, and I soon had half a dozen
five-year-olds who came to the kindergarten clean, and if not whole,
well darned and patched. One of these could superintend a row of babies
at their outline sewing, thread their needles, untangle their
everlasting knots, and correct the mistakes in the design by the jabbing
of wrong holes in the card. Another was very skillful at weaving and
proved a good assistant in that occupation.

I developed also a little body guard which was efficient in making a
serener and more harmonious atmosphere. It is neither wise nor kind to
burden a child with responsibilities too heavy or irksome for his years,
but surely it is never too early to allow him to be helpful to his
fellows and considerate of his elders. I can't believe that any of the
tiny creatures on whom I leaned in those weary days were the worse for
my leaning. The more I depended on them the greater was their
dependableness, and the little girls grew more tender, the boys more
chivalrous. I had my subtle means of communication, spirit to spirit! If
Pat Higgins, pausing on the verge of some regrettable audacity or
hilarious piece of mischief, chanced to catch my eye, he desisted. He
knew that I was saying to him silently: "You are not so very naughty. I
could almost let you go on if it were not for those others who are
always making trouble. Somebody _must_ be good! I cannot bear it if you
desert me!"

Whenever I said "Pat" or "Aaron" or "Billy" in a pleading tone it meant
"Help! or I perish!" and it was so construed. No, I was never left
without succor when I was in need of it! I remember so well an afternoon
in late October when the world had gone very wrong! There had been a
disagreeable argument with Mrs. Gump, who had sent Goldine to mingle
with the children when she knew she had chicken pox; Stanislas
Strazinski had fallen down stairs and bruised his knee; Mercedes Pulaski
had upset a vase of flowers on the piano keys and finally Petronius
Nelson had stolen a red woolen ball. I had seen it in his hand and taken
it from him sadly and quietly as he was going down the stairs. I
suggested a few minutes for repentance in the play-room and when he came
out he sat at my knee and sobbed out his grief in pitiful fashion. His
tears moved my very heart. "Only four years old," I thought, "and no
playthings at home half as attractive as the bright ones we have here,
so I must be very gentle with him." I put my arm around him to draw him
to me a