the belief that I could deal satisfactorily with them in a five-minute paper; or, even eliminating the time element, that I could produce any result that would be definite since the subject is so broad and so complex. Therefore, I disavow from the start any hope or intention of doing justice to these subjects but will merely present the small amount of facts which I happen to possess.

If we hold the mirror up before Chicago's literature, we can see as well defined as any form reflected therein, Eugene Field, the children's favorite poet. He stands now on the far side of the stream, but he was, as all agree, a true and gentle poet whose work is dedicated to the chaste and beautiful the world over. In such poems as "Over the Hills and Far Away," we get the pathos of human life; in the Rock-a-by Lady from Hush-a-by Street," the freshness and innocence of babyhood; in “Jes Afore Xmas" and "Seeing Things at Night," a picture of jolly, reckless genuine boy-life. His poems have been called "Field Flowers" and have the daintiness and beauty of eternal spring.

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There is a project on foot to put up a monument to his genius. The Monument Fund Committee consists of such men as Melville Stone, H. H. Kohlsaat, Victor Lawson, H. W. Seymour and Wm. Penn Nixon.

Another idealist who has passed through the looking glass and gazes backward from beyond, is a worn and hardworked woman, Mrs. Martha Evarts Holden, known by her strings of amber beads as "Amber." She in apt words presented to us these common ideas and observations which come to all as we pace these streets, but which only the gifted can put into words. She had a sympathetic word for the bashful child and the country maid new-come to Chicago, or stinging ones for the slangy, mannish woman, for the man