. St. Nicholas [serial]. n this magic ring, arebusy making forts, piling up mountains, play-ing ball, or doing whatever their fertile imagina-tions may suggest. In poor quarters of largecities, where there are no parks, long, low bedsof sand are put in some out-of-the-way spotand kept in place by low boards. But, leaving these little ones to play in thesand, let us see what games the older childrenenjoy. Any one who has lived in the Father-land will tell you that German children havelittle time for play. School is the most impor-tant thing for them, and takes most of theirtime. And yet, childr
. St. Nicholas [serial]. n this magic ring, arebusy making forts, piling up mountains, play-ing ball, or doing whatever their fertile imagina-tions may suggest. In poor quarters of largecities, where there are no parks, long, low bedsof sand are put in some out-of-the-way spotand kept in place by low boards. But, leaving these little ones to play in thesand, let us see what games the older childrenenjoy. Any one who has lived in the Father-land will tell you that German children havelittle time for play. School is the most impor-tant thing for them, and takes most of theirtime. And yet, children would not be childrenwithout play, and so in Germany, just as withus, the girls and boys have their games, even though they may not find as much time forthem as do American children. If I were asked what is the favorite amuse-ment of German children, I should answer,taking long walks into the country. The loveof nature seems to be born with most of , they are sturdy young folks, and areperfectly willing to. put up with inconveniences. For these reasonsthey are just the people to enjoy walking in thecountry, and the practice begun in childhoodis kept up during life. When the children goon these long walks, they often carry what we CHILD LIFE IN GERMANY. >99 should call a botanical box (that is, a tin box are better than our own, but because the townsabout a foot and a half long, with rounded and villages provide places for bathing in sum-edges, and a lid on hinges), slung over the mer and skating in winter, and encourage theshoulder by a strap. In this they carry a people in using them. Closely connected with skating is coasting,and in this pastime, at least, German childrenhave much to learn from our own. A cutter,as I believe our boys call their low, long, swiftlyflying sleds, is not common in Germany, whilethat grandest product of coasting, the double-runner, is a still greater rarity, as I foundwhen I attempted to explain to them its con-struction. Instead
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Keywords: ., bookauthordodgemar, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookyear1873
