Page:The Mothers of England.djvu/56

Rh invigorating to the young minds whose education is committed to her care.

Were this a more general amusement in private families, I believe we should much less frequently hear the impatient exclamation— "There! take that, and be quiet." "Now, James and Lucy—quarrelling again!" "John, you naughty boy, let Maria play with your puzzle." "Do tell me what o'clock it is, for I am distracted with your noise." But mothers tell us, on every hand, that they do adopt this admirable expedient for getting through a long evening, or a rainy day, by allowing their children to paint; and that they find it answer their purpose to admiration. The purpose of keeping the children quiet, and saving trouble to the mother, unquestionably it may answer; and if the art of drawing be considered, as it too frequently is, a matter of no sort of moment, then the amusement of painting pictures already made is agreeable and satisfactory enough. If, however, it is considered at all a desirable thing, either for men or women, that they should be able to draw with accuracy and ease, no more effectual means of preventing this could possibly be adopted, than that of allowing children to fill up drawings with color before they know anything of outline or form. It is allowing the child to jump at once to an obvious result, and at the same time suffering him to be deceived as to the value of his work; because he will learn in a very few years that such a result is utterly worthless; yet having attained his end, such as it was, he will not then be. likely, under such a disappointment, to go back to the means of obtaining a better. He will in reality find out that he has been cheating himself under the sanction of his parents, and thus the moral effect upon his character will be anything but good.

After all, however, I am not sure but that upon the principle of rewards being given in kind, a young designer, after be has tried Ins best at outline, may not now and then be allowed to paint; but his red houses and green smoke, blue men and yellow women, should always be treated with a certain degree of disrespect, and by no means should they be allowed the same amount of credit.