,the ,girl and the ,kingdom  ,,learning 
,,to ,,teach  ,,written ,,by  ,,kate    
,,douglas ,,wiggin  ,illustration       
,presented to the ,los ,angeles ,city   
,teachers ,club to ,create an           
,educational ,fund to ,be ,used in ,part
 for the ,literacy ,campaign of ,the    
,california ,federation of ,women's     
,clubs  ,cover ,designed by ,miss       
,neleta ,hain         99       99       
99       99       99  ,illustration3    
,kate ,douglas ,wiggin         99       
99       99       99       99     ,the  
,girl and the ,kingdom   ,,learning ,,to
 ,,teach   ,a long1 busy street in ,san 
,francisco4 ,innumerable small shops    
lined it from north to south2 horse     
cars1 always crowded with passengers1   
hurried to and fro2 narrow streets      
intersected the broader one1 these built
 up with small dwellings1 most of them  
rather neglected by their owners4 ,in   
the middle distance other narrow streets
 and alleys where taller houses stood1  
and the windows1 fire escapes1 and      

balconies of these1 added great variety 
to the landscape1 as the families housed
 there kept most of their effects on the
 outside during the long dry season4    
,still farther away were the roofs1     
chimneys and smoke stacks of mammoth    
buildings--railway sheds1 freight       
depots1 power houses and the like--with 
finally a glimpse of docks and wharves  
and shipping4 ,this1 or at least a      
considerable section of it1 was the     
kingdom4 ,to the ordinary beholder it   
might have looked ugly1 crowded1 sordid1
 undesirable1 but it appeared none of   
these things to the lucky person who had
 been invested with some sort of modest 
authority in its affairs4  ,the throne  
from which the lucky person viewed the  
empire was humble enough4 ,it was the   
highest of the tin shop steps at the    
corner of ,silver and ,third streets1   
odd place for a throne1 but one         
commanding a fine view of the           
inhabitants1 their dwellings1 and their 
activities4 ,the activities in plain    

sight were somewhat limited in variety1 
but the signs sported the names of      
nearly every nation upon the earth4 ,the
 ,shubeners1 ,levis1 ,ezekiels and      
,appels were generally in tailoring or  
secondhand furniture and clothing1 while
 the ,raffertys1 ,o',flanagans and      
,mc,dougalls dispensed liquor4 ,all the 
most desirable sites were occupied by   
saloons1 for it was practically         
impossible to quench the thirst of the  
neighborhood1 though many were engaged  
in a valiant effort to do so4 ,there    
were also in evidence1 barbers1 joiners1
 plumbers1 grocers1 fruit-sellers1      
bakers and venders of small wares1 and  
there was the largest and most          
splendidly recruited army of do-nothings
 that the sun ever shone upon4 ,these   
forever-out-of-workers1 leaning against 
every lamp post1 fence picket1 corner   
house1 and barber pole in the vicinity1 
were all male1 but they were mostly     
mated to women fully worthy of them1    
their wives doing nothing with equal    

assiduity in the back streets hard      
by4--,stay1 they did one thing1 they    
added copiously to the world's          
population2 and indeed it seemed as if  
the families in the community that ought
 to have had few children1 or none at   
all1 7for their country's good7 had the 
strongest prejudice to race suicide4    
,well1 there was the kingdom and there  
were the dwellers therein1 and the lucky
 person on the steps was a girl4 ,she   
did not know at first that it was a     
kingdom1 and the kingdom never at any   
time would have recognized itself under 
that name1 for it was anything but a    
sentimental neighborhood4 ,the girl was 
somewhat too young for the work she was 
going to do1 and considerably too       
inexperienced1 but she had a            
kindergarten diploma in her pocket1 and 
being an ardent follower of ,froebel she
 thought a good many roses might blossom
 in the desert of ,tar ,flat1 the rather
 uneuphonious name of the kingdom4      
,here the discreet anonymity of the     

third person must be cast aside and the 
regrettable egotism of the first person 
allowed to enter1 for ,i was a girl1 and
 the modest chronicle of my early       
educational and philanthropic adventures
 must be told after the manner of other 
chronicles4  ,the building in ,silver   
,street which was to be the scene of    
such beautiful and inspiring doings 7,i 
hoped7 as had been seldom observed on   
this planet1 was pleasant and           
commodious4 ,it had been occupied by two
 classes of an overcrowded primary      
school1 which had now been removed to a 
fine modern building4 ,the two rooms    
rented for this pioneer free            
kindergarten of the ,pacific ,coast were
 7,alas67 in the second story but were  
large and sunny4 ,a broad flight of     
twenty wooden steps led from street to  
first floor and a long stairway         
connected that floor with the one above4
 ,if anyone had realized what those     
fifty or sixty stairs meant to the new  
enterprise1 in labor and weariness1 in  

wasted time and strength of teachers and
 children--but it was difficult to find 
ideal conditions in a crowded           
neighborhood4  ,the first few days after
 my arrival in ,san ,francisco were     
spent in the installing of stove1 piano1
 tables1 benches and working materials1 
and then the beautifying began1 the     
creation of a room so attractive and    
homelike1 so friendly in its atmosphere1
 that its charm would be felt by every  
child who entered it4 ,i was a stranger 
in a strange city1 my only acquaintances
 being the trustees of the newly formed 
,association4 ,these naturally had no   
technical knowledge1 7,i am speaking of 
the ,dark ,ages1 when there were but two
 or three trained kindergartners west of
 the ,rocky ,mountains7 and the         
practical organization of things--a     
kindergarten of fifty children in active
 operation--this was my department4     
,when ,i had anything to show them they 
were eager and willing to help1 meantime
 they could and did furnish the sinews  

of war1 standing sponsors to the        
community for the ideals in education we
 were endeavoring to represent4 ,here is
 where the tin shop steps came in4 ,i   
sat there very often in those sunny days
 of late ,july1 #ahgh1 dreaming dreams  
and seeing visions2 plotting1 planning1 
helping1 believing1 forecasting the     
future4 ,hills peeped o'er hills and    
,alps on ,alps4  ,i take some credit to 
myself that when there were yet no such 
things as ,settlements and ,neighborhood
 ,guilds ,i had an instinct that this   
was the right way to work4  ,this       
school1 ,i thought1 must not be an      
exotic1 a parasite1 an alien growth1 not
 a flower of beauty transplanted from a 
conservatory and shown under glass2 it  
must have its roots deep in the         
neighborhood life1 and there my roots   
must be also4 ,no teacher1 be she ever  
so gifted1 ever so consecrated1 can     
sufficiently influence the children     
under her care for only a few hours a   
day1 unless she can gradually persuade  

the parents to be her allies4 ,i must   
find then the desired fifty children    
under school age 7six years in          
,california7 and ,i must somehow keep in
 close relation to the homes from which 
they come4  ,how should ,i get in       
intimate touch with this strange1       
puzzling1 foreign community1 this big   
clump of poverty-stricken1 intemperate1 
overworked1 lazy1 extravagant1          
ill-assorted humanity leavened here and 
there by a ,god-fearing1 thrifty1       
respectable family8 ,there were from    
time to time children of widows who were
 living frugally and doing their best   
for their families who proved to be the 
leaven in my rather sorry lump4  ,buying
 and borrowing were my first two aids to
 fellowship4 ,i bought my luncheon at a 
different bakery every day and my glass 
of milk at a different dairy4 ,at each  
visit ,i talked1 always casually1 of the
 new kindergarten1 and gave its date of 
opening1 but never solicited pupils4 ,i 
bought pencils1 crayons1 and mucilage of

 the local stationers2 brown paper and  
soap of the grocers2 hammers and tacks  
of the hardware man4 ,i borrowed many   
things1 returned them soon1 and thus    
gave my neighbors the satisfaction of   
being helpful4 ,when ,i tried to borrow 
the local carpenter's saw he answered   
that he would rather come and do the job
 himself than lend his saw to a lady4   
,the combination of a lady and edged    
tools was something in his mind so      
humorous that ,i nervously changed the  
subject4 7,if he is still alive ,i am   
sure he is an ,anti-,suffragist67 ,i was
 glad to display my school room to an   
intelligent workman1 and a half hour's  
explanation of the kindergarten         
occupations made the carpenter an       
enthusiastic convert4 ,this gave me a   
new idea1 and to each craftsman1 in the 
vicinity1 ,i showed the particular      
branch of kindergarten handiwork that   
might appeal to him1 whether laying of  
patterns1 in separate sticks and        
tablets1 weaving1 drawing1 rudimentary  

efforts at designing1 folding and       
cutting of paper1 or clay modelling4  ,i
 had the great advantage of making all  
of my calls in shops1 and thus ,i had   
not the unpleasant duty of visiting     
people's houses uninvited1 nor the      
embarrassment of being treated as       
peddlers of patronage and good advice   
are apt to be treated4 ,besides1 in many
 cases1 the shops and homes 7,heaven    
save the mark67 were under one roof1 and
 children scuttled in and out1 behind   
and under the counters and over the     
thresholds into the street4 ,they were  
all agog with curiosity and so were the 
women4 ,a mother does not have to be    
highly cultured to perceive the         
advantage of a place near by where she  
can send her four or five year olds free
 of charge and know that they are busy  
and happy for several hours a day4  ,i  
know1 by long experience with younger   
kindergartners and social workers in    
after years1 that this kind of visiting 
presents many perplexities to persons of

 a certain temperament1 but ,i never    
entered any house where ,i felt the     
least sensation of being out of place4  
,i don't think this flexibility is a    
gift of especially high order1 nor that 
it would be equally valuable in all     
walks of life1 but it is of great       
service in this sort of work4 ,whether  
,i sat in a stuffed chair or on a       
nailkeg or an inverted washtub it was   
always equally agreeable to me4 ,the    
getting into relation1 perfectly1 and   
without the loss of a moment1 gave me a 
sense of mental and spiritual           
exhilaration4 ,i never had to adapt     
myself elaborately to a strange         
situation in order to be in sympathy4 ,i
 never said to myself3 ,but for ,god's  
grace ,i might be the woman on that cot2
 unloved1 uncared for1 with a new-born  
child at my side and a dozen men        
drinking in the saloon just on the other
 side of the wall 99 99 99 or that      
mother of five--convivial1 dishonest1   
unfaithful 99 99 99 or that timid1      

frail1 little creature struggling to    
support a paralytic husband4 ,i never   
had to give myself logical reasons for  
being where ,i was1 nor wonder what ,i  
should say2 my one idea was to keep the 
situation simple and free from          
embarrassment to any one2 to be as      
completely a part of it as if ,i had    
been born there2 to be helpful without  
being intrusive2 to show no surprise    
whatever happened2 above all to be      
cheerful1 strong and bracing1 not weakly
 sentimental4  ,as the day of opening   
approached an unexpected and valuable   
aide-de-camp appeared on the scene4 ,an 
,american girl of twelve or thirteen    
slipped in the front door one day when  
,i was practicing children's songs1     
whereupon the following colloquy ensued4
  ,what's this place goin' to be8  ,a   
kindergarten4  ,what's that8            
,explanation suited to the questioner1  
followed4  ,can ,i come in afternoons1  
on my way home from school and see what 
you do8  ,certainly4  ,can ,i stay now  

and help round8  ,yes indeed1 ,i should 
be delighted4  ,what's the bird for8    
,what are all birds for8 ,i answered1   
just to puzzle her4  ,i dunno4 ,what's  
the plants and flowers for8  ,what are  
all flowers for8 ,i demanded again4     
,but ,i thought 'twas a school4  ,it is1
 but it's a new kind4  ,where's the     
books8  ,the children are going to be   
under six2 we shan't have reading and   
writing4  ,we sat down to work together1
 marking out and cutting brown paper    
envelopes for the children's sewing or  
weaving1 binding colored prints with    
gold paper and putting them on the wall 
with thumb tacks1 and arranging all the 
kindergarten materials tidily on the    
shelves of the closets4 ,next day was a 
holiday and she begged to come again4 ,i
 consented and told her that she might  
bring a friend if she liked and we would
 lunch together4  ,i guess not1 she     
said1 with just a hint of jealousy in   
her tone4 ,you and ,i get on so well    
that mebbe we'd be bothered with another

 girl messin' around1 and she'd be one  
more to wash up for after lunch4  ,from 
that moment1 the ,corporal1 as ,i called
 her1 was a stanch ally and there was   
seldom a day in the coming years when   
she did not faithfully perform all sorts
 of unofficial duties1 attaching herself
 passionately to my service with the    
devotion of a mother or an elder sister4
 ,she proved at the beginning a kind of 
travelling agent for the school         
haranguing mothers on the street corners
 and addressing the groups of curious   
children who gathered at the foot of the
 school steps4  ,you'd ought to go      
upstairs and see the inside of it6 she  
would exclaim4 ,it's just like going    
around the world4 ,there's a canary     
bird1 there's fishes swimmin' in a glass
 bowl1 there's plants bloomin' on the   
winder sills1 there's a pianner1 and    
more'n a million pictures6 ,there's     
closets stuffed full o' things to play  
and work with1 and whatever the scholars
 make they're goin' to take home if it's

 good4 ,there's a play-room with red    
rings painted on the floor and they're  
going to march and play games on 'em4   
,she can play the pianner standin' up or
 settin' down1 without lookin' at her   
hands to see where they're goin'4 ,she's
 goin' to wear white1 two a week1 and ,i
 got ,miss ,lannigan to wash 'em for her
 for fifteen cents apiece4 ,i tell her  
the children 'round here's awful dirty  
and she says the cleaner she is the     
cleaner they'll be4444 ,no1 'tain't     
goin' to be no ,sunday ,school1 said the
 voluble ,corporal4 ,no1 'tain't goin'  
to be no ,mission2 no1 'tain't goin' to 
be no ,lodge6 ,she says it's a new kind 
of a school1 that's all ,i know1 and    
next ,monday'll see it goin' full blast6
  ,it was somewhat in this fashion1 that
 ,i walked joyously into the heart of a 
,san ,francisco slum1 and began         
experimenting with my newly-learned     
panaceas4  ,these were early days4 ,the 
kindergarten theory of education was on 
trial for its very life2 the fame of    

,pestalozzi and ,froebel seemed to my   
youthful vision to be in my keeping1 and
 ,i had all the ardor of a neophyte4 ,i 
simply stepped into a cockle-shell and  
put out into an unknown ocean1 where all
 manner of derelicts needed help and    
succor4 ,the ocean was a life of which  
,i had heretofore known nothing2        
miserable1 overburdened1 and sometimes  
criminal4  ,my cockle-shell managed to  
escape shipwreck1 and took its frail    
place among the other craft that sailed 
in its company4 ,i hardly saw or felt   
the safety of the harbor or the shore   
for three years1 the three years out of 
my whole life the most wearying1 the    
most heart-searching1 the most          
discouraging1 the most inspiring2 also1 
,i dare say1 the best worth living4     
,full blast1 the ,corporal's own        
expression1 exactly described the       
setting out of the cockle-shell2 that   
is1 the eventful ,monday morning when   
the doors of the first free kindergarten
 west of the ,rockies threw open its    

doors4  ,the neighborhood was           
enthusiastic in presenting its offspring
 at the altar of educational experiment1
 and we might have enrolled a hundred   
children had there been room4 ,i was to 
have no assistant and we had provided   
seats only for forty-five1 which        
prohibited a list of more than fifty at 
the outside4 ,a convert to any inspiring
 idea being anxious to immolate herself 
on the first altar which comes in the   
path of duty1 ,i carefully selected the 
children best calculated to show to the 
amazed public the regenerating effects  
of the kindergarten method1 and as a    
whole they were unsurpassed specimens of
 the class we hoped to benefit4  ,of the
 forty who were accepted the first      
morning1 thirty appeared to be either   
indifferent or willing victims1 while   
ten were quite the reverse4 ,these      
screamed if the maternal hand were      
withdrawn1 bawled if their hats were    
taken away1 and bellowed if they were   
asked to sit down4 ,this rebellion led  

to their being removed to the hall by   
their mothers1 who spanked them         
vigorously every few minutes and        
returned them to me each time in a more 
unconquered state1 with their lung power
 quite unimpaired and their views of the
 ,new ,education still vague and        
distorted4 ,as the mothers were         
uniformly ladies with ruffled hair1     
snapping eyes1 high color and short     
temper1 ,i could not understand the     
childrens' fear of me1 a mild young     
thing in white--as the ,corporal would  
say--but they evidently preferred the   
ills they knew4 ,when the last mother   
led in the last freshly spanked child   
and said as she prepared to leave3      
,well1 ,i suppose they might as well get
 used to you one time as another1 so    
good-day1 ,miss1 and ,god help you6 ,i  
felt that my woes were greater than ,i  
could bear1 for1 as the door closed1    
several infants who had been quite calm 
began to howl in sympathy with their    
suffering brethren4 ,then the door      

opened again and the ,corporal's bright 
face appeared in the crack4  ,goodness6 
she ejaculated1 this ain't the new kind 
of a school ,i thought 'twas goin' to   
be6--,stop your cryin'1 ,jimmy ,maxwell1
 a great big boy like you2 and ,levi    
,isaacs and ,goldine ,gump1 ,i wonder   
you ain't ashamed6 ,do you 'spose ,miss 
,kate can do anything with such a       
racket8 ,now don't let me hear any more 
o' your nonsense6--,miss ,kate1 she     
whispered1 turning to me3 ,i've got the 
whole day off for my uncle's funeral1   
and as he ain't buried till three       
o'clock ,i thought ,i'd better run in   
and see how you was gettin' on6  ,you   
are an angel1 ,corporal6 ,i said4 ,take 
all the howlers down into the yard and  
let them play in the sand tables till ,i
 call you4  ,when the queue of weeping  
babes had been sternly led out by the   
,corporal something like peace descended
 upon the room but there could be no    
work for the moment because the hands   
were too dirty4 ,cooeperation was       

strictly ,froebelian so ,i selected with
 an eagle eye several assistants from   
the group--the brightest-eyed1          
best-tempered1 and cleanest4 ,with their
 help ,i arranged the seats1 the older  
children at the back tables and the     
babies in the front4 ,classification was
 difficult as many of them did not know 
their names1 their ages1 their sexes1   
nor their addresses1 but ,i had         
succeeded in getting a little order out 
of chaos by the time the ,corporal      
appeared again4  ,they've all stopped   
cryin' but ,hazel ,golly1 and she ran   
when ,i wa'n't lookin' and got so far ,i
 couldn't ketch her2 anyway she ain't no
 loss for ,i live next door to          
her4--,what'll we do next8  ,scrub6 ,i  
said firmly4 ,i want to give them some  
of the easiest work1 two kinds1 but we  
can't touch the colored cards until all 
the hands are clean4--,shall we take    
soap and towels and all go down into the
 yard where the sink is1 children1 and  
turn up our sleeves and have a nice     

wash8 7,some of the infants had         
doubtless started from home in a        
tolerable state of cleanliness but all  
signs had disappeared en route74  ,the  
proposition was greeted amiably4        
,anything rather than sit still6 is the 
mental attitude of a child under six6   
,i told you just how dirty they'd be1   
murmured the ,corporal4 ,i know 'em2 but
 ,i never expected to get this good     
chance to scrub any of 'em4  ,it's only 
the first day2--wait till next ,monday1 
,i urged4  ,i shan't be here to see it  
next ,monday morning1 my young friend   
replied4 ,we can't bury ,uncle every    
week6 7,this with a sigh of profound    
regret67  ,many days were spent in      
learning the unpronounceable names of my
 flock and in keeping them from         
murdering one another until ,froebel's  
justly celebrated law of love could be  
made a working proposition4 ,it was some
 time before the babies could go down   
stairs in a line without precipitating  
one another head foremost by furtive    

kicks and punches4 ,i placed an         
especially dependable boy at the head   
and tail of the line but accidentally   
overheard the tail boy tell the head    
that he'd lay him out flat if he got    
into the yard first1 a threat that      
embarrassed a free and expeditious      
exit3--and all their relations to one   
another seemed at this time to be       
arranged on a broad basis of            
belligerence4 ,but better days were     
coming1 were indeed near at hand1 and   
the children themselves brought them2   
they only needed to be shown how1 but   
you may well guess that in the early    
days of what was afterwards to be known 
as ,the ,kindergarten ,movement on the  
,pacific ,coast1 when the ,girl and her 
,kingdom first came into active         
communication with each other1 the      
question of discipline loomed rather    
large6 ,putting aside altogether the    
question of the efficiency1 or the      
propriety1 of corporal punishment in the
 public schools1 it seems pretty clear  

that babies of four or five years should
 be spanked by their parents if by      
anyone2 and that a teacher who cannot   
induce good behavior in children of that
 age1 without spanking1 has mistaken her
 vocation4 ,however1 it is against their
 principles for kindergartner's to      
spank1 slap1 flog1 shake or otherwise   
wrestle with their youthful charges1 no 
matter how much they seem to need these 
instantaneous and sometimes very        
effectual methods of dissuasion at the  
moment4  ,there are undoubtedly times   
when the old ,adam 7,i don't know why it
 shouldn't be the ,old ,eve67 rises in  
one's still unregenerate heart1 and one 
longs to take the low road in           
discipline2 but the high road commonly  
leads one to the desired point without  
great delay and there is genuine        
satisfaction in finding that taking away
 his work from a child1 or depriving him
 of the pleasure of helping his         
neighbors1 is as great a punishment as a
 blow4  ,you may say such ideal methods 

would not prevail with older boys and   
girls1 and that may be true1 for wrong  
development may have gone too far2 but  
it is difficult to find a small child   
who is lazy or indifferent1 or one who  
would welcome the loss of work2         
difficult also to find one who is not   
unhappy when deprived of the chance of  
service1 seeing1 as he does1 his        
neighbors happily working together and  
joyfully helping others4  ,i had many   
,waterloos in my term of generalship and
 many a time was ,i a feeble enough     
officer of ,the ,kid's ,guards as the   
kindergarten was translated in ,tar     
,flat by those unfamiliar with the      
,german word4  ,the flock was at the    
foot of the stairs one morning at eleven
 o'clock when there was a loud and long 
fire alarm in the immediate vicinity4   
,no doubt existed in the mind of any    
child as to the propriety or            
advisability of remaining at the seat of
 learning4 ,they started down the steps 
for the fire in a solid body1 with such 

unanimity and rapidity that ,i could do 
nothing but save the lives of the       
younger ones and keep them from being   
trampled upon while ,i watched the      
flight of their elders4 ,i was left with
 two lame boys and four babies so fat   
and bow-legged that they probably never 
had reached1 nor ever would reach1 a    
fire while it was still burning4  ,pat  
,higgins1 aged five and a half1 the     
leader of the line1 had a sudden pang of
 conscience at the corner and ran back  
to ask me artlessly if he might go to   
the fire4  ,certainly not1 ,i answered  
firmly4 ,on the contrary please stay    
here with the lame and the fat1 while ,i
 go to the fire and bring back the other
 children4  ,i then pursued the errant  
flock and recovering most of them1      
marched them back to the school-room1   
meeting ,judge ,solomon ,heydenfelt1    
,president of the new ,kindergarten     
,association1 on the steps4 ,he had been
 awaiting me for ten minutes and it was 
his first visit6 ,he had never seen a   

kindergarten before1 either returning   
from a fire or otherwise1 and there was 
a moment of embarrassment1 but ,i had a 
sense of humor and fortunately he       
enjoyed the same blessing4 ,only very   
young teachers who await the visits of  
supervisors in shuddering expectancy can
 appreciate this episode4  ,the days    
grew brighter and more hopeful as winter
 approached4 ,i got into closer relation
 with some homes than others1 and ,i    
soon had half a dozen five-year-olds who
 came to the kindergarten clean1 and if 
not whole1 well darned and patched4 ,one
 of these could superintend a row of    
babies at their outline sewing1 thread  
their needles1 untangle their           
everlasting knots1 and correct the      
mistakes in the design by the jabbing of
 wrong holes in the card4 ,another was  
very skillful at weaving and proved a   
good assistant in that occupation4  ,i  
developed also a little body guard which
 was efficient in making a serener and  
more harmonious atmosphere4 ,it is      

neither wise nor kind to burden a child 
with responsibilities too heavy or      
irksome for his years1 but surely it is 
never too early to allow him to be      
helpful to his fellows and considerate  
of his elders4 ,i can't believe that any
 of the tiny creatures on whom ,i leaned
 in those weary days were the worse for 
my leaning4 ,the more ,i depended on    
them the greater was their              
dependableness1 and the little girls    
grew more tender1 the boys more         
chivalrous4 ,i had my subtle means of   
communication1 spirit to spirit6 ,if    
,pat ,higgins1 pausing on the verge of  
some regrettable audacity or hilarious  
piece of mischief1 chanced to catch my  
eye1 he desisted4 ,he knew that ,i was  
saying to him silently3 ,you are not so 
very naughty4 ,i could almost let you go
 on if it were not for those others who 
are always making trouble4 ,somebody    
must be good6 ,i cannot bear it if you  
desert me6  ,whenever ,i said ,pat or   
,aaron or ,billy in a pleading tone it  

meant ,help6 or ,i perish6 and it was so
 construed4 ,no1 ,i was never left      
without succor when ,i was in need of   
it6 ,i remember so well an afternoon in 
late ,october when the world had gone   
very wrong6 ,there had been a           
disagreeable argument with ,mrs4 ,gump1 
who had sent ,goldine to mingle with the
 children when she knew she had chicken 
pox2 ,stanislas ,strazinski had fallen  
down stairs and bruised his knee2       
,mercedes ,pulaski had upset a vase of  
flowers on the piano keys and finally   
,petronius ,nelson had stolen a red     
woolen ball4 ,i had seen it in his hand 
and taken it from him sadly and quietly 
as he was going down the stairs4 ,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 fashion4 ,his tears moved my
 very heart4 ,only four years old1 ,i   
thought1 and no playthings at home half 
as attractive as the bright ones we have
 here1 so ,i must be very gentle with   

him4 ,i put my arm around him to draw   
him to me and the gesture brought me in 
contact with his curiously knobby1      
little chest4 ,what were my feelings    
when ,i extracted from his sailor blouse
 one orange1 one blue1 and two green    
balls6 ,and this after ten minutes of   
repentant tears6 ,i pointed the moral as
 quickly as possible so that ,i might be
 alone1 and then realizing the apparent 
hopelessness of some of the tasks that  
confronted me ,i gave way to a moment of
 hysterical laughter1 followed by such a
 flood of tears as ,i had not shed since
 ,i was a child4 ,it was then and there 
the ,corporal found me1 on her way home 
from school4 ,she flung her books on the
 floor and took my head on her kind1    
scrawny1 young shoulder4  ,what have    
they been doin' to you8 she stormed4    
,you just tell me which one of 'em 'tis 
and ,i'll see't he remembers this day as
 long as he lives4 ,your hair's all     
mussed up and you look sick abed6  ,she 
led me to the sofa where we put tired   

babies to sleep1 and covered me with my 
coat4 ,then she stole out and came back 
with a pitcher of hot1 well-boiled tea1 
after which she tidied the room and made
 everything right for next day4 ,dear   
,old ,corporal6  ,the improvement in    
these little teachers in capacity as    
well as in manner1 voice1 speech and    
behavior1 was almost supernatural1 and  
it was only less obvious in the rank and
 file4 ,there was little scrubbing done 
on the premises now1 for nearly all the 
mothers who were not invalids1          
intemperate1 or incurable slatterns1    
were heartily in sympathy with our      
ideals4 ,at the end of six weeks when   
various members of the ,board of        
,trustees began to drop in for their    
second visit they were almost frightened
 by our attractive appearance4  ,the    
subscribers will think the children come
 from ,nob ,hill1 one of them exclaimed 
in humorous alarm4 ,are you sure you    
took the most needy in every way8       
,quite sure4 ,sit down in my chair1     

please1 and look at my private book4 ,do
 you see in the first place that        
thirteen are the children of small      
liquor sellers and live back of the     
saloons8 ,then note that ten are the    
children of widows who support large    
families by washing1 cleaning1 machine  
sewing or shop-keeping4 ,you will see   
that one mother and three fathers on our
 list are temporarily in jail serving   
short terms4 ,we may never have quite   
such a picturesque class again1 and     
perhaps it would not be advisable2 ,i   
wish sometimes that ,i had taken        
humanity as it ran1 good1 bad and       
indifferent1 instead of choosing        
children from the most discouraging     
homes4 ,i thought1 of course1 that they 
were going to be little villains4 ,they 
ought to be1 if there is anything either
 in heredity or environment1 but just   
look at them at this moment--a favorable
 moment1 ,i grant you--but just look at 
them6 ,forty pretty-near-angels1 that's 
what they are6  ,it is marvellous6 ,i   

could adopt twenty of them6 ,i cannot   
account for it1 said another of the     
,trustees4  ,i can1 ,i answered4 ,any   
tolerably healthy child under six who is
 clean1 busy1 happy and in good company 
looks as these do4 ,why should they not 
be attractive8 ,they live for four hours
 a day in this sunny1 airy room2 they do
 charming work suited to their baby     
capacities--work1 too1 which is not all 
pure routine1 but in a simple way       
creative1 so that they are not only     
occupied1 but they are expressing       
themselves as creative beings should4   
,they have music1 stories and games1 and
 although they are obliged to behave    
themselves 7which is sometimes a trifle 
irksome7 they never hear an unkind word4
 ,they grow in grace1 partly because    
they return as many of these favors as  
is possible at their age4 ,they water   
the plants1 clean the bird's cage and   
fill the seed cups and bath2 they keep  
the room as tidy as possible to make the
 janitor's work easier2 they brush up   

the floor after their own muddy feet2   
the older ones help the younger and the 
strong look after the weak4 ,the        
conditions are almost ideal2 why should 
they not respond to them8  ,california  
children are apt to be good specimens4  
,they suffer no extremes of heat or     
cold2 food is varied and fruit plentiful
 and cheap2 they are out of doors every 
month in the year and they are more than
 ordinarily clever and lively4 ,still ,i
 refuse to believe that any other       
company of children in ,california1 or  
in the universe1 was ever so unusual or 
so piquantly interesting as those of the
 ,silver ,street ,kindergarten1         
particularly the never-to-be-forgotten  
first forty4  ,as ,i look back across   
the lapse of time ,i cannot understand  
how any creature1 however young1 strong 
or ardent1 could have supported the     
fatigue and strain of that first year6  
,no one was to blame1 for the experiment
 met with appreciation almost           
immediately1 but ,i was attempting the  

impossible1 and trying to perform the   
labor of three women4 ,i soon learned to
 work more skillfully1 but ,i habitually
 squandered my powers and lavished on   
trivial details strength that should    
have been spent more thriftily4 ,the    
difficulties of each day could be       
surmounted only by quick wit1 ingenuity1
 versatility2 by the sternest exercise  
of self-control and by a continual      
outpour of magnetism4 ,my enthusiasm    
made me reckless1 but though ,i regret  
that ,i worked in entire disregard of   
all laws of health1 ,i do not regret a  
single hour of exhaustion1              
discouragement or despair4 ,all my pains
 were just so many birth-pangs1 leaving 
behind them a little more knowledge of  
human nature1 a little wider vision1 a  
little clearer insight1 a little deeper 
sympathy4  ,there were more than a      
thousand visitors during the first year1
 a circumstance that greatly increased  
the nervous strain of teaching2 for ,i  
had to train myself1 as well as the     

children to as absolute a state of      
unconsciousness as possible4 ,i always  
jauntily described the visitors as      
fathers and mothers1 and told the       
children that there would soon be other 
schools like ours1 and people just      
wanted to see how we sang1 and played   
circle games1 and modelled in clay1 and 
learned arithmetic with building blocks 
and all the rest of it4 ,i paid         
practically no attention to the visitors
 myself and they ordinarily were clever 
enough to understand the difficulties of
 the situation4 ,among the earliest in  
the late autumn of #ahgh were ,prof4    
,john ,swett and ,mrs4 ,kincaid of the  
,san ,francisco ,normal ,school who     
thereafter sent down their students1 two
 at a time1 for observation and         
practical aid4 ,the next important      
visitor in the spring of #ahgi was ,mrs4
 ,sarah ,b4 ,cooper4 ,she possessed the 
understanding heart and also great      
executive ability1 so that with the help
 of her large ,bible class she was able 

to open a second free ,kindergarten on  
,jackson ,street in ,october1 #ahgi4    
,soon after this date the desert began  
to blossom as the rose4 ,i went to the  
,eastern cities during my summer        
vacation and learned by observation and 
instruction all that ,i could from my   
older and wiser contemporaries ,miss    
,susan ,blow of ,st4 ,louis1 ,dr4       
,hailman of ,la,porte1 ,mrs4 ,putnam of 
,chicago and ,miss ,elizabeth ,peabody  
and ,miss ,garland of ,boston4          
,returning ,i opened my own             
,kindergarten ,training ,school and my  
sister ,miss ,nora ,archibald ,smith    
joined me both in the theoretical and   
practical spreading of the gospel4      
,thirty-seven years have passed1 but if 
,i were a portrait painter ,i could     
reproduce on canvas every nose1 eye1    
smile1 hand1 curl of hair1 in that      
group4 ,i often close my eyes to call up
 the picture1 and almost every child    
falls into his old seat and answers to  
his right name4 ,here are a few sketches

 of those in the front row3  ,willy     
,beer1 dubbed ,wriggly ,beer by the     
older boys in his street1 because of a  
slight nervous affection that kept him  
in a state of perpetual motion4 ,he was 
not uncomely2 indeed1 when ,i was       
telling a story it was a pleasure to    
watch his face all twitching with       
interest2 first nose1 then eyes1 then   
mouth1 till the delight spread to his   
fat hands1 which clasped and unclasped  
as the tale proceeded4 ,he had a perfect
 sense of time and tunes and was        
indefatigable in the marching and games4
 ,his mother sent me this unique letter 
when he had been with me a month3       
,yung lady3       ,willy seems to be    
onto his foot most of the time4 ,these  
is all      the butes ,willy will half  
to ,krissmus4 ,can you learn him settin'
      down8                             
,respeckfully1                          
,mrs4 ,beer4   ,sitting next to ,willy1 
and rhyming with him1 was ,billy--,billy
 ,prendergast--a large boy for his years

 with the face and voice of a man of    
thirty4  ,billy ,prendergast taught me a
 very good lesson in pedagogy when ,i   
was making believe teach him other      
things6  ,one of our simple morning     
songs ended with the verse3        ,all 
ye little children1 hear the truth we   
tell4      ,god will ne'er forget you1  
for he loves you well4   ,one day in the
 gentle lull that succeeded the singing 
of that song1 ,billy's growling baritone
 fell on my ear3  ,why will he never get
 yer8 he asked1 his strange rough voice 
bringing complete silence1 as it always 
did4  ,what do you mean1 ,billy8        
,that's what it says3 ',god will never  
get yer1 for he loves you well4         
,consternation overcame me4 ,billy1 and 
goodness knows how many others1 had been
 beginning the day with the puzzling    
theological statement3 ,god will never  
get yer 7ne'er forget you7 for he loves 
you well4  ,i chose my verses more      
carefully1 after that experience1       
avoiding all e'ers and ne'ers and other 

misleading abbreviations4  ,hansanella  
,dorflinger now claims attention4       
,hansanella sounds like one word but    
they were twins1 and thus introduced to 
me by a large incoherent boy who brought
 them to the kindergarten4 ,he was in a 
hurry and left them at my door with     
scant ceremony1 save the frequent       
repetition of the watchword ,hansanella4
  ,after some difficulty ,i succeeded in
 deciding which was ,hans and which was 
,ella1 though there was practically no  
difference between them excepting that  
the ash blonde hair of ,hans was cropped
 still more closely than that of ,ella4 
,they had light blue glassy eyes1 too   
far apart1 thin lips1 chalky skins and  
perennial colds in the head4 ,they      
breathed together1 smiled and wept      
together1 rose and sat down together and
 wiped their noses together--none too   
frequently4 ,never were such 'twinneous'
 twins as ,hansanella1 and it was       
ridiculous to waste two names on them1  
for there was not between them          

personality enough for one child4  ,when
 ,i requested ,ella to be a pony it     
immediately became a span1 for she never
 moved without ,hans4 ,if the children  
chose ,hans for the father-bird1 ,ella  
intrusively and suffragistically        
fluttered into the nest1 too1 sadly     
complicating the family arrangements4   
,they seldom spoke1 but sat stolidly    
beside each other1 laying the same      
patterns with dogged pertinacity4  ,one 
morning a new little boy joined our     
company4 ,as was often the case he was  
shy about sitting down4 ,it would seem  
as if the spectacle of forty children   
working tranquilly together1 would      
convince new applicants that the benches
 contained no dynamite1 but they always 
parted with their dilapidated hats as if
 they never1 in the nature of things1   
could hope to see them again1 and the   
very contact of their persons with the  
benches evoked an uncontrollable wail1  
which seemed to say3 ,it is all up with 
us now6 ,let the portcullis fall6  ,the 

new boy's eye fell on ,hansanella and he
 suddenly smiled broadly4  ,sit mit     
,owgoost6 he said4  ,we haven't any     
',august'1 ,i responded1 that is ,hans  
,dorflinger4  ,sit mit ,owgoost1 he     
repeated thickly and firmly4  ,is this  
boy a friend of yours1 ,hans8 ,i        
inquired1 and the twins nodded blandly4 
,is your other name ,august1 ,hans8     
,this apparently was too complicated a  
question for the combined mental        
activities of the pair1 and they lapsed 
comfortably into their ordinary state of
 coma4  ,the ,corporal finally found the
 boy who originally foisted upon our    
,paradise these two dullest human beings
 that ever drew breath4 ,he explained   
that ,i had entirely misunderstood his  
remarks4 ,he said that he heard ,i had  
accepted ,hansanella ,dorflinger1 but   
they had moved with their parents to    
,oakland2 and as they could not come1 he
 thought it well to give the coveted    
places to ,august and ,anna ,olsen1     
whose mother worked in a box-factory and

 would be glad to have the children     
looked after4  ,what's the matter mit   
'em8 he asked anxiously4 ,ain't dey     
goot8  ,oh1 yes they are good1 ,i       
replied1 adding mysteriously4 ,if two   
children named ,august and ,anna allow  
you to call them ,hansanella for five   
weeks without comment1 it isn't likely  
that they would be very fertile in evil 
doing6  ,i had a full year's experience 
with the false ,hansanella and in that  
time they blighted our supremest joys4  
,there was always a gap in the circle   
where they stood and they stopped the   
electric current whenever it reached    
them4 ,i am more anxious that the       
,eugenic ,societies should eliminate    
this kind of child from the future than 
almost any other type4 ,it has chalk and
 water instead of blood in its veins4   
,it is as cold as if it had been made by
 machinery and then refrigerated1       
instead of being brought into being by a
 mother's love2 and it never has an     
impulse1 but just passes through the    

world mechanically1 taking up space that
 could be better occupied by some warm1 
struggling1 erring1 aspiring human      
creature4  ,how can ,i describe ,jacob  
,lavrowsky8 ,there chanced to be a row  
of little ,biblical characters1 mostly  
prophets sitting beside one another     
about half way back in the              
room3--,moses1 ,jeremiah1 ,ezekial1     
,elijah and ,elisha1 but the greatest of
 these was ,jacob4 ,he was one of ten   
children1 the offspring of a couple who 
kept a secondhand clothing establishment
 in the vicinity4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4        
,lavrowsky collected1 mended1 patched1  
sold and exchanged cast-off wearing     
apparel1 and the little ,lavrowsky's    
played about in the rags1 slept under   
the counters and ate ,heaven knows      
where1 during the term of my            
acquaintance with them4 ,jacob differed 
from all the other of my flock by       
possessing a premature1 thoroughly      
unchildlike sense of humor4 ,he regarded
 me as one of the most unaccountable    

human beings he had ever met1 but he had
 such respect for what he believed to be
 my good bottom qualities that he       
constantly tried to conceal from me his 
feeling that ,i was probably a little   
insane4 ,he had large expressive eyes1 a
 flat nose1 wide mouth1 thin hair1 long 
neck and sallow skin1 while his body was
 so thin and scrawny that his clothes   
always hung upon him in shapeless folds4
 ,his age was five and his point of view
 that of fifty4 ,as to his toilettes1   
there must have been a large clothes-bin
 in the room back of the shop and ,jacob
 must have daily dressed himself from   
this1 leaning over the side and plucking
 from the varied assortment such        
articles as pleased his errant fancy4   
,he had no prejudices against bits of   
feminine attire1 often sporting a dark  
green cashmere basque trimmed with black
 velvet ribbon and gilt buttons4 ,it was
 double breasted and when it surmounted 
a pair of trousers cut to the right     
length but not altered in width1 the    

effect would have startled any more     
exacting community than ours4 ,jacob was
 always tired and went through his tasks
 rather languidly1 greatly preferring   
work to play4 ,all diversions such as   
marching and circle games struck him as 
pleasant enough1 but childish1 and if   
participated in at all1 to be gone      
through with in an absent-minded and    
supercillious manner4 ,there were       
moments when his exotic little          
personality1 standing out from all the  
rest like an infant ,artful ,dodger or a
 caricature of ,beau ,brummel1 seemed to
 make him wholly alien to the group1 yet
 he was docile and obedient1 his only   
fault being a tendency to strong and    
highly colored language4 ,to make the   
marching more effective and develope a  
better sense of time1 ,i instituted a   
very simple and rudimentary form of     
orchestra with a triangle1 a tambourine1
 and finally a drum4 ,when the latter   
instrument made its first appearance    
,jacob sought a secluded spot by the    

piano and gave himself up to a fit of   
fairly courteous but excessive mirth4 ,a
 drum6 he exclaimed1 between his fits of
 laughter4 ,what'll yer have next8 ,this
 is a h--l of a school6  ,just behind   
,jacob sat two little pink-cheeked girls
 five and four years old1 ,violet and   
,rose ,featherstone4 ,violet brought the
 younger ,rose every day and was a      
miracle of sisterly devotion4 ,i did not
 see the mother for some months after   
the little pair entered1 as she had work
 that kept her from home during the     
hours when it was possible for me to    
call upon her1 and she lived at a long  
distance from the kindergarten in a     
neighborhood from which none of our     
other children came4  ,i had no anxiety 
about them however1 as the looks1       
behavior1 and clothing of all my        
children was always an absolute test of 
the conditions prevailing in the home4  
,what was my surprise then1 one day to  
receive a note from a certain ,mrs4     
,hannah ,googins1 a name not in my      

register4  ,she said her ,emma ,abby had
 been bringing home pieces of sewing and
 weaving of late1 marked ,violet        
,featherstone4 ,she would like to see   
some of ,emma ,abby's own work and find 
out whether she had taken that of any   
other child by mistake4 ,a long and     
puzzling investigation followed the     
receipt of this letter and ,i found that
 the romantic little ,emma ,abby        
,googins1 not caring for the name given 
her by her maternal parent1 had assumed 
that of ,violet ,featherstone4 ,also1   
being an only child and greatly desiring
 a sister1 she had plucked a certain    
little ,nellie ,taylor from a family    
near by1 named her ,rose ,featherstone  
and taken her to and from the           
kindergarten daily1 a distance of at    
least half a mile of crowded streets4   
,the affair was purely one of innocent  
romance4 ,emma ,abby ,googins never told
 a fib or committed the slightest fault 
or folly save that of burying her name1 
assuming a more distinguished one1 and  

introducing a sister to me who had no   
claim to the ,googins blood4 ,her mother
 was thoroughly mystified by the        
occurrence and ,i no less so1 but ,emma 
,abby simply opened her blue eyes wider 
and protested that she liked to be      
,violet and ,rose liked to be ,rose1 and
 that was the only excuse for her       
conduct1 which she seemed to think      
needed neither apology nor explanation4 
,now comes the darling of the group1 the
 heart's ease1 the nonesuch1 the ,rose  
of ,erin1 the lovely1 the indescribable 
,rosaleen ,clancy4  ,we were all working
 busily and happily one morning when a  
young woman tapped at the door and led  
in that flower and pearl of babyhood1   
the aforesaid ,rosaleen4  ,the young    
woman said she knew that the            
kindergarten was full1 and indeed had a 
long waiting list1 but the ,clancy      
family had just arrived from ,ireland2  
that there were two little boys2 a new  
baby twenty-four hours old2 ,mr4 ,clancy
 had not yet found work1 and could we   

take care of ,rosaleen even for a week  
or two8  ,as ,i looked at the child the 
remark that we had not a single vacant  
seat perished1 unborn1 on my lips4 ,she 
was about three and a half years old1   
and was clad in a straight1 loose slip  
of dark blue wool that showed her neck  
and arms4 ,a little flat1 sort of pork  
pie hat of blue velveteen sat on the    
back of her adorable head1 showing the  
satiny rings of yellow hair that curled 
round her ears and hung close to her    
neck4 7,no wonder67 ,she had gray-blue  
eyes with long upper and under lashes   
and a perfect mouth that disclosed the  
pearly teeth usually confined to the    
heroines of novels4 ,as to her skin you 
would say that ,jersey cream was the    
principal ingredient in its composition4
  ,the children had stopped their       
weaving needles and were gazing         
open-mouthed at this vision of beauty1  
though ,rosaleen had by no means        
unmasked all her batteries4 ,she came   
nearer my chair1 and without being      

invited1 slipped her hand in mine in a  
blarneyish and deludthering way not     
unknown in her native isle4 ,the same   
,jersey cream had gone into its skin1   
there were dimples in the knuckles1 and 
baby hand though it was1 its satin touch
 had a thrill in it1 and responded      
instantly to my pressure4  ,do you think
 we can make room for her1 children8 ,i 
asked4  ,every small boy cried          
rapturously3 ,look ,miss ,kate6 ,here's 
room6 ,i kin scrooge up6 and hoped the  
,lord would send ,rosaleen his way6  ,we
 can't have two children in one seat2 ,i
 explained to ,rosaleen's sponsor1      
because they can't have proper building 
exercises nor work to good advantage    
when they're crowded4  ,i kin set on the
 pianner stool6 gallantly offered ,billy
 ,prendergast4  ,perhaps ,i can borrow a
 little chair somewhere1 ,i said4 ,would
 you like to stay with us ,rosaleen8    
,her only answer 7she was richer in     
beautiful looks than in speech7 was to  
remove her blue velveteen hat and       

tranquilly placed it on my table4 ,if   
she was lovely with her hair covered she
 was still lovelier now2 while her smile
 of assent disclosing as it did1 an     
irresistible dimple1 completed our      
conquest2 so that no one in the room    
7save ,hansanella1 who went on doggedly 
with their weaving7 would have been     
parted from the new comer save by fire  
and the sword4  ,at one o'clock ,bobby  
,green came back from the noon recess   
dragging a high chair4 ,it was his own  
outgrown property and he had asked our  
,janitor to abbreviate its legs and     
bring it up stairs4  ,when ,rosaleen sat
 in it and smiled1 a thrill of rapture  
swept through the small community4 ,the 
girls thrilled as well as the boys1 for 
,rosaleen's was not a mere sex appeal   
but practically a universal one4  ,there
 was one flaw in our content4 ,bobby    
,green's mother arrived shortly after   
one o'clock in a high state of wrath1   
and ,i was obliged to go out in the hall
 and calm her nerves4  ,i really think  

,bobby's impulse was an honest one1 ,i  
said4 ,he did not know ,i intended to   
buy a chair for the new child out of my 
own salary this afternoon4 ,he probably 
thought that the high chair was his very
 own1 reasoning as children do1 and it  
was a gallant1 generous act4 ,i don't   
like to have him punished for it1 ,mrs4 
,green1 and if we both tell him he ought
 to have asked your permission before   
giving the chair away1 and if ,i buy you
 a new one1 won't you agree to drop the 
matter8--,think how manly ,bobby was and
 how generous and thoughtful6 ,if he    
were mine ,i couldn't help being proud  
of him4 ,just peep in and look at the   
baby who is sitting in his chair1 a     
little stranger1 just come from ,ireland
 to ,san ,francisco4  ,mrs4 ,green      
peeped in and saw the sun shining on    
,rosaleen's primrose head4 ,she was     
stringing beads1 while ,bobby1 ,pat and 
,aaron knelt beside her1 palpitating for
 a chance to serve4  ,she's real cute6  
whispered ,mrs4 ,green4 ,does ,bobby act

 very often like he's doin' now8  ,he's 
one of the greatest comforts of my life6
 ,i said truly4  ,i wish ,i could say   
the same6 she retorted4 ,well1 ,i came  
round intendin' to give him a good      
settlin' but he'd had two already this  
week and ,i guess ,i'll let it go6 ,we  
ain't so poverty-struck as some o' the  
folks in this neighborhood and ,i guess 
we can make out to spare a chair1 it's  
little enough to pay for gettin' rid of 
,bobby4  ,two years that miracle of     
beauty and sweetness1 ,rosaleen ,clancy 
stayed with us1 just as potent an       
influence as the birds or the flowers1  
the stories ,i told1 or the music ,i    
coaxed from the little upright piano4   
,her face was not her only fortune for  
she had a heart of gold4 ,ireland did   
indeed have a grievance when ,rosaleen  
left it for ,america6  ,this is just a  
corner of my portrait gallery1 which has
 dozens of other types hanging on the   
walls clamoring to be described4 ,some  
were lovely and some interestingly ugly2

 some were like lilies growing out of   
the mud1 others had not been quite as   
able to energize themselves out of their
 environment and bore the sad traces of 
it ever with them2--still1 they were all
 absorbingly interesting beyond my power
 to paint4 ,month after month they sat  
together1 working1 playing1 helping1    
growing--in a word learning how to live1
 and there in the midst of the group was
 ,i1 learning my life lesson with them4 
,the study and the practice of the      
kindergarten theory of education and of 
life gave me1 while ,i was still very   
young1 a certain ideal by which to live 
and work1 and it has never              
faded4--,never1 whether richer or       
poorer1 whether better or worse1 in     
sickness or in health1 in prosperity or 
adversity1 never wholly to lose my      
glimpse of that celestial light that    
childhood-apparalled ,meadow1 grove and 
stream1 the earth and every common      
sight3 and to hold that attitude of mind
 and heart which gives to life even when

 it is difficult something of the glory 
and the freshness of a dream6           
,illustration         99       99       
99       99       99  ,,advertisements  
,by ,kate ,douglas ,wiggin   ,,rebecca  
,,of ,,sunnybrook ,,farm4 #abmo1 #a4be4 
,,new ,,chronicles ,,of ,,rebecca4      
,illustrated by ,f4 ,c4 ,yohn4 #abmo1   
#a4be4 ,,rose ,o' ,,the ,,river4 ,ill4  
in color4 #abmo1 #a4be4 ,,the ,,affair  
,,at ,,the ,,inn4 ,ill4 #abmo1 #a4be4   
,,the ,,diary ,,of ,a ,,goose ,,girl4   
,illustrated4 #abmo1 #a4jj4 ,a          
,,cathedral ,,courtship ,,and           
,,penelope',s ,,english ,,experiences4  
,ill4 #afmo1   #a4jj4 ,,penelope',s     
,,progress4 #afmo1 #a4be4 ,,penelope',s 
,,irish ,,experiences4 #afmo1 #a4be4    
,,penelope',s ,,experiences4 ,i         
,england2 ,,ii ,scotland2 ,,iii         
,ireland2 ,holiday   ,edition4 ,with    
many illustrations by ,charles ,e4      
,brock4 #c vols41 each   #abmo1 #b4jj   
the set1 #f4jj4 ,a ,,cathedral          
,,courtship4 ,holiday ,edition1         

enlarged4 ,illustrated by   ,c4 ,e4     
,brock4 #abmo1 #a4ej4 ,,the ,,birds'    
,,christmas ,,carol4 ,illustrated4      
,square #abmo1 #ej cents4 ,,the ,,story 
,,of ,,patsy4 ,illustrated4 ,square     
#abmo1 #fj cents4 ,a ,,summer ,,in ,a   
,,canyon4 ,a ,california ,story4        
,illustrated4 #afmo1 #a4be4 ,,timothy',s
 ,,quest4 ,a ,story for ,anybody1 ,young
 or ,old1 who cares to read   it4 #afmo1
 #a4jj4 ,holiday ,edition4 ,illustrated4
 ,crown #hvo1 #a4ej4 ,,polly ,,oliver',s
 ,,problem4 ,illustrated4 #afmo1 #a4jj4 
,in ,riverside ,school   ,library4 #fj  
cents1 net2 postpaid4 ,,the ,,village   
,,watch-,,tower4 #afmo1 #a4jj ,,marm    
,,lisa1 #afmo1 #a4jj4 ,,nine ,,love     
,,songs1 ,,and ,a ,,carol4 ,music by    
,mrs4 ,wiggin4 ,words by ,herrick1      
,sill1 and others4 ,square #hvo1 #a4be4 
99       99       99       99       99  
,by ,mrs4 ,wiggin and ,miss ,nora       
,archibald ,smith   ,,the ,,story       
,,hour4 ,a ,book for the ,home and      
,kindergarten4 ,illustrated4 #afmo1     

#a4jj4 ,,children',s ,,rights4 ,a ,book 
of ,nursery ,logic4 #afmo1 #a4jj4 ,,the 
,,republic ,,of ,,childhood4 ,in three  
volumes4 ,each1 #afmo1 #a4jj4     ,i4   
,,froebel',s ,,gifts4    ,,ii4          
,,froebel',s ,,occupations4   ,,iii4    
,,kindergarten ,,principles ,,and       
,,practice4         99       99       99
       99       99  ,,houghton1         
,,mifflin ,,and ,,company ,boston and   
,new ,york