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    Picture For Children
   Let us give our children special
training in the early years of
their lives, in the knowledge of
beautiful pictures.  Help them to
enjoy the pictures in the home.
   When our children were babies
we often talked to them about
our pictures.  As a result, they
could point out such pictures as
Raeburn's "Boy and the Rabbit,"
Sargent's "Frieze of the Prophets,"
pictures of the Boy John, the
Aurora, Hofmann's "Head of Christ,"
several of the Madonnas and Sir
Galahad.
   It always gave them great 
pleasure when they would find these 
pictures in other homes.  It also 
save them an appreciation of art, 
and stimulated their interest and
observation.
   One day, my oldes boy, age
five, pointed to the picture of
Burne Jones' "Golden Stairway"
and said, "Mother, did they take
that picture with a kodak, or did
someone paint it?"  Then and 
there we talked of how prints 
were made from great pictures
and of the galleries where the
originals are kept.
   While teaching kindergarten, I
had bought a large plain oak picture-
frame with a hinged back so that
pictures could easily be changed
during the year.  As I recalled
this, I decided that it would
be a good thing to have one in
the home.  So I had two such frames
made.  The boys are so proud to
have their very own framed pictures
hanging by their little white beds.
   And it has been interesting to
see the enjoyment they take in
changing the pictures, and in
making their own selections.
  It has resulted in a good collec-
tion of pictures which the children
add to as they find those that
interest the.  To this I have
added many of the Perry and 
Brown prints which I had used 
in my kindergarten work, and we
save the covers of magazines that
depict child life and activities.
   I have noticed that the children
prefer colors to the black and
white studies.  They care for
pictures of people or animals
rather than for those of inanimate
objects.  Boys like pictures
showing strenth, as knights and
*odiers; while girls like those
betraying daintiness, beautiful
children, and ideal surroundings.
Both boys and girls like pictures
of activities and sports and once
in a while they fancy a beautiful
landscape.
   Of course, to be honest, a 
mother must add that the pictures
sometimes found in their frames
are not always the most asthetic.
For I have often noticed prints 
of the footbal heroes in their
season, the attractive adertisements
for Campbell's soups and posters for 
a coming circus.  Yet it is best
to let it be the children's choice.
   I was happy to note that when
I returned from the hospital with
a new baby boy, the pictures in
their frames were "Jesus Blessing
Little Children" and Jessie
Wilcox Smith's Mother and Baby
picture, the cover of the January
Good Housekeeping.
   Another suggestion which  I 
have found helpful in the home is
to have the pictures in the children's
bed rooms or play room hung on a
level with their eyes.  It is 
surprising to see how much keener
is their observation when this is
done.  Let the children climb up
or be lifted to see those pictures
which are hung higher so that they
can really study them.  Always take
time to help them for you thus begin
their appreciation for art.
   These suggestions could be
carried out in any home, for, with
the present wealth of good magazines,
such a collection could be easily
made, and at little cost, while 
a very inexpensive frame would
suffice.